Super Eco

Photo credit: kafka4prez, flickr

Clif Bar & Company is a food company producing energy bars, granola bars, "energy chews" and a variety of snack and nutrition bars designed for good taste and quality ingredients, rather than pure performance. In addition to the Clif Bar, the company produces the Clif Kid ZBars, Luna Bars, Clif Nectar fruit & nut bars, Clif Shot Bloks energy chews, Mojo trail mix bars, and the Builder's "entirely natural protein bar."

Gary Erickson was devoted outdoorsman with many rugged pursuits in 1990, when on a 175-mile bike ride he suddenly realized he couldn't stand the taste of the energy bar he was eating and decided he could make a better one. Two years later, he introduced the Clif' Bar at Kali's Bakery in Emeryville, California, which he co-founded several years earlier. The bar was named to honor his father, Clifford, and in 1997 he left Kali's Bakery to produce the Clif Bar exclusively.

In 2000, Erickson and his then-partner were given an offer (rumored to be $120 million) by a large food company to buy Clif Bar & Co. Erickson decided to buy out his partner in order to protect Clif Bar & Co. from take-over.

Notable Eco Activity

Clif Bar has committed to a number of sustainability projects, chief among them the use of organic ingredients; 70% of the company's raw ingredients are organic (23 million pounds). Clif Bar invests in wind turbines for farmers to offset the carbon footprint of its headquarters, has worked with American Forests to plant 13,000 trees, and runs a "Cool Commute" incentive program to help employees purchase hybrid or bio-diesel vehicles; 33 vehicles have been purchased through the effort. The most unusual sustainability effort, however, is the "TerraCycle" program, which Clif Bar helped found and is now additionally sponsored by Balance Bar. Consumers can send back Clif Bar and Balance Bar wrappers, receiving a two-cents-per-wrapper donation toward a school or non-profit organization in return, and TerraCycle will turn them into handbags, backpacks, and tote bags.

In January 2009, Clif Bar was one of many manufacturers to voluntarily recall its products, including its organic kid's bars, because of a potential for salmonella contamination.

• Clif Bar Details

  • Year Founded

    1992

  • Founded By

    Unavailable

  • Green Products?

    Yes

  • Hazardous Products?

    No

  • Sector

    Unavailable

  • Industry

    Unavailable

  • Help Line

    800-254-3227

  • Help Address

    http://www.clifbar.com/contact/

  • Fax Number

    Unavailable

  • Website

    http://www.clifbar.com/

  • Key Execs

    Unavailable

  • Competitors

    Unavailable

  
  

• Clif Bar Locations

  • Headquarters

    1610 5th Street Berkeley, CA 94710-1715

  • Mail Address

    1610 5th Street Berkeley, CA 94710-1715

  • Operates In

    United States

  • Manufacturing

    Unavailable

  
  

• Clif Bar Financial Information

  • Company Type

    Privately held

  • Yearly Revenue

    Unavailable

  • Traded On

    Unavailable

  • Symbols

    Unavailable