Product Architects, Inc.

Product Architects, Inc.
Product Architects, Inc.
Polar Bottle
Type Privately held
Industry Sport equipment
Founded 1994
Headquarters 5637 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, Colorado 80305
, United States
Products Water bottles
Employees 38
Website http://www.polarbottle.com

Product Architects Inc. is the parent company of Polar Bottle brand insulated sport water bottles and Half Twist lifestyle bottles. The company is based out of Boulder, Colorado where it assembles and ships all of its products.

Contents

History

Robert Heiberger and Judy Amabile founded Product Architects Inc. in 1994. The pair, along with their five employees, ran the company from the garage of their home[1] for a year before moving operations to an industrial park. The business acquired its first national buyer in the form of The Container Store in April 1995[1] and entered the sporting goods market when they were picked up by Dick’s Sporting Goods later that year.[2] Since then, the company has enjoyed steady growth and was nominated as one of Colorado’s top small businesses in 2010 by ColoradoBiz Magazine.[3] Today, Product Architects Inc. sells its products in over 50 countries across six continents and employs 38 workers.

Products

Polar Bottle

From left to right: The original Polar Bottle; the addition of a removable valve and screen-printed logo (in 20- and 24-ounce sizes); the bottle redesign; and modern bottles (in 20- and 24-ounce sizes).

The Polar Bottle was invented by Robert Heiberger, with prototypes being made as early as 1989.[1] Heiberger, a mechanical engineer working with heat loss in the medical technology design field, realized that the systems he employed to warm blood samples to body temperature could be used in reverse to keep liquid cool in a bottle.[1] The bottle features a dual-wall construction which creates a layer of insulating air between the liquid inside the bottle and the outside environment. Between the two bottle layers is a thin foil liner that reflects solar energy away from the bottle. The bottle is – and has always been[2] – made from BPA- and Phthalate-free Low-density polyethylene. It is produced in 24-ounce (710 ml) and 20-ounce (590 ml) sizes. The bottles are blow-molded in Denver, CO.[2] Since the Polar Bottle’s introduction, it has undergone continual improvements[1] to both form and function. The first of these changes occurred in 1998 when a removable valve system was added to the cap to facilitate cleaning. In 2006, the bottle’s entire aesthetic was updated with a sleeker body design, the addition of a carrying strap, and the introduction of a variety of colored liners.[2] In 2010, the company added 8 new graphic designs to their existing array of colored liners[4] and, in response to consumer feedback, reduced the thickness of the bottle walls to make squeezing the bottle easier.[5]

Half Twist

Half Twist bottles in Stainless Steel and plastic (HDPE) varieties

The Half Twist bottle was introduced in 2010 in an effort to expand the scope of Product Architects’ hydration options beyond the sports bottle market.[6] The primary feature of the bottle is the Half Twist cap, which is fitted with a silicone gasket. The lid allows the user to drink directly from the cap without removing it from the bottle and the gasket creates a watertight seal when closed. The Half Twist received positive reviews,[7][8] though some users found the lid difficult to operate. The lid comes on two types of bottles: a 24-ounce (710 ml) High-density polyethylene bottle and a 28-ounce (828 ml) Stainless steel bottle. Both bottle types are BPA- and Phthalate-free.

Modern Wallet

The “Wings” and “Prairie” Modern Wallet designs

Product Architects released the Modern Wallet in 2004. The wallet was made of Teslin, a synthetic material that is durable, flexible, breathable, and waterproof. It featured a wide variety of pictures and designs that were shown on both the inside and outside of the wallet. It was sold primarily to Independent Bicycle Dealers, many of whom already carried the Polar Bottle. The Modern Wallet was discontinued in 2008.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Gonzalez, Erika “Hot bicycle ride leads to new sports bottle”. Daily Camera, March 5, 1996
  2. ^ a b c d Davis, Joyzelle “Catch a plastic wave”. Rocky Mountain News, May 16, 2008, accessed Jan. 5 2011
  3. ^ “Top Company Finalists: Colorado’s most competitive business award”. ColoradoBiz Magazine, Sept. 1, 2010, accessed Jan. 5 2011
  4. ^ “Polar Bottle Releases Eight New Designs”. Outdoor USA Magazine, May 26, 2010, accessed Jan. 5 2011
  5. ^ “Polar Bottle Enhances Design for Easier Squeezing”. Bike World News, June 2, 2010, accessed Jan. 5 2011
  6. ^ “Product Architects Taps Lifestyle and Outdoor Markets with New Half Twist™ Bottle”. Outdoor Industry Association, July 19, 2010, accessed Jan. 5 2011
  7. ^ Hargrave, Jared “Polar Bottle Half Twist water bottle review”. Utah Outside, Dec. 15, 2010, accessed Jan. 5, 2011
  8. ^ Mitchell, Jason “Polar Bottle Half Twist Stainless Water Bottle Review”. Feed the Habit, Dec. 2, 2010, accessed Jan. 5, 2011

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tricycle Inc. — Tricycle Inc. is a sustainable design company founded in 2002 to serve the creative product lifecycle of the interior design and architecture professions and their suppliers. According to Tricycle co founder Michael Hendrix, …sustainable design… …   Wikipedia

  • Bluespec, Inc. — Bluespec, Inc. is a semiconductor tool design company co founded by prof. Arvind of MIT in June 2003. Arvind had previously founded Sandburst in 2000, which specialized in producing chips for 10G bit Ethernet routers; for this task, Arvind had… …   Wikipedia

  • Lattix, Inc. — Lattix is a provider of software architecture management solutions. Lattix has pioneered an award winning approach using system interdependencies to create an accurate blueprint of software applications, databases and systems. [… …   Wikipedia

  • Oracle — Запрос «Oracle» перенаправляется сюда; см. также другие значения. Oracle Corporation …   Википедия

  • RedPrairie — Infobox Company company name = RedPrairie Corporation company company type = Private foundation = 1975 location = Waukesha, Wis., USA key people = Mike Mayoras, CEO num employees = 1,300 (2008) industry = Supply Chain Management revenue = $253… …   Wikipedia

  • Jim Highsmith — James A. Highsmith III, commonly, Jim Highsmith (born 1945) is an author of multiple books in the field of software development methodology. He is the creator of a lightweight methodology known as Adaptive Software Development, described in his… …   Wikipedia

  • industrial design — industrial designer. the art that deals with the design problems of manufactured objects, including problems of designing such objects with consideration for available materials and means of production, of designing packages, bottles, etc., for… …   Universalium

  • architecture — /ahr ki tek cheuhr/, n. 1. the profession of designing buildings, open areas, communities, and other artificial constructions and environments, usually with some regard to aesthetic effect. Architecture often includes design or selection of… …   Universalium

  • Metal Building Manufacturers Association — The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) was founded in 1956 and promotes the design and construction of metal building systems in the low rise, non residential building marketplace. A non profit trade organization, MBMA s headquarters …   Wikipedia

  • American Express — Company Type Public Traded as NYSE: AXP Dow Jones Component …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”