In 1990 a strong, young man set out on a journey. His appetite for adventure had him continually searching for the next great feat to accomplish. On this particular day, the goal was a one-day, 175-mile bicycle ride with his buddy. Halfway through the ride he pulled out yet another unappetizing, sticky, hard-to-stomach energy bar, his fifth of the day. He took one look at the grungy protein and stashed it back into his pocket. Cruising down a mountain at 30 mph he yelled over to his friend, “I can make a bar better than this!” He was right.
Gary Erickson went on to create one of the most esteemed energy bars on the market, CLIF Bar. Erickson spent two months in the kitchen with his mom, honing the recipe for his new bars. He used wholesome, energy-sustaining ingredients. In 1992 CLIF Bar was officially launched, named after Gary’s father, Clifford, the man who taught him to love adventure and to follow his dreams.
Over the next eight years the company grew tremendously. CLIF Bar became one of the top bars on the market. Suddenly, however, most of their competitors began to be bought up by huge, multinational food companies. This put a lot of pressure on Erickson to sell CLIF Bar. He was offered $120 million for the company, and was faced with a tough decision.
Ultimately, he made the bold move to continue with CLIF Bar. Now, fifteen years later, this proves to be a wise decision as CLIF Bar has continued to grow and is still one of the most popular bars around. Erickson has established a unique business model that pushes the boundaries of conventional wisdom.
He believes in the need for his employees to live holistic lives. CLIF Bar offers many benefits for their employees, including: an onsite fitness center, personal trainers, flexible workweek, paid volunteer service, onsite childcare and concierge services such as haircuts and organic produce delivery.
Adventure, risk taking, and dedication have proven to be guiding forces for Erickson. His story shows the potential for a small idea to take root and have tremendous impact on an entire market.
I literally eat Clif bars all the time. I had no idea the company started out like this! He did create a better protein bar. Energy bars and other types of granola bars that are packed with protein are often disgusting. Though I don’t like all the flavors Clif Bars come out with, they are definitely better than a lot of other protein bars. Plus, they actually keep you pretty full. You can tell Erickson has dedicated a lot of thought to this.
This is a great story! It goes to show that confidence is crucial when innovating. Although Gary Erickson could have easily sold his idea and business, he made the bold move to continue on, which proved to be the right decision.
Now here is a story where the company sticks to its values. I loved reading this blog post. It gave me a lot of background to something I eat a lot of. (I just bought a pack of Cliff bars a couple days ago!) Erickson sounds like a risk taker and someone who pushes himself to success. His company definitely replicates that. (I also found it super cool that the company promotes a holistic environment for its employees…which in turn emulates its values.)
Erickson’s story is so down-to-earth but adventuresome. I appreciate his go-get-em’ perspective on the energy bar. It’s also neat to see the brand’s fitness approach and benefits for employees. Thanks for sharing, Andrew!
This is a righteous article. Sounds like they take really good care of their employees. I met someone last summer who wants to be Clif Bar’s HR manager. With such an innovative business idea and the great care they take of their employees, I can see why she is so driven to work for them specifically!