Feb 21, 2007 Doug Kurtis Column: Clif Bar's - Gary Erickson By Doug Kurtis :: Views- 1126
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The inventor of my favorite energy bar, the Clif Bar, was living in a garage in Berkeley, Calif., when the idea of the product began to germinate. That's where Gary Erickson was living in 1990. "I lived with my dog, skis, climbing gear and two trumpets," he told an audience gathered at this year's Running USA conference in La Jolla, Calif.

During a one-day, 175-mile bike ride, his epiphany to create a better energy bar popped into his head.
"Clif Bar exists because I wanted to make a better product for myself and for my friends," Erickson said. "Two years later, after countless hours in my mom's kitchen, I had a recipe that worked."
Clif Bar is named after Gary's father, Clifford Erickson. The company makes six types of energy bars, including the Luna bar, formulated especially for women. The Luna line includes an elixir and tea cakes.
The 100% organic Nectar bars are my favorite.

According to Inc.com, Clif Bar eliminated shrink wrap, which "saved 90,000 pounds of plastic and $400,000 annually." Company trucks changed to biodiesel, creating about 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Company officials employ an in-house environmentalist to help them purchase alternative, renewable energy such as wind and solar power to run their bakeries. The boxes that hold the bars are made with 100% recycled cardboard.

In 2000, Erickson and a business partner were offered $120 million by Mars. Clif Bar was No. 2 in a $1.2-billion health bar industry.

In his book, "Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar & Co.," Erickson explained: "Instead of feeling excited about the offer, I felt nauseated constantly and couldn't sleep. I was about to sign papers that would give me more money than Carter has pills. Out of nowhere I started to shake and couldn't breathe. I was having my first anxiety attack, and I told my partner that I needed to take a walk around the block. In the parking lot I was overwhelmed and started to cry."
He asked himself, "Why am I doing this? I felt in my gut that I'm not done, and I don't have to sell the company." Instead of selling out, he bought out his partner for $80 million.

In 2003, Health magazine named Clif Bar Inc. the healthiest company for women to work at. Fortune Small Business selected Erickson as one of the best bosses in America. More than 150 employees have a fully equipped gym, with a personal trainer available. Employees are eligible for a six-month sabbatical every seven years. Not bad for an energy bar that got its start in a mom's kitchen.

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