MAUI, Hawaii – Marubeni Corporation, Tokyo; Pepper Food Service, Tokyo; and S Foods Co., Nishinomiya City, Japan; were recognized with the Supply Chain Excellence award at the Certified Angus Beef ® Annual Conference, held in Maui Sept. 26-28, for leadership in product quality, marketing and sales. Brand partners, including meat processors, distributors, chefs, retailers and cattle ranchers, celebrated the brand’s 40th anniversary and explored merchandising and marketing solutions to satisfy growing consumer demand for great-tasting beef.

These three companies received the Supply Chain Excellence award for their joint focus on delivering the best Angus beef to customers in Japan. Their distribution approach is centered on mutual success and customer satisfaction with Marubeni first importing Certified Angus Beef ® brand products from the United States. S Foods then purchases the beef for Pepper Food Service, which delivers the top-quality cuts to Ikinari Steak and Pepper Lunch restaurants throughout the country. The distribution channel offers their customers the assurance of outstanding service and unquestionable product quality. As the main supplier for Ikinari Steak and Pepper Lunch, S Foods also was recognized with a No. 2 Sales Volume Corporately Owned Specialty Meat Company Foodservice Distributor award. Ikinari Steak, which has rapidly grown to 300 locations in just five years, was recognized as the International Steakhouse of the Year. The restaurant group’s menu and advertisements offer the Certified Angus Beef ® brand for lunch and dinner. ​

About the Certified Angus Beef ® brand

Founded in 1978, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand is the original, and the best, brand of Angus beef, which began when a group of family ranchers set out to create a brand of beef that delivers superior taste and tenderness. Today, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand remains true to its roots, providing consumers worldwide with superior beef through a gate-to-plate network of family ranchers, retailers and chefs. Renowned for its exceptional quality, each cut meets 10 exacting standards to make it more selective than USDA Choice and Prime. For more information, visit CertifiedAngusBeef.com, or look for the brand on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.