O2Cool, the 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.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 2009, Bobble brings a lineup of hydration and filtration products with strong intellectual property to further complement O2Cool’s marketplace leadership in the hydration space. The Bobble catalog of insulated and reusable products for hot and cold beverages include Infuse, Insulate and Presse.
O2Cool also announced it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Zing Anything, another innovative hydration brand. 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.”
“We understand our customer’s demand for newness and we are confident in our ability to further develop these already exciting product lines, in a complementary manner to the existing O2Cool line, anchored by the popular Mist ‘N Sip products,” said Lockwood. “By doing so, we continue our pursuit of becoming a single-source solution for retailers in the hydration space.”
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. 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.
