Rochester, N.Y.
– Skooba Design has announced an exclusive partnership with U.K.-based Proporta
to co-market its line of Proporta-branded iPod and handheld device cases and
accessories in the United
States.
Skooba is now the sole sales and marketing agent for Proporta in
the U.S.,
initially making the products available exclusively on the Skooba Web site.
Proporta designs and manufactures cases for all current and
recent iPod and iPhone models. The company is best known for its aluminum-lined
leather cases that offer the screen protection of a hard case with a slimmer
profile. Proporta also offers faux-leather cases, silicone skins, clear
polycarbonate hard shells, pouches and other designs.
This limited launch on the Web is intended to give Skooba the
opportunity to establish the products here and fine-tune the assortment for
domestic consumers, the company said. After the initial rollout period, the
company plans to expand the assortment and retail distribution nationwide.
“We’ve been in contact with Proporta for years,” Skooba CEO
Michael Hess said in a statement, “and have been huge fans of everything from
their product designs and meticulous craftsmanship to their ingenious
packaging. We’ve also been impressed that they do so much – at such an
exceptional level of detail-at prices that represent a great value to the
customer.”
Hess said that this is the first time Skooba has ever sold
anything other than its own branded products, so it wasn’t a small decision.
“But we saw their incredible success overseas, as well as the great product fit
and chemistry between the companies, and we knew the time was right to bring
Proporta across the pond.”
