O2COOL, a manufacturer of hydration, portable cooling, and patio, pool and beach products, has acquired bobble, part of the Seventh Generation family of household and personal care brands owned by Unilever. O2COOL also announced today it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Zing Anything, another innovative hydration brand with strong placement at retail. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Founded in 2009, bobble offers a lineup of hydration and filtration products with strong intellectual property. The bobble catalog of insulated and reusable products for hot and cold beverages include Infuse, Insulate and Presse. Zing’s core lineup boasts an array of infusion products, including the Citrus Zinger, as well as a number of other hydration and housewares solutions.
“The bobble and Zing Anything deals represent smart and strategic fits for O2COOL,” said Eric Lockwood, CEO of O2COOL. “The addition of these businesses represents O2COOL’s strong commitment to the hydration category. It reinforces our promise to our retail partners that we will continue to bring attractive and innovative solutions to the market.”
Post-acquisitions, the O2COOL, bobble and Zing Anything lineup of products will retain their individual branding. To support its overall brand management, product and business development efforts, the company will be hiring a senior marketing leader, as well as additional support employees. All businesses will be relocated to O2COOL’s headquarters in Chicago.
The bobble and Zing Anything deals are representative of O2COOL’s aggressive growth strategy, said the company. Prior to this, in late 2014, O2COOL acquired the assets of Better Things, LLC. That acquisition marked O2COOL’s expansion into the pool, patio and beach marketplace with patented products like the Boca Clips line, designed for people to easily secure towels to chaise and deck chairs.
O2COOL is actively seeking out additional opportunities for acquisitions in the consumer products marketplace.
