Curt Richardson is the founder and CEO o…
Curt Richardson is the founder and CEO of Otterbox, a company that creates special cases for every type of mobile device. (I tried for half an hour to load the photo onto to the blog but it just won’t work, sorry). If it helps, Richardson is a handsome man in his 50’s that looks outgoing and motivated:)
Created in 1998, the venture for this company began by creating products that would help people of all types (klutzy, careless, spontenous etc.) who have broken their handhelds at one time or another and are looking for good products to protect their devices . All of the products are waterproof and since an otter’s fur is waterproof, Richardson’s wife came up with the idea for the name of the company. Originally just boxes, the company now produces a large line of protective cases for everything from blackberries to iPhones. The company’s motto is:
“We’ve got technology covered” which is a catchy slogan that literally reflects what their products do.
Richardson credits his father, a minister (who also dabbled in boat building, land scaping and carpentry) for his hard working ethics. Even at a young age, Richardson had it in his blood to become an entrepreneur by organizing garage sales and even charged people to use the shooting gallery that he set up in his garage. By the 7th grade he had his own lawn business in Denver Colorado. He would haul the lawnmowers behind him on a cart behind his bicycle. By 18 he started his own company called Richardson Tool and Mold which soon lead to Richardson International. His molding talents eventually took him back to his garage where he created his first waterproof case in the early 1990’s. By 1998, Otterbox was born.
The team and board of advisors is supported by the president of the company, Brian Thomas who has a degree in Industrial Marketing and Manufacturing Engineering Technology. He also has an Ed degree in Biology and taught high school before joining Otterbox in 2003. Richardson stresses the importance of family with his business and states that Otterbox would not exist today without the help of his wife and children.
As for my personal reflections, it’s amazing to see that such a simple idea can be made into such a huge business.
Donna Forward
Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Meggan Crawford 8:41 pm on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Donna,
It’s interesting to see the man behind the company we see around us on a day to day basis! Although I have had my issues with Otterbox, I respect Mr. Richardson’s entrepreneurial background and it seems clear that he has always been an individual driven to create a successful business.
I do wonder somewhat at the motivation behind these ventures – the variety within their topics seems to suggest that financial benefit was the main driving force. Do you think that Mr. Richardson would have been as successful if mobile devices had not become as predominant?
Thanks for the detail!
-Meggan
Donna Forward 9:24 pm on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Meggan,
I’m sure that the predominance of mobile devices definitely helped Mr. Richardson’s venture immensely!
Cheers,
Donna