1930 - 1960
In the 1940s, Ocean Spray continued to flourish, adding facilities, plants, and new growers. The Cooperative also supported American troops during World War II by making sure cranberry products were available on the frontlines. The 1950s marked the beginnings of Ocean Spray’s operations in Canada, as well as the Cooperative’s first television advertising. In 1959, however, a serious problem confronted the cranberry industry when a pesticide scare led stores to remove cranberry products from their shelves, restaurants to follow suit on their menus, and shoppers to skip buying cranberry sauce at the holidays. The resulting drop in sales nearly destroyed the entire cranberry industry, which at that time was still very much a seasonal business.