I spent a few days out at the company’s Bay Area HQ in early April and came away with six reasons why it’s an incredible place to work.
1) Family-owned
The company was founded by Gary Erickson in 1992, and he and his wife, Kit Crawford, still maintain Clif Bar & Company as a family and employee-owned business despite a $120 million buyout offer in 2000. PowerBar, for comparison, is owned by Swiss transnational Nestlé.
2) Company fundraising support
Each employee can donate 1,000 bars per year, and Clif donates $500 for charitable causes per employee per year.
3) Subsidized sustainable transportation
Clif offers $500 toward commuter bike purchases and retrofits, and $6,500 toward hybrid, electric or biodiesel cars.
4) Clif supports athletes
Whether it’s backing pros or throwing its support behind IMBA or races, Clif connects with consumers in a way that continues to build outdoors adventure.
5) On-site fitness
Clif employees have a half-hour of paid workout time per day, with a subsidized chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist and massage specialists all on-site. The Emeryville headquarters also boasts gym facilities that include a 40-foot bouldering wall, yoga studio, spin bikes, weight machines, treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines… You get the point. I’m jealous. There, I said it.
6) Feeling great about what your company stands for
Clif believes in being better not by cutting corners and lowering costs, but by treating employees right and incentivizing innovation. The comapny is serious about responsible food sourcing and sustainable agriculture. Since the company was founded, it has purchased more than 425 million pounds of organic ingredients. Currently, 72% of all ingredients used at Clif are organic, and that number is growing.
