MILWAUKIE Scores of employees gathered to help Bob Moore celebrate his 81st
birthday this week at the company that bears his name, Bob’s Red Mill Natural
Foods.
Moore, whose mutual loves of healthy eating and old-world technologies spawned
an internationally distributed line of products, responded with a gift of his
own — the whole company. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan Moore unveiled means
that his 209 employees now own the place and its 400 offerings of stone-ground
flours, cereals and bread mixes.
“This is Bob taking care of us,” said Lori Sobelson, who helps run the business’
retail operation. “He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in
return.” Moore declined to say how much he thinks the company is worth. In 2004,
however, one business publication estimated that year’s revenues at more than
$24 million. A company news release issued this week stated that Bob’s Red Mill
has chalked up an annual growth rate of between 20 percent to 30 percent every
year since.
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