Angus VNR: Leadership Amid Change
Ohio cattleman John Grimes served for years on the Certified Angus Beef brand’s board, and reflects on its role in the broader beef industry as he wraps up his year as chairman.
“The cattle production cycle is long, and so yes, we have to worry about concerns today, but where are we going to be five or ten years from now? And I think that’s a challenge of any board, is to be respectful of tradition, but also recognize we have to be progressive,” Grimes says.
Each board chairman faces challenges, but COVID-19 brought trial after trial.
“I would be lying to you if I didn’t take some good hearted ribbing over it. But, to me, the fact that we’re going to be over a billion pounds speaks highly to what’s going on in Wooster. We’re not going to break a sales record like we’ve had forever, but the fact that sales have been good as they are is a real tribute to the staff. So, I guess my memory is how good it was under some pretty dire circumstances,” Grimes says.
Board action points to a brighter future, too, as the bar for Angus bulls to merit C-A-B’s Targeting-the-Brand logo was raised to help commercial herds add quality.
“We’re not going to get to 2 billion pounds by doing it the way we were. So, the ability to adapt, and change. I think whoever’s going to be in this spot going down the road, you’ve got to be open minded. As far as growth of the brand, we just need to grow the supply. Domestic demand has been good. This year, obviously, international trade was disrupted, but I think there's lots of potential, especially in Southeast Asia. We have to be open to opportunities for growth, and realize we do have competitors out there, but nobody in the world today is producing consistent grain-fed beef, high quality, like we do,” he notes.
Grimes says trading ideas and talking with other ranchers on the nationwide board help with planning ahead to create better cattle and satisfy beef consumers.
“Have we got it all figured out? No, but we’ve got, it’s almost like you’ve got your own in-house library of knowledge you can tap into. We’re all on the same team. It’s kind of like rowing a boat. We’re all trying to row the same direction, the progam has been in effect for over 40 years, and it didn’t happen overnight. And I absolutely don’t take that for granted. I think the consumers show their appreciation by the dollars they spend, but it’s our job to keep you with a good product,” Grimes notes.
A promise to keep – no matter the circumstances.
