As it shrinks, iGo moves its offices

Like many empty-nesters, iGo Corp.

moved into a smaller home more appropriate to a new, less-populous lifestyle.

The Reno-based company, which once employed more than 200, today has a staff of about 50 as it prepares for completion of its acquisition by Mobility Electronics Inc.

of Scottsdale, Ariz.

The acquisition a stock and cash deal awaits approval of the shareholders of both companies.

The transaction is expected to be complete in September, says David Olson, acting president and chief executive officer of iGo.

In the meantime, iGo moved from its 85,000- square-foot quarters at 9850 Double R Blvd.

to a 50,000- square-foot office at 9393 Gateway Drive.

That space, Olson says, better fits the company's new profile and smaller staff.

Even in March, its staff was about double its current size.

After the company's acquisition is complete, iGo's staff in Reno will include sales and marketing groups as well as a group responsible for vendor relationships, Olson says.

The company develops and markets accessories such as batteries, adapters and chargers for mobile technology products including notebooks, cell phones and wireless devices.

Mobility Electronics plans to re-brand its consumer lines as iGO products, Olson says.

iGo, founded in San Jose, Calif., in 1993, moved to Reno in mid-1997 to take advantage of lowers costs to operate its customer-contact and fulfillment operations.

The company went public in late 1999, but never turned a profit as a public company.

Mobility Electronics, meanwhile, reported a loss of $3 million on revenue of $6.7 million in the second quarter.

A year earlier, the company lost $6.1 million on sales of $7 million.

"We continue to be very excited by the potential represented by the combination of our two companies," Mobility President and CEO Charlie Mollo said recently about the iGO acquisition.