Entrepreneurs / Small Business  July 28, 2020

Appleooz relaunches, two years after 1908 dropped brand

BOULDER — Appleooz, a Boulder-born brand of crispy, dehydrated apple chips, recently relaunched four years after it was acquired, then ultimately abandoned, by 1908 Brands Inc.

Founder Mark Wood retained the rights to the branding after the 2016 acquisition and is back at the helm of Appleooz, a company he founded in 2012 using apples grown in his backyard. 

“This is an opportunity to finish the story I started,” Wood told BizWest. 

SPONSORED CONTENT

Solar Operations and Maintenance for Commercial Properties

One key qualification to consider when selecting a solar partner to install your system is whether they have an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) or service department. Since solar is a long-term asset with an expected lifecycle of 30 plus years, ongoing O&M should be considered up front. A trusted O&M partner will maximize your system’s energy output and therefor the return on your investment.

That story began as a way for Wood to use apples that otherwise would have gone to waste. After accidentally leaving apples in his dehydrator for a day and half, Appleooz was born. 

The firm won Naturally Boulder’s Pitch Slam competition in 2014 and debuted nationally at Expo West the following year. Soon the product was on the shelves at retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Lucky’s, Alfalfa’s and King Soopers. 

The success of the brand drew the attention of 1908 Brands’ CEO Steve Savage, who has acquired a slew of local brands from Pasta Jay’s sauce to Boulder Clean soaps. 

1908 attempted a rebranding effort but after some production and supply chain difficulties the firm decided to discontinue Appleooz in 2018.

Since then, Wood has held e-commerce consulting and management roles. But COVID-19 hit, and he was laid off. 

Wood decided that now is the perfect time to revive Appleooz. 

He’s secured a commercial space that he’ll move into next week and is currently selling the apple snacks exclusively through direct-to-consumer channels. 

“I don’t have many strong positive feelings about the wholesale brick-and-mortar channel anymore,” he said. 

Wood said he plans to hire several production and packaging workers.

“It’s important to me to give back to this community that helped me create this business,” he said. “One way for me to do that is to create hourly jobs.”

BOULDER — Appleooz, a Boulder-born brand of crispy, dehydrated apple chips, recently relaunched four years after it was acquired, then ultimately abandoned, by 1908 Brands Inc.

Founder Mark Wood retained the rights to the branding after the 2016 acquisition and is back at the helm of Appleooz, a company he founded in 2012 using apples grown in his backyard. 

“This is an opportunity to finish the story I started,” Wood told BizWest. 

That story began as a way for Wood to use apples that otherwise would have gone to waste. After accidentally leaving apples…

Lucas High
A Maryland native, Lucas has worked at news agencies from Wyoming to South Carolina before putting roots down in Colorado.
Sign up for BizWest Daily Alerts