Bob’s Red Mill products have been in the kitchen of Oregonians for decades. Even though his products are sold nationwide, at stores like Walmart and Amazon, Bob’s headquarters have always been based in Oregon. His dedication to being locally sourced — at least for Oregonians — has shown customers the true humanity of Bob Moore and more broadly his brand. In February of this year, Bob’s Red Mill’s official Instagram account announced he had passed away. The local legend and national treasure’s passing devastated the country. 14 years before his death, Bob set up a stock plan that would give ownership to his employees.
Before Moore was the CEO of a multi-million dollar business, he was the manager of a JCPenney Auto Center. He lived with his wife, Charlee, and their three children. According to the Bob’s Red Mill website, Bob’s wife played an important role in the company’s creation; Charlee decided to feed her family more nutritious and naturally made meals, which inspired him to create the first grain mill to produce nutritious whole-grain products.
Cassidy Stockton has been a Bob’s Red Mill employee for over 20 years. She first worked in customer service, and then moved into marketing, and has stayed ever since. Currently, she is the senior marketing communications manager. “My story [at Bob’s Red Mill] is that I just needed a job out of college and I got lucky enough to get an interview here.” According to Stockton, Bob would come into the office every day. “He knew people’s names. He remembered if you had a cane, or what kind of dog [you had]. He was a hands-on leader, and that was really neat.”
One of Bob’s core values was that he wanted his employees to have a vested interest in working at the company. In 2010, he created an employee ownership stock plan. This would give employees who worked at Bob’s before 2010 a share of the company. Once an employee has been working for over three years, they start accruing ownership. “Whether you retire, or leave for some other reason, you can take that money with you and roll it into a retirement fund, or if you’re retired they start paying you out. It’s a really incredible benefit,” Stockton explained. “What it means is that all the employees are a lot more invested in the day-to-day operations because the bottom line is good for all of us here, as opposed to some places that are much more corporate-owned or a conglomerate.”
Aside from the moral business strategies, it couldn’t have been done without great products. Stockton said, “I’m in love with the product. I think if it was a different kind of product, I wouldn’t have such a long career here.” Bob’s way focuses on whole grain and gluten-free products. They strive to make gluten-free options available and affordable to those who need them. The company has an assortment of gluten-free flour like all-purpose baking flour, super-fine almond flour, one-to-one baking flour, and many more.
With all of the great things Bob’s Red Mill has done for their employees, it’s hard not to be a supporter. Heather Nowak, an Oregonian who is a frequent Bob’s Red Mill consumer who has celiac disease, said, “I love buying from them because they are locally sourced, affordable and very tasty.” Nowak’s favorite product is the gluten-free pancake mix because “the pancakes rise and have the same texture as a gluten one.”
To speak to my personal experience, I met Bob when I was 8. I was at the Bob’s Red Mill Store Whole Grain Store & Restaurant with my mom and brother, eating lunch. We spotted him sitting with his coworker across from us. When we were finished with lunch, he finished talking to his co-worker, stood up, and walked our way. He asked how our food was, and gave my brother and me each a wooden nickel which could be exchanged for a cookie. My brother and I were whispering to each other in awe that this face that we had seen on our kitchen shelves for years had walked up and spoken to us, just like he was any other person. After that day, seeing his face on the Bob’s Red Mill packages will always remind me of his generosity and kindness.
