Ocean Spray (cooperative)

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Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Middleborough/Lakeville, Massachusetts. It currently has 750 member growers (in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Florida, British Columbia and other parts of Canada). The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005. Their products include cranberry sauce, fruit juices, and dried cranberries.

Ocean Spray was formed in 1930, in Hanson MA, by three cranberry growers who wanted to expand the market for cranberries. Led by grower Marcus L. Urann, who had perfected a cranberry sauce, the cooperative sought to develop more products made from cranberries. In the same year Ocean Spray became the first producer of cranberry juice drinks with the introduction of Cranberry Juice Cocktail. In 1976 the cooperative expanded its membership to grapefruit growers in Florida.

The cooperative has introduced a number of innovations including the first juice blend, first juice boxes and sweetened dried cranberries.

In June 2004 Ocean Spray members voted down a joint venture of cooperative’s beverage business to PepsiCo. Pepsi had offered the co-op $100 million, an assumption of debt and fixed prices for cranberry harvests. As of July 2006 the cooperative signed a 25 year single-serve juice distribution deal with Pepsi.

In June 2006, Ocean Spray agreed to end their support for animal experiments, at the request of PETA. Previously, Ocean Spray had funded tests involving things such as inducing mice with H. pylori, a bacteria that causes painful stomach ulcers, and then feeding them cranberry juice to see if it had a positive effect in order to make advertising claims. Their policy against animal testing is displayed on the company's website.