Bored at a board meeting? Not us!

Our Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) board is made up mainly of registered Angus breeders, and while our staff always enjoys interacting with people we work for, it seems like these meetings are a whole lot more fun when we have good news to share.

Mark reports that was the case at CAB board meetings earlier this month.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most exciting news we had to share:

• There’s been a 3.4% increase in cattle meeting the CAB® specifications, and a sales increase approaching 6% year-to-date. The focus on genetics within the Angus breed is clearly having a positive impact on supply. (If you’re among that “focused” group, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!)

• Leading the charge for that 28-million-pound increase this fiscal year is the International Division, which has seen dramatic growth in Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. (And if you’re keeping track at home, the CAB brand has gained market share on the U.S. export scene.)

• Not a new story for the foodservice division, but beef continues to compete with other proteins for the center-of-the-plate position. As disposable income has decreased, diners are more selective than ever in their choice of products and establishments – which have benefited those partners featuring the CAB brand’s consistent high quality.

• We continue to drive all of these numbers with a host of marketing efforts including trainings at the Education & Culinary Center, ranch events that help with gate-to-plate education and new tools.

• Of course it’s more than just marketing: our meat scientists on staff having been looking at quality assurance and finding ways to further increase product quality and consistency. A recent example? A large-scale tenderness study among CAB qualifying carcasses. (More to come on that later!)

There’s always a lot going on around here, but sometimes we forget to step back and look at what this brand as a whole is accomplishing in the marketplace. More quality beef sold = more happy diners.

I’d say if you’re involved in cattle production, even if you’re not closely tied to CAB, you’d see that as darn good news, too.

May your bottom line be filled with black ink,

Miranda

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