SavvySugar

Oregon Man Gives Employees the Company

stephley — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:17:05 -0800

MILWAUKIE, Ore. â€” Scores of employees gathered to help Bob Moore celebrate his 81st birthday this week at the company that bears his name, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods.

Moore, whose mutual love of healthful eating and old-world technologies spawned an internationally distributed line of products, responded with a gift of his own â€” the whole company. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan that Moore unveiled means that his 209 employees now own the place and its 400 offerings of stone-ground flours, cereals and bread mixes.

"This is Bob taking care of us," said Lori Sobelson, who helps run the business' retail operation. "He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in return."

Moore declined to say how much he thinks the company is worth. In 2004, however, one business publication estimated that year's revenue at more than $24 million. A company news release issued this week stated that Bob's Red Mill has chalked up an annual growth rate of between 20 percent and 30 percent every year since.

"In some ways I had a choice," Moore said of what he could have done with the company he founded with his wife, Charlee, in 1978. "But in my heart, I didn't. These people are far too good at their jobs for me to just sell it."

It's not that the offers aren't there. Hardly a day goes by that Nancy Garner, Moore's executive assistant, doesn't field a call or letter from someone wanting to buy the privately held company or take it public.

"I had four messages waiting when I returned from a recent vacation," she said. "Three of them were buyout offers." Garner said she and other employees are floored by Moore's plan, under which any worker with at least three years tenure is now fully vested.

"We're still learning all of the details," Garner said, "but it's very humbling to be part of a company that cares this much about its employees."

An employee stock-ownership plan, or ESOP, is a retirement plan in which the company contributes its stock to the plan to be held in trust for the benefit of its employees. The stock is never bought or held directly.

Vested employees are sent annual reports detailing their respective stakes in the company. When those employees quit or retire, they receive in cash whatever amount they â€” and the company, through increased revenues, new sales and controlled costs â€” are due.

"Eventual payouts could be substantial," said John Wagner, the company's chief financial officer and, along with Moore, one of four partners.

Moore said he began thinking about succession about nine years ago. He'd heard about employee-stock-option programs and got much more serious about the idea three years ago.

That Moore has now pulled off what few other company owners would even dream about comes as no surprise to longtime acquaintances, such as Glenn Dahl, owner of NatureBake bakery in Milwaukie.

"Bob's a force of nature," said Dahl, whose family's Gresham-area bakery was Moore's first wholesale customer in the 1970s. "He's always been that way. He gets an idea and just makes sure it happens, one way or the other."

Moore's own background is in electrical and mechanical engineering, but he fell in love with the mechanics of stone grinding in the 1960s after reading about old stone-grinding flour mills.

At about the same time, Charlee began sharing with him her delvings into the nutritional benefits of eating whole-grain foods. The couple put their passions to work by starting, with their three sons, their first milling operation in Redding, Calif.

In 1978, the couple moved to Portland to retire. Moore's idea at the time, reflecting his long-held sense of spirituality, was to learn the Bible in its original languages. A chance walk past a closed mill site near Oregon City changed everything.

"I call it my emotional epiphany," Moore said. "Whatever excuse I care to give, I was just sucked into it like a vortex."

A 1988 arson destroyed the mill, when Moore was 60. Undeterred, he rebuilt the operation, moved once because of space needs and now occupies a 15-acre production facility and a two-acre headquarters and retail outlet along Oregon 224 in Milwaukie.

Three production shifts, running six days a week, turn out a line of goods distributed throughout North America, Asia and the Middle East.

The company earned an extra splash of international recognition when a team traveled to Scotland and, apparently feeling its oats, won the world's porridge-making championship.

Employees are just now grasping the meaning of Moore's birthday gift.

"It just shows how much faith and trust Bob has in us," said Bo Thomas, the company's maintenance superintendent, who has put his four children through college during his two decades there. "For all of us, it's more than just a job. Obviously, it's the same way for Bob, too."

For Moore, meanwhile, nothing about the new arrangement will change a thing. He plans to do for the foreseeable future what he has done every day for decades.

"I may have given them the company," he said, chuckling, "but the boss part is still mine."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011111010_birt...

A Love Story that Never is…

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:29:56 -0800

I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Sir Francis. My friend only gave me his number because she wanted to divert my attention from the guy who once broke my heart. Well, the truth is, I have no right to feel depressed over RJ. See, he courted me…I mean, ME! I got a huge crush on him and the next thing I knew, he’s after me. I was really gonna give him a chance but I wasn’t in a rush or anything because love is patience (haha! Nah, the truth is, I want to have a degree first before I jump into any relationship.) But honestly every inch of me wanted to have him back then. What did they say about opportunity knocking only once? Besides, he’s got looks and brain and kindness – or at least that’s what I thought at first. Maybe, he also got tired pursuing me coz knowing me, “pa hard-to-get ang drama”.

One night, I prayed like I’ve never prayed before. I don’t know what entered my mind but I said, “Please God, if he’s not the one, show me now.” The answer to my prayer came pouring faster than a speed light coz after a few minutes, he sent me a message. I don’t want to elaborate it anymore but the gist of his message says he’s gonna stop courting me coz he and his ex-girlfriend decided to rekindle the fire they once had. You could just imagine what I felt like; it’s as if somebody unseen squeezed my heart so hard.

Of course, there was an insurmountable regret. Like, what if I just said yes to him before? Would it spell out a difference? Would I be less hurt? Or would the heartbreak be twice as much?

In one extreme, I felt I should’ve just stroke while the iron was hot but on another extreme, what happened was a blessing in painful disguise. It’s good to know EARLY that I was nothing but a rebound girl to him. Besides, there is still plenty of iron out there which is in dire need of my strike. (Haha).

But I would be a total lying wh*re if I say that I wasn’t affected over him. He asked me if I was okay. Gosh, of course I wasn’t! Did he actually expect me to jump with joy? I wanted to slap him, asphyxiate him and grind him so fine to make him disappear on the face of the planet forever. But knowing me again, I’m the best actress of all times. Yep, that’s my greatest talent – hiding the obvious. When we talked over the phone that night, I projected a tone as if everything’s fine. Even more surprising was the fact that I was able to give him the impression that I was happy with the whole thing. (Here’s the clue, if I get extra elated over anything, it only means I’m dying inside.)

But I have to look at things at its bright side. As they always say, when God closes a door, he opens a window. Besides, RJ is a beautiful cake with a cockroach inside. Another thing, there’s always a light at the end of a dark tunnel (and RJ beside Aljen has been one of my darkest tunnels. Of course, Aljen is still the darkest of the darkest.)

But then just when you thought one dark tunnel is over, another darker one comes up!

His name is Sir Francis (and I call him sir coz I’m four years younger than he is).

Ask Savvy: How Should I Critique My Co-Worker?

SavvySugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:38 -0800

Dear Savvy,

Today, my manager called me asking me to write up a report about a fellow co-worker. I had mentioned that she was having some difficulties adjusting to the workplace, that she was rude to us, and where she was getting better but that she still often isn't on task. I told her that I would, but I just sat down to write it and have no idea what to say, how to say it, etc. Any suggestions?

Savvy says: Your manager is essentially asking you to put your spoken criticism in writing. See my thoughts on this situation when you read more.

Your manager is taking your co-worker concerns seriously which means they need to be added to her employee file. It's not a test for you; it's simply your manager's job to make sure that all complaints are recorded appropriately, and it's more legitimate to have the report coming from the person that has witnessed reportable behavior.

You obviously had enough to say about the situation when you originally presented the complaints, so just expand on what you've already told the manager. You say that she's having difficulties adjusting to the workplace, so you should state that along with a deeper explanation of why you feel that way. Each judgment should be paired with a real-office observation to illustrate what's going on with your co-worker - this will keep your report sounding professional.

You don't need to go off on tangents about the co-worker, just write enough to get your point across. Also keep in mind that you don't have to include every little imperfection you've seen in the individual. It's better to focus on the big things (like the fact that she's often off-task) rather than her habit of taking an extra five minutes at lunch (or something equally minimal).

Have a question for me? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group and I may answer it on the site!

Ask Savvy: How Should I Critique My Co-Worker?

SavvySugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:00:38 -0800

Dear Savvy,

Savvy says: Your manager is essentially asking you to put your spoken criticism in writing. See my thoughts on this situation when you read more.

Have a question for me? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group and I may answer it on the site!

I'm Asking: Do You Take Career Risks or Play by the Rules?

SavvySugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:00:39 -0800

If there's one professional trait that I admire beyond bounds, it's an entrepreneurial spirit. It's hard not to be wowed by those who take charge, go out on their own, or create their own course when opportunity presents itself. That being said, taking career risks - whether a risky decision, move, or project - can be tricky and dangerous. Do you stick to the script at your job or in your professional endeavors, or are you a wild child when it comes to business?

Your Two Cents: How Often Do You Feel Nervous at Work?

SavvySugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:28 -0800

A good friend recently admitted she gets nervous and clammy whenever her boss schedules a meeting with her, which is quite often. She's never been given a bad review or stern talking to, but there's something about being called into a one-on-one that makes her panic.

When I asked her why she couldn't explain her fears, except that, like most SavvySugar readers, the recession and layoffs at her company have left her particularly uneasy and chipped away at her confidence. Do you ever get shaking on the job or you stay steady and self-assured?

FIRST LOOK: Bradley Cooper Gets Buff for The A-Team

kty — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:46:36 -0800

By Oliver Jones
To pound his body into shape for the big-budget version of The A-Team, Bradley Cooper speed-hiked up the Grind, a famous trail outside of Vancouver that shoots up 2,800 feet of mountainside, completing the grueling trek in just 37 minutes. "The man," says director Joe Carnahan, "is a beast." Based on the campy NBC series that made a household name out of Mr. T (his part of Bosco "B.A". Baracas in the remake is played by former UFC champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson), The A-Team film follows a renegade band of disgraced former special forces soldiers lead by John "Hannibal" Smith, a wise-cracking, cigar-chomping master tactician played with relish by Liam Neeson.
The Hangover star Cooper plays a buffed-up version of the team's pretty boy, Templeton "Faceman" Peck. "Bradley really went for it with the workouts," says South African actor Sharlto Copley (District 9), who plays pilot and demolition expert "Howling Mad" Murdoch. "I on the other hand got to eat whatever I wanted." And crashing this testosterone fest is Jessica Biel, playing an Army officer in hot pursuit of the team. "Jessica surprised me," says Copley. "She is really, really talented when it comes to guns." The film is released June 11. For more of PEOPLE's exclusive look at the A-Team, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE.

10 Sites That Helped You Find Music in 2009

GeekSugar — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:00:23 -0800

With my Website of the Day series, we've discovered hundreds of sites that help us stay organized, laugh, and go green, but at the end of the day, it's music that keeps me going throughout my daily grind. Here's a sweet and simple roundup of the best websites from this year that help you keep your playlists growing.

View Slideshow ›

Back to the (New) Daily Grind

luvpizaman — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:05:36 -0700

This is what I wore on my first day to the new job. Top: Banana Republic Skirt: The Limited (brown) Belt: Anthropologie Clutch: Steve Madden (It's a purple crocodile embossed) Watch: DKNY Shoes: Nine West

Back to the grind

spharrell — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:54:58 -0700

Mondays are hard...but I try to make them easier with something fun to wear! Black shirt underneath: $15, Target Jacket: $30, Express Pants: $40, Isaac Mizrahi for Target Shoes: $40 Life Stride Bracelet: $6, For Love 21 Ring: $16, Icing