Company History
Rick Alden founded Skullcandy in 2003. The first Skullcandy product, the Skullcandy Portable Link, was introduced at the 2003 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The LINK system combined headphones with hands-free cellular technology, allowing users to both listen to music from a portable audio device, while making and receiving calls through their cell phone. In 2003, Alden sold the first products to Milo Snow & Skate, an action sports shop in Utah.
Alden was named one of vSpring Capital's "Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs" of 2008, and holds a patent for technology that integrates mobile phones and music players, LINK technology.
In December 2008 the company was named "the world's coolest ear bud," by Fortune Magazine. In addition, the company received local standing in 2008, placing in the Utah Business Fast 50, featuring the top 50 best and most innovative companies throughout the state. The company has quickly jumped to its place as the third most-sold headphone in the U.S. marketplace. In 2005 the company had $1.3 million in annual sales, while its 2009 ranking puts it in place to hit the $100 million mark. As quoted by the Salt Lake Tribune, "We're gunning for No. 1," said Andrus, Skullcandy's President.
In April of 2011, Skullcandy purchased fellow headphones manufacturer Astro Studios (AStro Gaming). The reason for doing so was to exchange information for the planned second generation of Skullcandy gaming headsets.
On January 28, 2011, Skullcandy filed for initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This announcement was met with some criticism from financial press.
Read more about this topic: Skullcandy
Famous quotes containing the words company and/or history:
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)
“The awareness that health is dependent upon habits that we control makes us the first generation in history that to a large extent determines its own destiny.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)