Skullcandy Inc. is an American company based in

Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. Most of the city is within Summit County, Utah, Summit County, with some portions extending into Wasatch County, Utah, Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is sou ...

, that markets technology such as

headphones Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an ...

, earphones,

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...

speakers Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Speaker (song), "Speaker" ( ...

and other products. It was acquired by Mill Road Capital for $196.9 million and the deal was finalized on October 3, 2016, making Skullcandy a wholly owned private subsidiary of that company.

Products

Skullcandy's products are primarily targeted at the outdoor action sports

demographic Demography () is the statistics, statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration. Demographic analy ...

(

snowboarders Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow."snowboarding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Mar ...

skateboarders Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United States, ...

, etc.) and general consumer market, but they have expanded in recent years into the premium audio market with products such as the Crusher headphones. Skullcandy products are sold through retailers, specialty outlets, corporate incentive programs and the company's online store.

Company history

Skullcandy was founded by Rick Alden and Cris Williams in 2003. The first Skullcandy product, the Skullcandy Portable Link, was introduced at the 2003

International Consumer Electronics Show CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...

(CES) in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

. The LINK system combines headphones with hands-free cellular

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

, allowing users to listen to music from a portable audio device, while making and receiving calls through their cellphone. Skullcandy holds a patent for the wireless version of LINK technology. In December 2008, Skullcandy products were described as "the world's coolest ear buds" by ''Fortune'' magazine. In April 2011, Skullcandy purchased headphones manufacturer

Astro Gaming ASTRO Gaming is an American consumer electronics manufacturer specializing in video gaming headsets, peripherals, and accessories. Overview ASTRO Gaming's predecessor, Astro Studios, partnered with Microsoft on the industrial design for the ...

from Astro Studios for an unknown amount of cash. On January 28, 2011, Skullcandy filed for an

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...

with the

Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

. This announcement was met with some criticism from the financial press. On June 24, 2016, Incipio, a maker of phone cases, wireless speakers, and other accessories, announced plans to acquire Skullcandy for $177million; however, the deal later fell through as Incipio refused to submit a proposed amendment to the merger agreement and Skullcandy terminated the agreement. Skullcandy considered numerous other offers, eventually agreeing to be acquired by Mill Road Capital for $196.9million at $6.35 per share. The deal was finalized and completed on October 3, 2016, and the company became a private business again.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Corporate site

Bloomberg Private Company profile for Skullcandy
American companies established in 2003 Electronics companies established in 2003 Manufacturing companies based in Utah Headphones manufacturers Park City, Utah 2003 establishments in Utah Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States Privately held companies based in Utah Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq