The Original Chill®
It was 1979, and McDonald’s had just introduced its first national Happy Meal® with a circus wagon theme. You might be surprised to know that corporate executives weren’t immediately sold on offering “food and fun in a box,” but, boy, did it sure stand the test of time.
Meanwhile, on a construction site sweltering under the hot Texas sun, a worker noticed that the tubing insulation material he was installing fit perfectly around his beverage can. Not only did this discovery seem to keep his drink chilled despite the heat, but it also kept condensation to a minimum and his hands dry.
The sleeve reminded him of the tea pot warmer his grandmother used during her afternoon tea, which she always called a cozy. He borrowed that name, and with a few spelling changes to reinforce the “cool” factor, the name koozie was born.
Pretty soon his buddies (and everyone else) wanted their own Koozie® can cooler, and manufacturing quickly grew beyond the construction worker’s capabilities. That’s when Frank Krasovec, owner of Radio Cap Company, stepped in and saw the potential for this game-changing invention. In 1980, RCC made the construction worker an offer he couldn’t refuse and became the proud owner of the Koozie® name and design patent.
The beverage insulator that started it all! Now available in 12 colors, including the OG black.
At RCC the Koozie® brand truly came to life. The first Koozie® material was only available in black (how boring!), but the folks at RCC foresaw a colorful future. Working with the original tubing insulation manufacturer, Koozie® can coolers were soon available in a rainbow of colors. The company developed a multitude of machines to increase manufacturing efficiency, and eventually RCC was selling millions of imprinted Koozie® can coolers.
Over the last 44 years, the Koozie® brand has grown to include a variety of high-performance drinkware and outdoor gear that enhance your experiences and create positive vibes. And like the Happy Meal, the Koozie® brand is now a household name that is synonymous with the word ‘fun.’ We say “Cheers!” to that!
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