Clif Bar

It began with a 175-mile bicycle ride. Clif Bar is named after my father, Clifford, my childhood hero and companion throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In 1990, I lived in a garage with my dog, skis, climbing gear, bicycle and 2 trumpets. The inspiration to create an energy bar occurred during a day-long, 175-mile bike ride with my friend Jay. We'd been gnawing on some "other" energy bars all day. Suddenly, despite my hunger, I could not take another bite. I thought, " I really could create a better bar than that!" That is the moment I now call "The Epiphany."

2 years later, after hundreds of hours in mother's kitchen, the CLIF Bar became a fact. Along with the mission to make a better-tasting energy bar was realized. Thanks, Mom!   -- Gary Erickson

Most companies have one bottom line. In Clif Bar & Company, we are a private, family and employee-owned firm directed by five "base lines" or what we call our Five Aspirations:

Sustaining our Company: Building a resilient firm, investing for the long-term.
 
Sustaining our Brands: Building brands with ethics, quality and authenticity.
 
Maintaining our People: Working side-by-side, promoting each other, our Business is our people.
 
Sustaining our Communities: Promoting healthful, sustainable communities, locally and internationally.
 
Sustaining the World: Conserving and restoring our natural resources; developing a company that operates in harmony with all the laws of nature.
 
Much like the spokes of a wheel, so the Five Aspirations keep our business in equilibrium as we move forward.