Photos by Nicolas Lee Swain & courtesy of Skullcandy
With perhaps the coolest name in the audio business, Skullcandy has now made the move to its new, shiny building at Kimball Junction, and what a place to work, and play. It features 44,000 square feet of glass, decks, and high-tech gear, not to mention the basketball court, skateboard pipe, and putting green for some deep-thinking time. Music is everywhere, and there’s even a recording studio for artists. CEO Jason Hodell says, “We’re right next to the mountain range with floor-to-ceiling windows and 360-degree views of these amazing surroundings.”
With its signature headphones and audio products, this home-grown company has hit the big time. Its booming Crusher headphones or Method Bluetooth earbuds are on the gotta-have-it list right now. “Stay Loud” is more than a motto, it’s a way of life here.
Rick Alden’s Big Idea hit him at the top of a Utah powder run: to build a multi-use set of headphones for music and phone, and designed with style. Skullcandy’s technicolor products are blowing away the boring competition and they’ve become a global company by marrying design, culture and fashion with technology that just plain works great.
And that’s no accident, but the thoughtful brainstorming and execution by their innovative engineers. Buried deep inside the new building is a state-of-the-art sound room, with sound-sucking baffles and metal mesh to block electromagnetic interference while testing new products. It’s a spooky place, where words die on your lips as you stand suspended in a poky cage.
Hodell, who became the CEO last fall, continues, “The new space is very uplifting and allows us to work all within the same area versus being separated by three floors as we were previously. I can see two-thirds of the company right from where I sit and they can see me.”
Skullcandy is also a departure from the traditional tourist business in Summit County, and that’s a good thing. Speaking to this economic diversity, Park City Chamber/Bureau President and CEO Bill Malone says, “It’s exciting to see Skullcandy in this town, adds a different element for the work force. They are here because of who we are.”
The new digs have reinvigorated the company, with dramatic views of the Utah Olympic Park, Wasatch and Uinta mountains. On a powder day, there will surely be more than one person who will head out for some on-the-hill product testing. It’s the Park City way.