The man with a mill and a mission

Bob Moore, founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Products, says his mission is to offer whole grains at a reasonable price and make them accessible, no matter where you live.

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Bob Moore, in front of the grain storage bins at his mill and manufacturing facility in Milwaukie, Ore.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

An 18-foot operational water wheel and historic milling equipment are on view for visitors to the Oregon plant.

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Moore leads daily tours at the plant.

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Giving tours of the plant, Moore occasionally indulges in a little piano playing accompanied by his executive assistant, Nancy Garner.

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Visitors can shop at Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain store on site, which carries hundreds of the company's natural products.

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The Red Mill line has included gluten-free products since 1985, well ahead of the industry curve.

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Moore's familiar visage with derby cap and bolo appears on Bob's Red Mill packages.

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Moore chats with diners in the restaurant portion of Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store, which is located about a mile from the mill and manufacturing plant in Milwaukie, Ore.

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Moore consults an employee in the company store. In 2010, on his 81st birthday, the founder began transferring ownership of Bob's Red Mill to his employees, in the form of stock.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Moore takes a moment to confer with Robert Agnew, vice president of sales.

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Family members, including granddaughter Candy Moore, right, great-grandson Xander Moore, center, and grandson, Keith, left, visit with Moore during the day. Keith works as an electrician at the plant.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Moore loads bags along with employee Sergey Krasnyy at the plant. The hands-on founder and chief executive reads in-house lab test results at least three times a day.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Packages of quinoa come off the manufacturing line; Moore hopes to expand his line in the near future to include lentils, beans and other legumes.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Annette Garrick does quality-assurance testing in one of the company's in-house labs.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

A Danish mill is used to grind cornmeal, in addition to flax meal, brown rice flour and more.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Freshly baked breads made with Bob's Red Mill products are available at the company store and restaurant.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

A look at the warehouse in the 320,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. Moore's distribution success might make him one of the most effective nutritional reformers in modern American history.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

A gallery of company products and highlights flanks the walls in Moore's office.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Moore has a soft spot for old, well-built machines, including model planes and one of the two 1931 Model A Fords he drives to work each day, parked just outside his office window.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

Moore's office is full of memorabilia, including vintage model airplanes, a bucket of hard red wheat and a pile of books by the philosopher Pliny. “I’m interested in everything,” he says.

Leah Nash / For The Washington Post

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