Malt-O-Meal Company

The Malt-O-Meal Company is a privately-owned American corporation which produces breakfast cereals. Its corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It employs 1,100 people and had estimated sales in 2006 of $490 million.1

History
The company was founded in 1919, as the Campbell Cereal Company by John Campbell, a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. He invented a malted wheat hot breakfast cereal he called Malt-O-Meal. Campbell intended to compete with Cream of Wheat.

In 1927, the company moved production of its cereal to the Ames Mill in Northfield, Minnesota. Nine years later, corporate headquarters were moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in 1953, owners changed the company name to Malt-O-Meal Company.

Attempts in the 1940s to market Campbell's Corn Flakes and in the 1960s to sell State Fair brand Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice, were abandoned in the face of competition.2

In the 1970s, the Malt-O-Meal Company once again began making cold cereals which replicated popular brands. These cereals are packaged under Malt-O-Meal's brands and private labels for Kroger, Safeway, and Wal Mart.

The Malt-O-Meal Company is the fifth largest cereal manufacturer in the United States, marketing its cereals in more than 70% of the nation's grocery stores.3

It operates two manufacturing plants in Northfield, Minnesota, one in Tremonton, Utah, as well as distribution centers in Grove City, Ohio; Coppell, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Corporate governance
The firm is privately owned by members of the Brooks and Fort families, descendants of John Campbell.

Trivia
The company sponsors "Make it with Malt-O-Meal" recipe contests at the Oregon and Arizona State Fairs.

In 2007, Malt-O-Meal took part in the "reverse product placement" marketing campaign for The Simpsons Movie and packaged one of their cereals, Tootie Frooties, 4 as "Krusty-O's". The cereal was sold in 7-Eleven stores across North America along with other The Simpsons Movie related products. 5 6