BOB
In 1991, in San Luis Obispo, California, Roger Malinowski, a bicycle industry maven, met Philip Novotny. Philip was an airline mechanic who had turned a decrepit beach cruiser bike into a versatile, lightweight, single-track bike trailer called the YAK®, and was rolling them out of his machine shop on a small scale. Roger knew a great idea when he saw it, and together they took Philip's invention and turned it into a revolution.
Originally, the name of the company was Beast of Burden, which many thought was a burden unto itself. However, in typical California fashion, that mouthful was soon shortened to its acronym BOB®. "BOB was easier to spell, funny, and simple," Roger explains. "A lot like us and the stuff we produce."
In 2006, and now one of the world's leading makers of strollers and bike trailers, BOB moved its corporate offices to Boise, Idaho. Most employees ride their bikes to work, just as they did in California, and sometimes they take stroller or trailer ideas home for a little product testing.
Originally, the name of the company was Beast of Burden, which many thought was a burden unto itself. However, in typical California fashion, that mouthful was soon shortened to its acronym BOB®. "BOB was easier to spell, funny, and simple," Roger explains. "A lot like us and the stuff we produce."
In 2006, and now one of the world's leading makers of strollers and bike trailers, BOB moved its corporate offices to Boise, Idaho. Most employees ride their bikes to work, just as they did in California, and sometimes they take stroller or trailer ideas home for a little product testing.