Bob's Red Mill Founder Dies at 94

Founder of the whole-grain company turned ownership over to his employees
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 12, 2024 1:26 PM CST
Bob's Red Mill Founder Dies at 94
Bob Moore.   (Instagram)

Bob Moore, the founder of the iconic and eponymous whole-grain company Bob's Red Mill, has died at the ripe old age of 94. "It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our Founder, Bob Moore, left this world today, Saturday, February 10, 2024," read an Instagram post that vowed to "carry on his legacy by bringing wholesome foods to people around the world." Further, "we will truly miss his energy and larger-than-life personality." Moore founded the company with his wife, Charlee, back in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, where it sprouted from a local shop to the current global behemoth that sells some 200 products in 70 countries, reports USA Today. Moore told People in 2019 that the idea for the business was sparked because he and Charlee "needed to change our diet. We became quite enamored with all whole-grain, healthy food." His only regret was that he didn't start the company sooner; he was 50 when the mill opened.

  • On the mission: Per the Portland Monthly, Moore said: "I've come to establish a nice following of people out there who feel they eat better, feel better, live better, live longer, and adapt their diets to wholesome, whole grains."
  • Paying it forward: People notes that by 2010, Bob's Red Mill was a $100 million company. What did Moore do with that wealth? He started turning it over to his employees, who as of 2020 held a 100% ownership stake. "They made us the ultimate company that I'm proud of," he said in 2019.
  • In his own words: "The Bible says to do unto others as you would have them do unto you," he told the Portland Monthly. "And so there's an element of how you treat people that impressed me. And sharing in the profit, sharing in the company to make things more fair and more benevolent impressed me, and I felt strongly about it."
(More obituary stories.)

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