Vapouround magazine VM16 | Page 68

FEATURE Inspired! Meet bord the company providing some of France’s finest flavours F or centuries, the port city of Bordeaux, France, has been synonymous with wine, art, culture and beauty. Thanks to a vaping boom, it can now add a special e-liquid market to that bounty. Such a place naturally provided endless inspiration to Oliver Medina, founder of BordO2 and Oliver has kindly told Vapouround the company’s story in full. “It started in 2011 as an oxygen bar which also had e-cigarettes available for patrons to buy,” he says. The business soon branched out, opening a total of six vape shops with 2012 being a big year for the company when it successfully manufactured its first recipes. As French vaping grew in popularity, Bordeaux became to perfect host city for a vape expo. “Everything changed in 2014, after the first VAPEXPO in Bordeaux,” says Oliver. “It was our first vape show. We were the first company in France to use glass bottles with inspired visuals. There weren’t as many French brands as today on the market at the time, so we were able to establish ourselves as one of the top ten straight away.” BordO2 is now a marvel in the French vaping world, taking off and growing with the tremendous speed often seen in those companies which capture the imagination of the public. Its juices can be found in over 200 shops around the country. “A major moment for us was wholesaling in the UK for the first time. We were able to do this with the help of Vape Importers. Last year we entered a partnership with CRFT Labs in California and had our juices manufactured there, tailored for the US market.” BordO2 have developed a solid ten flavours overall, which have been FDA-registered, though only five of them have been released – the rest eagerly awaited by their loyal followers and the vape market at large. Like its namesake, BordO2 remains closely tied to good taste and distinctive flavour. The world of e-liquid flavours is an ocean of creative brilliance, often veering into the absurd, the abstract 68 | VM16 and over-the-top when it comes to names or tastes. This is by no means a bad thing. Fantastical flavours and unexpected names have led to some wonderful marketing campaigns and memorable mascots, but some companies, such as this one, benefit from keeping things simple and accessible. “The taste is what we claim it is,” says Oliver. “There are no differences between what you’ll read on the label and what you’ll taste when you vape it. If we claim it’s a strawberry cake flavour, we won’t rest until we’ve perfectly recreated the sensation.” BordO2 accomplish this by involving every member of the 40-strong company in the crafting process, which is thorough, consisting of multiple trials before completion.