MOM Brands
MOM Brands was an American breakfast-cereal company whose brands and operations were acquired by Post Holdings in 2015.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
MOM Brands was an American cereal producer based in Northfield, Minnesota. Its corporate history began in 1919, when Minnesota miller John Campbell founded the Campbell Cereal Company and developed Malt-O-Meal, a hot cereal made from farina wheat and malted barley. The product was conceived as a competitor to Cream of Wheat and became the foundation of a business that later expanded into a broad portfolio of hot and cold breakfast cereals. The company moved cereal production to Northfield in 1927 and relocated its corporate headquarters to Minneapolis in 1936. In 1953 it adopted the Malt-O-Meal Company name, reflecting the importance of its best-known product. Although the business experimented with additional cereal concepts, including Campbell's Corn Flakes and State Fair Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice, those efforts did not overcome strong competition from established cereal manufacturers. Malt-O-Meal subsequently expanded through manufacturing investment and acquisitions. It added production capacity in Northfield, built a large facility in Tremonton, Utah, and later opened a plant in Asheboro, North Carolina. The Tremonton project was temporarily halted during a difficult period around 2001, when declining sales and profits led to layoffs and the site was offered for sale. Improved performance allowed construction to resume, and the plant began production in 2004. The company also acquired Quaker Oats' bagged-cereal business in 2002 and the Farina hot-cereal brand from U.S. Mills in 2009. The business repositioned itself as a broader cereal company rather than a single-product hot-cereal maker. On February 21, 2012, it changed its corporate name to MOM Brands, using the initials of Malt-O-Meal while signaling a wider product range. At that time, cold cereals represented more than three-quarters of sales, and the company reported that it had overtaken Post as the third-largest cereal producer in the United States. It continued to compete with large manufacturers such as Kellogg's, General Mills, and the Quaker Oats business through value-oriented brands, bagged cereal, hot cereal, and family-focused products. MOM Brands added the CoCo Wheats brand in 2012 and introduced Mom's Best Naturals in 2013. It also used entertainment-linked marketing, including a 2007 tie-in with The Simpsons Movie that temporarily presented Tootie Frooties as Krusty-O's. These activities helped the company build visibility and secure retail shelf space despite operating in a mature and highly competitive category. Post Holdings announced an agreement to acquire MOM Brands on January 27, 2015, for a combination of cash and Post shares, with a stated transaction value of $1.15 billion. The acquisition closed on May 4, 2015. The combined cereal operation was renamed Post Consumer Brands, and Post moved its cereal headquarters from New Jersey to the Minnesota offices associated with MOM Brands. MOM Brands chief executive Chris Neugent and his senior leadership team were placed in charge of the combined enterprise. MOM Brands therefore ceased to operate as an independent corporate entity, although key products—particularly Malt-O-Meal and Mom's Best—continued within Post Consumer Brands' portfolio.
History
MOM Brands traces its origins to 1919, when John Campbell, a miller from Owatonna, Minnesota, established the Campbell Cereal Company. Campbell developed Malt-O-Meal, a hot cereal combining farina wheat and malted barley. The product was intended to compete with Cream of Wheat and provided the company with the name and commercial identity around which its early business was built. In 1927, production moved to the Ames Mill in Northfield, Minnesota. The corporate headquarters later moved to Minneapolis in 1936, while Northfield remained the principal manufacturing location. The company changed its name to the Malt-O-Meal Company in 1953. It tested additional products during the following decades, including Campbell's Corn Flakes in the 1940s and State Fair Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice in the 1960s, but these initiatives were discontinued amid competition from larger cereal companies. The company expanded its physical infrastructure in Northfield, including the Campbell Mill, which opened in 1965, and a distribution center added in 1987. In 1998 it began developing a 225,000-square-foot cereal plant in Tremonton, Utah. Construction was suspended in early 2001 after a substantial deterioration in sales and profits, and the company undertook layoffs and offered the property for sale. A recovery in 2002 led Malt-O-Meal to withdraw the site from the market and restart construction. The Tremonton plant began production in 2004. Malt-O-Meal grew through acquisitions as well as new construction. In 2002 it purchased the bagged-cereal business of Quaker Oats. It acquired the Farina hot-cereal brand from U.S. Mills in December 2009; Farina had originally been introduced by Pillsbury in 1898. The company also expanded its manufacturing network by converting a former Unilever Best Foods facility in Asheboro, North Carolina, into a cereal plant. Construction began in 2007 and operations started in late 2008. By the early 2010s, the company operated plants in Northfield, Tremonton, Asheboro, and St. Ansgar, Iowa, with distribution centers in Grove City, Ohio; Coppell, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah. The business increasingly emphasized cold cereal in addition to its historic hot-cereal franchise. By 2012, cold cereal reportedly generated more than 75 percent of company sales. Malt-O-Meal products competed directly with offerings from Kellogg's, General Mills, and Quaker Oats, while the company sought differentiation through value pricing, bagged formats, and a portfolio that included both traditional and natural-positioned products. Between 2001 and 2012, Malt-O-Meal more than tripled its market share and was described as the fastest-growing cereal company in the United States. Marketing included a notable 2007 entertainment promotion. As part of a reverse-product-placement campaign connected with The Simpsons Movie, the company sold Tootie Frooties cereal in packages branded as Krusty-O's through 7-Eleven stores. The promotion connected an existing cereal product with a fictional brand from the film's promotional universe. On February 21, 2012, the Malt-O-Meal Company became MOM Brands. The new name preserved the initials associated with Malt-O-Meal but was intended to represent a wider range of products. That year, the company acquired CoCo Wheats from Denny and Kim Fuller, while the remainder of the Little Crow assets, apart from the factory building, was sold to Gilster-Mary Lee. In 2013, MOM Brands introduced Mom's Best Naturals, helping it obtain additional retail shelf space and broaden its appeal. Post Holdings announced its acquisition of MOM Brands on January 27, 2015. The announced consideration was $1.15 billion, consisting of $1.05 billion in cash and 2.5 million Post Holdings shares. The transaction was completed on May 4, 2015. Post moved its cereal headquarters from New Jersey to the MOM Brands offices in Minnesota, renamed the combined business Post Consumer Brands, and placed Chris Neugent and the MOM Brands senior leadership team in charge. MOM Brands consequently became a historical corporate identity rather than an independent operating company, although Malt-O-Meal and other legacy products continued under Post Consumer Brands.
- 2015
Acquired by Post Holdings
[1]Post Holdings completed its acquisition of MOM Brands and integrated the business into Post Consumer Brands.
- 2013
Mom's Best Naturals introduced
[1]MOM Brands launched Mom's Best Naturals and expanded its retail presence.
- 2012
Malt-O-Meal becomes MOM Brands
[1]The company adopted the MOM Brands name and acquired CoCo Wheats during its portfolio expansion.
- 2009
Farina brand acquired
[1]Malt-O-Meal acquired the Farina hot-cereal brand from U.S. Mills.
- 2007
Krusty-O's promotional cereal campaign
[1]Tootie Frooties was marketed as Krusty-O's in a tie-in with The Simpsons Movie.
- 2004
Tremonton plant begins production
[1]The previously mothballed Utah facility began manufacturing cereal.
- 2002
Turnaround and Quaker bagged-cereal acquisition
[1]Improved performance allowed the company to restart its Tremonton expansion, and it acquired Quaker Oats' bagged-cereal business.
- 1953
Company becomes Malt-O-Meal Company
[1]The corporate name was changed to Malt-O-Meal Company.
- 1927
Production moves to Northfield
[1]Cereal production was relocated to the Ames Mill in Northfield, Minnesota.
- 1919
Campbell Cereal Company is founded
[1]John Campbell founded the Campbell Cereal Company in Minnesota and developed Malt-O-Meal hot cereal.
Products and positioning
A value-oriented American breakfast-cereal producer that expanded from the Malt-O-Meal hot-cereal franchise into hot cereal, cold cereal, bagged cereal, and natural-product segments.
Hot breakfast cereal · 1919
Malt-O-Meal
Malt-O-Meal is the company's foundational hot cereal, developed from farina wheat and malted barley. It was created by John Campbell in 1919 as a competitor to Cream of Wheat and remained the central legacy brand after the company adopted the MOM Brands name. The brand continued in Post Consumer Brands' portfolio after the 2015 acquisition.
Hot breakfast cereal · 1898
Farina
Farina is a historic hot-cereal brand acquired by Malt-O-Meal from U.S. Mills in December 2009. The product's lineage reaches back to a brand introduced by Pillsbury in 1898. Its acquisition strengthened MOM Brands' position in the hot-cereal segment.
Hot breakfast cereal
CoCo Wheats
CoCo Wheats is a chocolate-flavored hot cereal brand purchased by MOM Brands in 2012 from Denny and Kim Fuller. The transaction added a recognizable specialty hot cereal to the company's portfolio while the remaining Little Crow assets were sold separately.
Cold breakfast cereal · 2013
Mom's Best Naturals
Mom's Best Naturals was introduced in 2013 as a natural-positioned cereal line. The launch helped MOM Brands secure additional retail shelf space and broaden its appeal beyond its traditional value-oriented Malt-O-Meal products. The brand was retained after Post Holdings acquired MOM Brands.
Cold breakfast cereal
Tootie Frooties
Tootie Frooties was a cold cereal used in the company's 2007 promotional collaboration for The Simpsons Movie. For the campaign, selected packages were presented as the fictional Krusty-O's brand and sold through 7-Eleven stores in the United States.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Krusty-O's / The Simpsons Movie tie-in
United States
Malt-O-Meal participated in a reverse-product-placement campaign connected with The Simpsons Movie. Its Tootie Frooties cereal was packaged and promoted as Krusty-O's, a fictional cereal associated with The Simpsons, and distributed through 7-Eleven stores alongside other film-related products.
Outcome. The campaign gave an existing MOM Brands cereal a prominent entertainment tie-in; a longer-term commercial outcome was not specified in the available source.
Brand decisions
2015
Sale to Post HoldingsM&ABackground
MOM Brands had become a significant American cereal producer with hot, cold, bagged, and natural-positioned products.
Action taken
Post Holdings agreed to acquire MOM Brands for $1.15 billion, comprising $1.05 billion in cash and 2.5 million Post Holdings shares. The transaction closed on May 4, 2015.
Aftermath
The company was integrated into Post Consumer Brands, Post moved its cereal headquarters to Minnesota, and MOM Brands ceased to operate as an independent corporate entity.
Announced transaction value. $1.15 billion (Announced January 27, 2015; completed May 4, 2015)
2012
Corporate rebrand to MOM BrandsStrategyBackground
The company had expanded beyond Malt-O-Meal hot cereal into a broader portfolio of hot and cold cereals.
Action taken
It changed its name from Malt-O-Meal Company to MOM Brands, retaining the Malt-O-Meal association through the initials.
Aftermath
The rebrand positioned the business as a multi-brand cereal company and coincided with its reported rise to third place in United States cereal production by market share.
2012
Acquisition of CoCo WheatsM&ABackground
MOM Brands continued expanding its hot-cereal portfolio through brand acquisitions.
Action taken
The company purchased the CoCo Wheats brand from Denny and Kim Fuller.
Aftermath
CoCo Wheats became part of MOM Brands' hot-cereal portfolio, while other Little Crow assets were sold to Gilster-Mary Lee.
2002
Acquisition of Quaker Oats' bagged-cereal businessM&ABackground
Malt-O-Meal sought to broaden its cereal operations beyond its established hot-cereal business.
Action taken
The company acquired Quaker Oats' bagged-cereal business.
Aftermath
The acquisition supported the company's expansion into additional cereal formats during its broader turnaround.
2001
Mothballing and sale attempt for the Tremonton plantStrategyBackground
A major decline in sales and profits affected the company's expansion plans for its Utah manufacturing facility.
Action taken
Malt-O-Meal halted construction, implemented layoffs, and placed the building and site on the market.
Aftermath
The facility was withdrawn from sale after the company's performance improved, construction resumed, and production began in 2004.
Sources1 sources
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