Pedersen helps company ZAGG when others zig

Robert Pedersen II isn't just president, chief executive officer, chairman of the board and co-founder of ZAGG Inc., the Salt Lake-based maker of invisibleSHIELD products.

He's also one of his company's most enthusiastic customers.

Originally, Pedersen was hired by ZAGG to consult with the fledgling firm's investors.

But he was fired with enthusiasm for the company's future after seeing the invisibleSHIELD, a protective coating for everything from laptops to iPods to cell phones that is made from a military-grade film originally used to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades.

With its clear, nearly imperceptible coating, invisibleSHIELD seems very different from the bulkier cases that are its main competitors. But Pedersen knew that once potential customers saw how well the product protected their devices, they would not only buy an invisibleSHIELD, they also would become evangelists for the brand, convincing others to give it a look.

To that end, Pedersen created a highly motivated sales staff and instilled a culture of fun and unity in the company. ZAGG now offers thousands of invisibleSHIELD designs used by millions of people.

ZAGG products are popular around the world, thanks in large part to highly enthusiastic word-of-mouth from customers, many of whom order their invisibleSHIELDs at the same time as they buy every new electronic device.

ZAGG plans to continue expanding its invisibleSHIELD lines, but the company sells and develops other products that enhance the relationship between electronic gadgets and their owners.

One such line, ZAGGAudio, makes award-winning earbuds, headphones and USB speakers for laptops. Another, ZAGGskins, prints personalized images onto invisibleSHIELD film to decorate electronic gadgets.