94 | T T Virginia Wright Scoring big with hockey protective equipment OBO equipment was used by 74% of goalkeepers at the Paris Olympics. BUSINESS OBO It’s been 31 years since Simon and Fiona Barnett founded their Palmerston North based company OBO. Simon’s background included importing and distributing hockey equipment in New Zealand and when he saw someone making goalie equipment for field hockey using closed cell foam, he saw an opportunity. After some research Simon felt this new material had a big role to play in the future of hockey and in 1992, they set up their company having decided to specialise in the design, manufacture and distribution of equipment for the field hockey goalkeeper. “I had some interest in operating internationally and it looked like something we could use to create a New Zealand based company with a global reach using a niche business model,” explains Simon. “We knew that we had a very good raw material coming out of a New Zealand company and we knew that we could apply design principles to goalkeeping equipment.” Thirty-one years later, with neither the owners nor their long-term designer Rob Whitfield having any hockey playing experience, the statistics show that Simon and Fiona knew exactly what they were doing when they made that decision. OBO was used by 74% of goalkeepers at the Paris Olympics. It now holds over 80% of the world field hockey goalkeeper market, and they export to 76 countries. The brand statement “Goalkeepers Are Amazing People” is a key driver of what the company works to achieve, and it shows. Behind every choice that feeds into the products that OBO design and manufacture is a core of scientific research and solid data analysing what that product needs to be able to best serve its goal keeping wearer. Just as they have since the beginning, they apply strong design principles to learnings that come directly from the people who use their products. Social media provides opportunities for ongoing conversations as they keep the door wide open for anyone to share their thoughts on any ways to help them improve their game. Products were and still are designed on the basis of those in-depth and carefully evaluated conversations with the people who rely on the products to allow them to play to their highest level, namely field hockey goal keepers. Every product they make combines another one of their slogans, “Good Shit That Really Works”, with one of their core values, “add beauty to everything we do,” and whether it’s one of their partners in Thailand, China, and Pakistan, or coming out of the factory in Palmerston North, all of OBO’s gear, from helmets to groin protection, is made with one outcome in mind, to enable field hockey goalkeepers to play their best game safely and to their highest potential. He may be the boss but Simon’s clear that his team is an essential part of this Kiwi success story, a backbone of perseverance, determination and integrity that he can rely on. Simon would like nothing more than to see other New Zealand companies succeeding in the world market as they have. “There are huge opportunities in almost any sphere, particularly if you view the world from a niche perspective and preferably a niche perspective where you can really build strength. I’m not a hockey player and yet we dominate the international field hockey market for goal keepers out of Palmerston North New Zealand. You may not grow the biggest company, but you could well grow a strong company that is the best in your industry.” • Non-slip matting & threshold ramps • Gym tiles • Vehicle and trailer matting • Playground safety surfacing • Artificial grass • Custom rubber solutions P: 0800 80 85 70 E: admin@burgessmatting.co.nz www.burgessmatting.co.nz Innovative Matting Solutions All residential and commercial electrical. Solar installations in residential, commercial and farming. HVAC installations & maintenance. Gate installations and maintenance. T 06 3570405 E office@mcnae.co.nz W mcnae.co.nz A better experience everyday, that's the McNae way
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