QALO is an American jewelry company headquartered in Santa Ana, California. It primarily produces wedding and commitment rings made from silicone rather than traditional metal. QALO is an acronym for "Quality Athletics Love Outdoors."[1]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Ted Baker (CEO) KC Holiday |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Silicone jewelry |
| Website | Official website |
History and products
editQALO was founded by Ted Baker[2] and KC Holiday in 2013 at Baker's living room table in Santa Ana, California.[3] The two had both recently married their wives and were struggling with wearing a traditional ring. They came up with the idea for silicone rings after Holiday suffered minor finger injuries while playing golf and weightlifting with traditional metallic wedding bands, resulting in him wearing no ring at all.[4] QALO silicone rings are designed to be more comfortable and safer than traditional metal rings as they snap off if they get caught on something.[5]
The rings are marketed towards active individuals[6] and those with professions that result in their metal band being a safety hazard like athletes, firefighters, police officers, mechanics, electricians and others.[4][7] The company also produces baseball caps and shirts.[3]
References
edit- ^ Clarke, Liz (September 21, 2014). "Redskins QB Kirk Cousins honors marriage with sports-minded wedding band". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Zabonick, Rachel (July 5, 2015). "The Founding of QALO and a Look Towards the Future". ClubSolutions. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Ponsi, Lou (January 4, 2018). "Silicone wedding bands find a niche among athletes, firefighters and law enforcement". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Rothstein, Michael (September 29, 2016). "The (wedding) ring's the thing: Silicone bands a growing trend in NFL". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Klara, Robert (September 23, 2015). "How Jimmy Fallon's Mangled Finger Became a Thumbs-Up for Qalo". AdWeek. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Simmons, Shea (March 6, 2017). "Where To Buy QALO Silicone Rings If You're Afraid Of Fragile Diamond Wedding Bands". Bustle. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Borelli, Frank (March 30, 2015). "QALO Rings: More Than a Metal Band". Officer.com. Retrieved March 20, 2018.