OtterBox Acquires Rival Protective Case Manufacturer LifeProof
by Brent Dirks
May 22, 2013
Protective case manufacturer OtterBox has announced today that it is acquiring rival LifeProof for an undisclosed amount.
According to 9to5Mac, while announcing the deal at the CTIA conference, executives from both companies said that the LifeProof branding will be retained in some fashion.
“The joining of OtterBox and LifeProof is a way to combine two great brands and provide customers with even more great products, services and choices for smartphone accessories,” OtterBox CEO Brian Thomas said. “Both companies are successful because we foster an environment where everyone takes pride in being part of a culture that knows how to identify opportunities and grow them quickly. Our goal in this acquisition is to create more value for our customers than we ever could have generated while operating individually.”While OtterBox pioneered the protective case concept for iOS devices, LifeProof quickly burst onto the scene with its line of waterproof cases for the iPhone and iPad. OtterBox unveiled its own waterproof iPhone case at CES earlier this year. The Armor Series is available for both the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S. The number of waterproof case options for the iPhone has quickly grown since the start of the year. Griffin Technologies, Incipio, and Seidio have all introduced similar, competing solutions for the iPhone 5. But it looks like OtterBox is trying to corner the market with the purchase of a major competitor.
