A brand new record

If I had to pick one, I’d say I’m more of a visuals and words gal myself. Except when it comes to something I’m passionate about – then I’m holding onto a stat like a cowboy fresh out of the bucking chute, doing my best to make sure everybody leaves with their jaws on the ground.

That’s how I feel when I talk about y’all. Particularly what you continue to achieve year after year.

See, I grew up a cowboy’s daughter so the tenacity that comes with this life is never lost on me. Dare I even say you don’t surprise me. I’ve come to expect greatness, and if I was a betting person and the stakes were high, I’d go all in on the ranchers.

For dramatics’ sake, let’s talk numbers for a minute. The brand rounded out its 37th fiscal year at the end of September – today marks the anniversary of that first pound sold – and with the closing of the books came cause for celebration.

Here are just a few figures that may leave you with a smile:

• CAB reported record sales for the ninth consecutive year, marketing 896 million pounds of product in fiscal 2015.
• That’s the 11th straight time the brand achieved year-over-year growth; 14 million more pounds than last year.
• Three of the brand’s five best sales months in its 37-year history – August, July and May – were in fiscal 2015.
• When it comes to licensed partners, the brand boasts more than 17,500.
• Foodservice sales were up 10.6% over last year, selling a record 334 million pounds.
• 13.5% of brand sales were outside of the U.S. in 52 other countries.
• CAB Prime sales set a record of more than 12 million pounds sold.

If those didn’t set your gears in motion, perhaps the fact that you get the credit will.

“Angus breeders responded to the market signals and built better-grading cattle which allowed us to grow, thus creating more demand and even bigger signals,” our own Mark McCully says.

In the face of record high cattle and beef prices tied to tight supplies, you sent your best.

Here’s what you accomplished:

• Combating the fourth straight year with fewer eligible cattle, certified carcass numbers only dropped by 1%.
• Out of the brand’s 31 licensed packing plants, independent graders certified nearly 67,000 carcasses per week – that’s 3.48 million for the year.
• Greater utilization of each carcass (261 lb. sold compared to 250 lb. last year) produced the net sales increase of 1.6%.
• Cattle achieved a record high CAB acceptance rate of 27.5%. To put that into perspective, 10 years ago that number was 14%.

We may be starting off fiscal 2016 with fresh paper and blank spreadsheets but that doesn’t mean you should. If anything, I’d offer a “keep up the good work.”

Then again, I already know you will.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

PS – For a more detailed recap of fiscal year 2015, click here or visit www.CABpartners.com.

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