GEM, a cattle herd-management and data system that has successfully served producers for nearly 25 years, has been acquired by Jake and Ruby Alford, owners of TARC, in partnership with the Steiger Family Office.
The transition is designed to provide lasting service and continuity for GEM customers while positioning the company for future growth, including new technology, features and advanced capabilities that add value for its large customer base and for incoming users.
GEM founders and beef genetics pioneers Larry Benyshek and John Hough will remain fully involved throughout a planned transition period and remain connected as advisers thereafter. This will ensure the company they formed in 2003 continues to provide uninterrupted service to its long list of customers.
“We have tremendous confidence in the Steigers and the Alfords,” Benyshek says. “The Steigers bring deep roots in the beef industry and a clear understanding of how technology and production must work together to deliver real value. The Alfords add proven innovation through TARC, including the video-enhancement tools many already use in sale catalogs. Most importantly, the entire ownership group understands the relationships and trust at the heart of GEM.”
Both Jake and Ruby Alford say they’re honored to help carry GEM forward.
“Larry and John have built something of real value to cattle producers, and we’re grateful for the trust they’ve placed in us,” Ruby adds.
Jake explains GEM customers should expect the same level of service, with little to no immediate operational disruption from the transition. Over time, the company plans to introduce technology upgrades, new features and other enhancements to make GEM more useful and valuable to cattle producers.
“Our mission is to preserve what matters and elevate what’s possible,” he says. “With this transition, our goal is to protect what makes GEM valuable to its customers and to build on that foundation with new technology, capabilities and ideas to create even greater value for producers.”
The Steiger Family Office, based in Bentonville, Ark., is an investment office with roots in the cattle industry. The Steigers are fourth-generation ranchers and longtime GEM customers. The 808 Ranch, owned by Lamar and Shari Steiger, will remain a separate entity and a paying GEM customer.
“We’re excited to partner with Jake and Ruby to help steward the GEM legacy into its next chapter,” Lamar says. “From our family’s deep heritage in the cattle industry and as longtime GEM customers, we understand the value GEM provides and the importance of preserving the trust Larry and John have built with customers over the years. We’re honored to be part of GEM’s future, to build on its success and to create additional value for the beef cattle community.”
Lamar says the platform is a widely used cattle management and data system that was “created by the American rancher for the American rancher” and that won’t change.
For almost 25 years, GEM has provided cattlemen and women with the tools to manage every aspect of cattle production, performance, auction and financial reporting. It is deeply entrenched in the Angus and Hereford segments, with growing demand for commercial ranching.
Doug Slattery, a longtime leader in the Angus breed, says he is happy to see the new ownership group carry GEM forward.
“Having spent decades in the registered seedstock business, I’ve learned great ideas do not lose value over time,” he says. “They gain value. Dr. Benyshek and Dr. Hough created and laid the groundwork for GEM and were pioneers in developing such a platform. Combining creative minds with ranching legacy, GEM will be carried forward through the Steigers and Alfords for decades to come.”
Over the last 20 years, Donnie Robertson, Kevin Hafner and Mark Squires of Express Ranches have used GEM to manage as many as 225 sales, more than 18,000 potential customers and data on more than 75,000 registered animals at the Oklahoma seedstock operation.
“From small to large, no matter the size of your operation, GEM is built to work for you,” Robertson says.
Looking ahead, the founders and new owners say they plan to introduce a wide range of advanced services that meet the evolving needs of GEM customers, including connectivity to complementary external technologies for GEM users and the strategic use of artificial intelligence capabilities.
But no matter how the platform evolves, Ruby says producers can count on GEM.
“Improvements will come, but safeguarding producers’ data remains our constant,” she summarizes. “Trust is the foundation of GEM, and we will never compromise it.”
Your Next Read:
