Over the last 10 years PROBAR has transformed from a six-door mom and pop label to a nationally ranked sports nutrition and natural food company. PROBAR’s rise has been essentially meteoric, with double digit growth each year since its inception. What’s especially impressive is that they’ve managed to do this in a crowded energy-bar market where local start-ups commonly rub elbows with large national companies. Tour de France team Tinkoff-Saxo recently came to PROBAR asking them to serve as a nutritional sponsor in a rare no-cash endorsement deal.
They’ve achieved this success in no small part due to their focus on employees. Their new company headquarters in Salt Lake City feature an organic garden and bicycle locker as the tip of the employee-amenity ice burg, and the annual company trip to Moab, Utah, features hikes, bike and foot races, and rock climbing for the entire company. Having happy employees is just part of PROBAR’s dedication to wellness for everyone, and going the extra mile when it comes to quality.
That dedication is exemplified in PROBAR’s president, Jules Lambert. Hired at the company’s inception as the first employee, he is credited with the impressive grassroots effort which put the then fledgling PROBAR on the map. Lambert spent 18 months with his wife and three young children in an RV, going from retail shop to retail shop and signing up vendors for the original PROBAR. It’s a humble start that underscores the human connection and emphasis on company values that still hold true today.
Not one to rest on their laurels, PROBAR is rolling out new flavors for their classics for summer, with a special new product announcement coming later in the year. The CORE bar is even getting a new name. Starting in July, CORE bars will become BASE bars, with White Chocolate & Peanut Butter and Chocolate & Supergreens joining the long list of flavors already on offer. Not to be outdone, the MEAL Bar is getting a pair of new flavors as well, Strawberry Bliss and Almond Crunch.
Ten years ago PROBAR hit on a real need in the outdoor community for quality nutrition, and they’ve filled it ever since. Between the company’s innovation and its dedication to the craft, we’ll be looking forward to enjoying these bars for another 10 years.
