OOB Organic
{{Short description|New Zealand ice cream manufacturer}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| type = Private
| industry = Food manufacturing
| founders = {{Cslist
|Shannon Auton|Rob Auton|}}
| area_served = New Zealand
| products = Ice cream
| website = {{url|https://ooborganic.com/}}
}}
OOB Organic (short for Omaha Organic Berries) is a New Zealand seller of ice cream and berries.{{Cite web |date=26 October 2023 |title=Real organic berries – shame about the air miles |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/real-organic-berries-shame-about-the-air-miles/PT5SBU3WDTNYRZFIOJHVOIIGPE/ |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026065650/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/real-organic-berries-shame-about-the-air-miles/PT5SBU3WDTNYRZFIOJHVOIIGPE/ |url-status=live }} It was founded by Shannon and Rob Auton, and the ice cream is made in a factory in their blueberry orchard in Matakana. OOB Organic is sold in both New Zealand and Australia.{{Cite web |date=26 October 2023 |title=Small Business: Shannon Auton – OOB Organic |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/small-business-shannon-auton-oob-organic/E5PEA45Q77GYP5W7RRKQFC4JRU/ |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026064728/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/small-business-shannon-auton-oob-organic/E5PEA45Q77GYP5W7RRKQFC4JRU/ |url-status=live }}
History
The company was founded by Shannon and Rob Auton.{{Cite web |date=26 October 2023 |title=Berry growers branch out – Business News |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/berry-growers-branch-out/KXJ6RIFXC5DMN7N5P5EKO6XKIY/ |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026072326/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/berry-growers-branch-out/KXJ6RIFXC5DMN7N5P5EKO6XKIY/ |url-status=live }} Rob started growing berries in 2001; he was previously an investment banker. In 2012 the company and its products rebranded from Omaha Organic Berries to OOB Organic.
In 2012 OOB Organic started exporting to Australia, selling in 860 Woolworths stores.{{Cite web |last=Nadkarni |first=Anuja |date=30 April 2017 |title=Singapore gateway into Asian market |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/91917194/singapore-gateway-into-asian-market |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026070425/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/91917194/singapore-gateway-into-asian-market |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=27 August 2014 |title=Organic berry firm snares new market |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/cropping/10423230/Organic-berry-firm-snares-new-market |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026071938/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/cropping/10423230/Organic-berry-firm-snares-new-market |url-status=live }} In 2014 the company's products were introduced in 750 Australian Coles supermarkets. In 2013 or 2014 OOB Organic started exporting to Singapore, the first Asian country to sell the brand, and after a few years the company started exporting to Malaysia and China. The company had a 64 percent increase in sales in 2014.{{Cite web |date=19 June 2015 |title=Oob wins in organic food sales surge |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/69550482/oob-wins-in-organic-food-sales-surge |access-date=28 October 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028033500/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/69550482/oob-wins-in-organic-food-sales-surge |url-status=live }}
It was reported by The New Zealand Herald in 2015 that despite marketing giving the impression that the brand's berries were grown in New Zealand, fine print on the packaging said that they were grown in Chile and Turkey. A 2015 survey of 1797 New Zealanders conducted by Canstar Blue found that OOB Organic is one of New Zealand's favourite ice cream brands, reaching around the same level of satisfaction as Tip Top and Rush Munro's.{{Cite news |last=Yeoman |first=Scott |date=30 November 2015 |title=Family-owned brands cream big competition |language=en-NZ |work=The New Zealand Herald |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/family-owned-brands-cream-big-competition/EZ2YUDV5AANEYGMITZI3KKXSAU/ |access-date=28 October 2023 |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028000220/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/family-owned-brands-cream-big-competition/EZ2YUDV5AANEYGMITZI3KKXSAU/ |url-status=live }} In 2016 OOB Organic and Lewis Road Creamery partnered to create a limited edition strawberry-flavoured milk.{{Cite web |last=Heaton |first=Thomas |date=16 September 2016 |title=Lewis Road Creamery release limited edition strawberry milk for Spring |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/food-news/84005588/lewis-road-creamery-release-limited-edition-strawberry-milk-for-spring |access-date=27 October 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027235715/https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/food-news/84005588/lewis-road-creamery-release-limited-edition-strawberry-milk-for-spring |url-status=live }}
In 2017, OOB Organic's revenue for the previous year was reported as $17 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|NZ|17|2017}} million in {{Inflation/year|NZ}}{{Inflation/fn|NZ}}). In 2017 the company was fined $26,000 ({{Inflation|NZ|26000|2017|fmt=eq|r=-3}}{{Inflation/fn|NZ}}) for building without consent, relating to a 2011 development of five buildings which lacked proper fire escape routes or signage. The judge noted that there was no evidence of harm having been caused.{{Cite web |date=18 January 2017 |title=Unsafe icecream factory built without consent |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88547612/unsafe-icecream-factory-built-without-consent |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026072709/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88547612/unsafe-icecream-factory-built-without-consent |url-status=live }} In 2018 OOB Organic started selling smoothie mixes in Australia.{{Cite web |date=10 April 2018 |title=New food and booze |url=https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/food/off-the-shelf-ng-b88802562z |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=The West Australian |language=en |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231210005920/https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/food/off-the-shelf-ng-b88802562z |url-status=live }}