Clif Bar Inc., one of those companies whose mission is as organic as the city in which it was founded, said Monday it will have to find room to expand or will leave Berkeley, likely for another East Bay city.
The popular maker of energy bars and other all-natural snacks has told city leaders it will need a larger facility soon. In the past five years, the company has doubled its work force in Berkeley to 120 employees.
The first Clif Bars were sold in 1992 out of a Berkeley bakery owned by bicycle enthusiast Gary Erickson. They were an instant hit with hikers, cyclists and climbers who later made Clif Bar one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States.
But now Clif Bar is looking in Oakland and other East Bay cities for an office building to rent when its current lease is up in 2008. The growing company will need 90,000 square feet, almost double the 50,000 square feet it currently occupies, Clif Bar attorney Bruce Lymburn said.
"We haven’t made any decisions except that it’s likely we’ll stay in the East Bay," Lymburn said, adding that Clif Bar executives have talked to Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown about a possible move there.
At tonight’s Berkeley City Council meeting, councilmembers will consider developing a strategy to retain Clif Bar, a "homegrown and green business," according to the meeting agenda.
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said he’s willing to "try to be as creative as (Clif Bar is) to keep them in the community."
"They have a tremendous business attitude -- they take care of their employees, the community and the environment," Bates said.
He said it should also be important for Clif Bar to stay in Berkeley because "it sends the right message about the company."
If Clif Bar leaves, the city would lose jobs and tax revenue. The company has annual revenue of about $100 million, a company spokesman said. |
