Otterbox

Born in a Fort Collins garage, OtterBox has diversified and grown into a company that—like its products—is stronger than ever.

Curt Richardson, a water sports enthusiast and the company’s founder, designed a dry box in the early '90s and subsequently launched his business in 1998 based off the prototype. Today, OtterBox is the best selling smartphone case brand in the United States.

Otter produces cases and screen protectors for mobile devices that are impact resistant, water resistant and shock resistant. The company understands that phones and tablets are for more than just snapping summit selfies on your outdoor adventures. Sure, it’s nice to have photographic proof for your rest-day brags. But if you drop your phone scrambling over some rocks on an unknown trail, you still need to be able to view the map and check your GPS coordinates. The screen on your phone is the window to your world.

Otter Products has also partnered with first responders who keep you safe as you push your physical limits and pursue your passions. From firefighters in the Rocky Mountains to lifeguards on the North Shore of Oahu, OtterBox-protected mobile devices keep them connected so they can pinpoint locations and respond swiftly and safely—even as they jump on a jet ski for a rescue or swim out to take pictures of the surf.

The company manufactures rugged products to suit outdoor lifestyles of all kinds and enhance your life on the go. It recently expanded its lineup to include hard-sided coolers, dry duffels and other outdoor accessories. But at the heart of its innovations is a deeper desire, a goal to make the world a better place. To many, this might seem like a cliché. But Otter Products walks the philanthropic walk through the OtterCares Foundation, which educates and empowers kids to turn their ideas into inventive new products. Once a year the company also shuts down completely so that employees can volunteer in schools.