It’s hard to imagine it today, but 40 years ago, beef was just beef. Then, something happened: the Certified Angus Beef ® brand was created.

Like all pioneers, the cattlemen who started the world’s first premium brand of beef did so because no one told them it couldn’t be done. While their initial goal was to create a better way to market beef, what they actually created was a movement. It’s one that would forever change beef.

Today, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand is an internationally recognized mark of quality and the standard by which all other beef is judged.

But more than product quality – which always has been, and always will be, central to the brand – it’s a community of people. From farm to plate, each one of us is necessary to deliver the brand to the dinner tables of consumers worldwide. Each one contributes passion, pride, creativity and commitment to maintain the brand’s relevance, elevate its reputation, and help it fulfill its mission of creating demand and adding value for Angus cattle.

The quality beef movement that the brand has led depends upon efforts of the entire community. Like rungs on a ladder, each advancing year builds on the last, and our collective and individual success is testament to the quality of our people.

To be a part of a community inherently means we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. The more intentional we are in understanding one another, and learning from one another, the better we will be able to support one another. No matter our individual role, we’re all connected by a common thread.

Our stories comprise the brand’s story. It’s one that started with an idea, and one that continues to grow and flourish. As remarkable as the past 40 years have been, I believe – thanks to the dynamic, passionate and principled community behind the Certified Angus Beef ® brand – we have an equally remarkable future ahead of us. Our team looks forward to helping brand partners achieve even greater success as we look forward.

John F. Stika, Ph.D.

PresidentCertified Angus Beef LLC