Schooled in Angus confusion
Knock knock . . . Who’s there?
Four businessmen and one professor . . . Four-businessmen-and-one-professor who?
President of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB), John Stika. Texas seedstock producer, James Henderson. CAB-licensed meat distributor, Joe Boutte. Concept executive-chef for Saltgrass Steakhouse and Claim Jumper, Ric Rosser. And Texas A&M University professor, John Siebert, who invited the businessmen to speak with his class.
On March 19th in College Station, Texas (a.k.a. Aggieland), I attended a forum set up by agricultural economics professor Dr. Siebert . Pumped to be there, I wondered why he invited the four links in CAB’s supply chain.
“CAB empowers participants to sustainably make more net income,” he said. “This is the most difficult thing to do in all of agriculture. I admire the fact that CAB has created over $300 million in premiums received by beef producers. Without CAB, beef producers would have less income. “
Dr. Siebert is an energetic guy fueled by a passion for teaching and learning. His classroom delivery is similar to an inspirational Sunday sermon. In addition to watching him excite the students and encourage them to ask questions, it was cool to listen to the speakers—or as Dr. Siebert called them, “professors for the day.”
Going into the forum I knew the basics of supply chain. Though still not an expert, I came away from the forum with something I had known but to which I never devoted any critical thought. Stika mentioned one thing that currently does and will continue to affect CAB’s supply chain: Angus confusion. You know you suffer from Angus confusion (scientists are looking for a cure) when anything labeled an Angus product leads you to assume it’s a CAB product.
For those familiar with the brand, for those fortunate to have eaten a CAB steak, burger or other beef product, Angus confusion is less severe or of zero concern. We know what to look for, and we know what we’re getting. But for non-CAB consumers, for consumers yet to wake up and cross into CAB eating-experience paradise, there is the risk of catching Angus confusion. The risk increases as more and more less-than-premium-quality Angus programs hit the market.
Angus confusion: either it leads to an unfulfilling, mediocre eating experience or a rocking party where taste buds celebrate high-quality standards proven to drive business bottom lines into the black. On this day in Aggieland, more than 150 young people were provided with a cure that is hoped to minimize the delirium caused by just-did-make-the-grade quality being confused with consistently-premium quality.
Adios,
Anthony
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