+
upworthy
Prosperity

The 91-yr-old founder and president of Bob's Red Mill might just be the world's best employer

The 91-yr-old founder and president of Bob's Red Mill might just be the world's best employer

Bob Moore just turned 91—a fact that will leave your jaw on the floor when you see a video of him in action. Though he handed over the title of CEO two years ago, Moore still works full-time as president of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, the company he founded with his now deceased wife, Charlee, in 1978.


Moore was 49 when they started the company—an inspiring example for those of us who worry it's too late to start something new in middle age. The couple channeled their love of natural foods and whole grains into a continually growing business, which has not only spelled success for the company, but for its employees as well.

Just three years into the business, Moore started a profit-sharing plan for employees. As the business grew, so did the employee pay outs.

"I wanted everyone to share in the profits of the company. It has increased paychecks by a nice amount," Moore told CNN. "I'm more proud of that than anything."

Moore has had ample opportunity to sell the business, but has always declined. In 2010, Moore's executive assistant Nancy Garner told Oregon Live that buyout offers were coming in almost daily, but Moore wanted nothing to do with them, preferring to transfer the company's value straight to his employees.

"These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it," said Moore.

Moore's says his treatment of employees comes straight from the so-called Golden Rule in the Bible—"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." As an employee, he told CNN, he would want a stake in the company. That's why he created an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), which holds stocks in a trust for employees rather than putting them out to be bought and sold. He officially handed full ownership of Bob's Red Mill to workers in 2010.

Any employee with at least three years tenure is fully vested in the program and will receive their stake in cash five years after they quit or when they retire. Moore keeps the company's value private, but public data shows it has grown substantially in the past two decades. Employee count has tripled since 2010, and the company confirmed to CNN that it did more than $50 million in revenue in 2018. Another 2018 estimate put Bob's Red Mill at more than $100 million in revenue. Either amount means a handsome payout for Moore's 600+ employees.

"This is Bob taking care of us," employee Lori Sobelson told Oregon Live. "He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in return."

While we would all love to have a boss like Bob Moore, most of us would also love to have his sharp mind and youthful energy at his age. Check out this video of him at 90 years old talking about his company, and be prepared to make him your new #aginggoals icon.

www.youtube.com


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






Keep ReadingShow less

Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, is being hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help.

The delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Katerina Holmes|Canva

Mom in tears after another parent calls about daughter's lunch


People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably there will be times when your child's feelings are hurt so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter's classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn't prepared for what came next. The classmate's mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia's daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it too.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modern Families

A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

Keep ReadingShow less