This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A little more than two years ago, Utahn Phillip Chipping started looking for a way to prevent the dials on his watches from getting nicked and scratched.
To solve the problem, Chipping turned to an ultra-thin, high-tech material that was clear, strong enough to withstand the abuse of everyday wear and easily applicable to the faces of his watches.
"I heard about this film that was used to protect the blades on military helicopters," Chipping said. "After I managed to get a piece, I cut a crude circle and slapped it on the face of the watch. It worked great and you couldn't even tell it was there."
Chipping quickly realized that what worked for his watches also could work on any number of consumer electronic gadgets, from cell phones to laptop computers.
Using his $5,000 tax refund, Chipping launched ShieldZone Corp. in March 2005 and began marketing over the Internet his "invisibleSHIELD" product for GPS systems and iPods. Orders started coming in almost immediately, but it wasn't until the iPod nano came out six months later that things really took off.
"It was a great product, but it got tons of negative press because it scratched really easily," Chipping said. "As soon as we let the market know that we had something that could address that problem, our orders increased 10 times."
ShieldZone now sells products to protect more than 1,000 different models of consumer electronic devices, including film shields that protect the underwater computers used by scuba divers. During its first year in business, ShieldZone posted revenue of approximately $750,000. Last year the company recorded $2.78 million in sales.
Robert G. Pedersen, whom Chipping brought in several months after the company was founded to oversee its operations as president and chief executive, said ShieldZone's products are carried in more than 100 stores and retail chains, as well as at several carts in Salt Lake-area malls.
The consumer electronic devices being produced today are pieces of industrial art, Pedersen said. "They're sleek and artistically designed, and many of the people who own them want to show them off. The last thing they want to do is hide them in a bulky case. You put our product on and it isn't even noticeable."
Utahn Garry Miller said he has used ShieldZone's film on his digital phone. He even had the company do a custom job wrapping the individual links on his watch band and had the company design a circular piece to cover the base of his nickel-plated shaving brush.
"I'm one of those people who hate getting scratches on anything, and this is one product that does exactly what it is advertised to do," Miller said. "I told them [ShieldZone] that if I had a sports car, I'd be out there having them custom wrap it for me."
The Consumer Electronics Association, in a study released in late March, forecast that the market for consumer electronics accessories will grow 11 percent in 2007, a rate that will exceed the overall industry.
"People more and more are looking for accessories that will enhance their experience with their devices," said Jennifer Boone, spokeswoman for the CEA.
And it makes sense that when someone invests money, and often time, in their devices, they would want to protect them and keep them in as pristine a condition as possible, she said.
The CEA's study indicated that in 2006 consumers spent an average of $402 on personal electronic devices and another $62 on accessories, or about 15 percent of the initial cost of the product.
With more than 1 billion cell phones and 40 million iPods sold last year, Pedersen and Chipping believe there is plenty of room for growth. ShieldZone has applied for a patent on the process it uses to wrap devices with its film.
"We're constantly looking for other opportunities to expand, such as possibly using our technology to protect the tops of skis and snowboards," Pedersen said. "It is an ongoing process for us."
ShieldZone employs about 55 people at its headquarters at 3855 S. 500 West in South Salt Lake.
It also has contracted with Achieve Community Services Inc., which employes mentally disabled workers at a facility next door to ShieldZone's headquarters, to help with product packaging.
"ShieldZone is one of several clients," said David G. Stoddard, president of Achieve Community Services. "They've proved to be an excellent company to work for."