Bob Moore, founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, will be the focus of “Impact Entrepreneurism” Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall at Linfield College.
Moore will tell the story of how he founded his company and his philosophy of “people before profit.” He began his journey in the mid-1960s after discovering a book about old stone-grinding flour mills. He found usable stone mills, rare because of the domination of high-speed steel roller mills, and he began the first mill in Redding, Calif.
Moore retired to Oregon City in 1978 only to discover an old mill for sale. In just a few short months, he began producing stone-ground flours and cereals for local customers. Word spread and Bob’s Oregon City-based mill enjoyed much success until 1988 when a fire destroyed the building. He rebuilt and the company became the nation’s leading manufacturer of whole-grain natural foods. In 2010, instead of selling the company to numerous bidders, Moore made national headlines when he gave the $100 million company to his employees. He remains an example of ethics in the workplace and corporate responsibility in an age when the workplace is repeatedly rocked by CEOs behaving badly.
The lecture is the inaugural event of the new Business in Residence (BIR) program through the Linfield Department of Business, designed, in part, to provide experiential learning opportunities to Linfield students. Koopman Ostbo Marketing Communications, an integrated marketing communications firm in Portland, is the first business in residence at Linfield.
Craig Ostbo, KO’s managing partner, will moderate the program, which will be presented in an interview format.
The first 100 to arrive will receive a free autographed copy of Moore’s biography, “People before Profit,” written by Ken Koopman, co-founder of KO. Both Moore and Koopman will remain following the program to meet and sign copies of the books.
Koopman Ostbo focuses on the natural, organic and sustainable consumer products industry. They work with what has become known as “Impact Entrepreneurs,” individuals who desire to change the world. To support them, KO employs strategic planning, brand development, identity creation, packaging, advertising, public relations, digital and traditional media strategy, and other marketing and communication strategies and tactics to help natural and organic consumer packaged goods brands change, and better, the world in which we live.
The program is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Linfield Department of Business and PLACE (Program for Liberal Arts and Community Engagement). For more information, contact Michelle Nelson, professor of business, mnelson@linfield.edu, 503-883-2404.
