Our Story - The brand that changed beef

COMING FULL CIRCLE
The brand’s story ultimately circles back to the beginning: to the families who raise Angus cattle
and are at the heart of the brand’s mission. The initial concept for the brand centered on creating
demand for top-quality Angus beef in the marketplace for consumers and family farmers. As it gained
a foothold with meat companies, food distributors, restaurateurs, retailers and consumers, demand
for qualifying cattle began to grow. Litvak Meat Co., Denver, offered ranchers the first premiums for
qualifying cattle in 1986.
Throughout the years, the brand’s supply development team has cooperated with the Association on
educating producers, as well as consulting and sharing resources that have helped some family farms
achieve 80% or higher brand-acceptance rates. Carcass contests and data collection programs have
given them insight to the beef quality and value of their herds. Expected progeny differences for beef
quality indicators evolved as benchmarks and important tools for making calculated genetic selections.
These efforts continue to drive a decade-long uptrend in the nation’s beef quality so that more than
5.5 million cattle per year qualify, fueling supply to meet ever-growing consumer demand.
Before becoming an Angus breeder and board member for the Ohio Angus Association, American
Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC, John Grimes was a student at The Ohio State
University when the program began. “It’s really exciting to see its scope today and how it has
influenced the entire beef industry,” he says. “The people taking our story to distributors, retailers,
chefs and consumers work hard on behalf of our breed.”
In the past decade, the brand’s promotional resources and educational programs have evolved to
focus on the passion and pride of the family farmers and ranchers who created the brand in 1978,
and continue making it possible today. Thousands of distributors, chefs, retailers and influencers have
visited farm families across the country to hear their stories and learn about the care that goes into
raising cattle for the brand.
In 2017, partnerships progressed with the Atterholt family in Loudonville and Ohio State’s Agricultural
Technical Institute to host on-farm tours for customers year-round. “We love what we do and are
passionate about educating others,” says Mandy Atterholt, an Ohio State University graduate and
recent FFA teacher who joined the brand’s staff to guide on-farm educational programs throughout
the country. “As a teacher, this is such a neat experience for me to allow our farm to be my
‘classroom.’”
2012
The Culinary Center opens
to provide innovative,
interactive beef ideation
2013
A growing community of
fans follow the brand on
social channels
2014
Heritage campaign shares
pride and passion of
ranchers with
consumers, chefs
15