Like many rolling paper companies, OCB is defined by its history. The name “OCB” is an acronym representing the most important elements of the company’s past, present, and future.
O - OCB’s first paper mill was erected on the banks of France’s Odet river in 1822. The founders cited that “it’s very useful to have water nearby when you’re making paper”, especially since at the time it was difficult to get large amounts of water for making the necessary pulp.
(Odet River, France)
Appropriately for a company that began near a freshwater body, OCB has always been a big proponent of environmental conservation. As part of their “100% Natural Experience” campaign, OCB has committed itself to reducing its environmental footprint and preserving natural resources. Appropriately, OCB is one of the most famous producers of hemp rolling papers, which are one of the most eco-friendly alternatives to conventional wood paper. OCB also uses African Acacia gum for their papers, which are carefully extracted from the trees without damaging them. OCB then assists in re-planting those trees, which helps stave off the desertification of the region by fertilizing the soil.
C - In 1893 OCB rented the Cascedec paper mill in order to expand their business. It was with this decision that OCB began to move from simply being a rolling paper factory to being a true company. When the Cascedec mill was first rented, rolling papers wasn’t the mill’s primary product. OCB had up until that point been sharing factory space with producers of letter paper, cotton paper, muslin paper and other paper products. As OCB papers grew in demand, they eventually became the primary product of the mill, which culminated in OCB buying it in 1917. In addition, OCB has used its YouTube page to advocate for the addition of a “lick” option on Facebook, under the claim that a mere “like” has lost its distinction. They are still awaiting a response from Mark Zuckerberg.
B - We’ve gotten this far into talking about OCB without mentioning its First Family, The Bollores! OCB was founded by Rene and Guillaume Bollore along with Nicolas LeMarie. The Bollore Bros preceded six generations of Bollore paper makers who would guide the company upward. The second generation of the Bollores were able to officially trademark the name OCB in 1923 and begin mass exporting to the United States. During the WW2 occupation, the Bollores had their engineers open a North Carolina mill just to keep up with the American market. It was during the mid-1900s Bollore Era that OCB conceived some of its most novel ideas, such as sponsoring the 1948 Tour De France with a truck that could cut and fold paper and producing bible pages (which clearly goes hand in hand with smoking).
Under Vincent Bollore in 1999, OCB finally launched OCB Premium Rolling Papers, the same brand modern smokers currently use. Despite Vincent selling the company the next year, the OCB brand name remains strong and is still heavily associated with the Bollores.
You don’t get to be a top company in your field without embracing and using your history to become bigger and better than ever.
- published by DankStop