By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

WOOSTER, Ohio — The Certified Angus Beef  (CAB) brand is celebrating its 30th anniversary; the first pound was sold in 1978 at Renzetti’s IGA in Columbus, Ohio.

That was just the beginning – in fiscal year 2008, 634 million pounds of CAB were sold, an 8.6 percent increase over last year.
It began in 1975 when Angus producer Harold Etling told Fred Johnson, also an Angus producer, about a bad steak he’d had. They decided there had to be a better way to ensure that consumers get what they expect.

Between 1975 and 1978 a tremendous amount of effort was put into this idea, said John Stika, president of CAB, LLC.

“Angus breeder Mick Colvin recruited help from Ohio State University researcher Dr. Bob Vanstavern,” Stika said.

“They put together the carcass specifications that they felt and that science dictated would guarantee a desirable eating experience to the consumer.”

They took those specifications to packing plants and identified those that were willing to certify cattle to those exacting standards with the help of USDA.

Cattle producers liked the idea because in the late 1970s the Angus breed was declining in popularity among the cow/calf producers of this country.

Angus breeders wanted to identify the Angus breed’s strong point, which was producing well marbled, high-quality beef at a higher rate than any other breed used in volume in the industry at that time.
So, the Angus breeders were supportive of the idea of identifying a product that not only would please the consumer but ultimately create “pull” through demand for their high quality Angus cattle, Stika said.

“It was more difficult to convince the end users that there was value in a branded beef program above and beyond the commodity,” he said.

“That’s where Mick (Colvin) focused on the restaurateur and the retailer to convince them that if they put this product into their case, their consumer would be willing to pay more for it and they would come back and ask for it; there would be value in the brand name.”

When the program began, it took 18 months to sell a million pounds of CAB beef, Stika said. Now a million pounds of CAB is sold every 3 hours and 18 minutes during the business day.
“Humbly, we’re very proud of the fact that we are not only the first branded beef program ... but we’re also the largest not only here domestically but globally. It’s been a tremendous success story,” Stika said.

The CAB brand is owned by the 35,000 rancher members of the American Angus Assoc. It is used in more than 12,500 restaurants and retailers worldwide.

For more information visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com