Obo in Palmerston North celebrates shipping of orders with flag flying

Obo was flying the Japanese flag last week as it had just completed an order for a customer from there. It was also a fitting choice as the Tokyo Olympics opened. Photo / Judith Lacy

If you haven't been able to work out why Obo is flying a particular country's flag, you're not alone.

But as we conclude our Flag Flyers of Manawatū series, Obo head man Simon Barnett shares the answer.

Obo, in Kelvin Grove, makes hockey protection equipment for goalies. It exports to about 75 countries and has a 70 per cent global market share.

Barnett describes it as a niche niche business with hockey the first niche and goalkeepers the second niche.

When Obo is shipping an order to a particular country, it flies that country's flag in celebration. A photo of the flag is sent to the customer with a note saying staff are busy packing their container and to thank them for their order.

Flags flying in celebration recently have been the Netherlands, Germany and Japan.

When Obo is not shipping an order they usually fly one of three Obo flags, Barnett says. In keeping with their colourful products and premises, they have three brightly coloured Obo flags in magenta, blue and lime green.

The All Blacks flag is flown when the men in black are playing and the New Zealand flag during elections.

As a young man, Barnett would go past Allflex, a prominent exporting company in Tremaine Ave. It would always have six flags flying of the countries it sold its products to.

Barnett says he had great respect for the globally oriented company based in Palmerston North. He was motivated to go into the export market in part by Allflex.

A few years after setting up Obo, when he could afford a flagpole and flags, he thought he'd do the same as Allflex and what inspired him as a young man.

Having fun is one of Obo's values and Barnett has been known to ask new staff to carry a flag on a special cushion to the flagpole outside the company's office and factory in Mihaere Drive.

Flag flying adds colour, flavour and humour to what Obo does, as well as showing respect to customers, he says.

• Thank you to all the flag flyers who let us tell their stories and to those readers who told us where to find flags. Our next series will be quirky and ornate mailboxes. If you know where one is in Manawatū, please email judith.lacy@nzme.co.nz.