Zagg (stylized in all-caps) is a company based in

Midvale, Utah Midvale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Midvale's population was 34,124 according to 2019 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Midvale is home to the Sho ...

. It was originally called InvisibleShield. Under its subsidiaries, the company distributes phone and audio accessories.

History

In March 2005, InvisibleShield was created by Phillip Chipping. In January 2006, Chipping brought in Robert G. Pedersen II as the CEO, while Chipping retained the title of president and founder. Later that year, after buying out Chipping, Pedersen became the largest shareholder. The company changed its name to ShieldZone Corporation in March 2006 and then to ZAGG Inc in July 2007. The name change coincided with a

reverse merger A reverse takeover (RTO), reverse merger, or reverse IPO is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. Sometimes, conversely, the public compa ...

that made Zagg a publicly traded company on the

OTC Bulletin Board The OTC (Over-The-Counter) Bulletin Board or OTCBB was a United States quotation medium operated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for its subscribing members. FINRA closed the OTCBB on November 8, 2021. The board was used fo ...

exchange. In November 10, 2009, it was listed on the NASDAQ market. In August 2012, Pedersen stepped down following a

margin call ''Margin Call'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his feature directorial debut. The principal story takes place over a 24-hour period at a large Wall Street investment bank during the initial stages of the ...

, and Randall Hales, previously President and

COO COO or coo may refer to: Business * Certificate of origin, used in international trade * Chief operating officer or chief operations officer, high-ranking corporate official * Concept of operations, used in Systems Engineering Management Process ...

, became interim CEO. In December 2012, Hales was named CEO by the Board of Directors. In March 2018, Randall Hales resigned. The Board of Directors appointed Chris Ahern to be the CEO. Ahern was serving as the head of the Mophie brand and international business. In 2020, Zagg was received a loan of US$9.4 million as part of the

Paycheck Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953-billion business loan program established by the United States federal government during the Donald Trump administration in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARE ...

(PPP). The loans to publicly traded companies such as Zagg caused criticism of the program, and allegations that funds were misallocated. In April 23, 2020, the

US Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

announced that the eligibility criteria for PPP had been updated to be less inclusive of publicly traded companies. Zagg released a statement that it would not be returning its loans. In February 2021, Zagg was delisted from NASDAQ as it was acquired by a buyer group led by the

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

Evercel Inc. In 2022, Zagg began offering Zagg Protect, a phone protection plan.

Acquisitions and subsidiaries

In 2011, Zagg acquired iFrogz, a Logan, Utah manufacturer of audio accessories and protective cases, for $105 million. In 2016, Zagg acquired Mophie, a manufacturer of wireless chargers, battery packs, and smartphone charging cases, for $100 million. In August 2018, Zagg acquired Braven, an

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

-based retailer of headphones, earphones and

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 limi ...

speakers, for $4.5 million. In November 2018, Zagg acquired smartphone case manufacturer Gear4 for $40 million. In January 2019, Zagg acquired HALO, a manufacturer of wireless charging accessories, for $43 million.

References

{{Reflist Manufacturing companies based in Utah Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Midvale, Utah 2005 establishments in Utah