WOOSTER, Ohio – Demand for premium beef continues to grow, thanks in part to restaurateurs, retailers and suppliers who are committed to offering customers only the best. This passion was noted as the Certified Angus Beef ® brand recognized business leaders for sales, marketing and commitment to integrity at its 2010 annual conference in Puerto Rico. The leadership of these companies, combined with growing consumer demand, has set the stage for the brand to hit record sales this year, nearing three-quarters of a billion pounds.
“These winners are truly a cross-section of an industry dedicated to bringing premium beef to the table,” says John F. Stika, president of Certified Angus Beef LLC. “It is with great pride that we recognize their commitment to excellence.”
Foodservice
Top sales volume awards recognized the Sysco Houston broadline distribution facility, in Houston, and specialty meat company Newport Meat Co., Irvine, Calif. They sold the most Certified Angus Beef ® product during the past year with their focus on middle meats. The Cheesecake Factory, Agoura Hills, Calif., was recognized as the restaurant business with the most Certified Angus Beef ® product purchased during the year. Its 150 restaurants and the Grand Lux at the Venetian Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, offer the brand for specific items on the menu.
Three restaurants received Marketer of the Year awards for effective promotions.
– Saltgrass Steak House, Houston, was the restaurant chain recognized for incorporating the brand in all marketing efforts, from its menu to local events like the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
– Red, The Steakhouse, Miami Beach, Fla., received the award because of its efforts to promote premium beef at media events, on Facebook, at concierge dinners and at events like the South Beach Wine & Food
Festival.
– The international award recognized La Bete Bar Steakhouse, Quebec City, which uses newspaper, billboard and city-wide bus campaigns to promote this high-quality beef in the market.
Distributors also received Marketer of the Year awards:
– Sysco in Columbia, S.C., was recognized for staff contests, training programs and participating in consumer events like the Charleston Food and Wine Festival.
– Sysco Boston, Norton, Mass., received the nod for its success with valued-added products including fully cooked short ribs.
– The international award recognized Progressive Distributors, in the Cayman Islands, for advertising, sampling products and co-sponsoring high-profile events, including the Cayman Cookout and Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival. A VIP dinner introduced Certified Angus Beef ® brand Natural to chefs.
Commitment to Integrity awards honored two distributors for their leadership in maintaining the brand’s
quality and integrity. They were Sysco Montana, Billings, and Provimi de Puerto Rico, Vega Baja.
Retail
Five retail companies received awards for Certified Angus Beef ® product sold during the past year.
– Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich., as the Top Sales Volume Large Chain Retailer
– Strack & Van Til Supermarket, Highland, Ind., as the Top Sales Volume Small Chain Retailer
– Dekalb Farmers Market, Decatur, Ga., as the Top Sales Volume Single Store Retailer
– SuperValu-Midwest Region, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., as the Top Sales Volume Retail Distributor
– Price Chopper Operating Co., Schenectady, N.Y., for the highest percent increase in retail sales
Marketer of the Year awards recognized four retailers for their effective Certified Angus Beef ® promotions.
– Schnuck Markets, St. Louis, promotes the brand in weekly features, in counter-top video displays, at local food and wine events, in magazine ads and brochures, and in recipes at shop-to-cook kiosks.
– Price Chopper Operating Co. received the value-added products award for its meatloaf promotions, which added to its success in fresh meats.
– McKinnon’s Market & Super Butcher Shop, Danvers, Mass., received the independent retailer award for promoting the brand with grill giveaways, product samplings, in-store videos and holiday roasts.
– The international award recognized HEB Mexico, Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, for billboards, television commercials and a grilling campaign.
Also in the marketing category, Strack & Van Til Supermarket received the Retail Advertiser of the Year award for a summer grilling campaign that generated a 17% increase in steak sales. Reasor’s, Tahlequah, Okla., received the retail Commitment to Integrity award for its leadership in maintaining the brand’s quality and
integrity.
Suppliers
Six companies received awards for Certified Angus Beef ® product sold during the past year.
– Tyson Fresh Meats, Dakota City, Neb., as the Top Sales Volume Fabricator
– Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, Kan., as the Top Sales Volume International Packer
– Cargill Food Distribution, Hialeah, Fla., as the Top Sales Volume Exporter
– Wolverine Packing Co., Detroit, as the Top Sales Volume Ground Beef Processor
– Advance Food Co., Enid, Okla., as the Top Sales Volume Processor
– Best Provisions Co., Newark, N.J., for the highest percent increase in processor sales
Five suppliers were recognized with Marketer of the Year awards.
– National Beef Packing Co., Kansas City, Mo., received the packing award for advertising in retail magazines and its focus on supplying product to licensed customers.
– Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, Kan., received the international packer award for offering on-site educational programs for chefs.
– Kansas Packing, Harrington Park, N.J., received the export award for assisting retail and foodservice distributors in the Caribbean with promotions.
– King’s Command Foods, Kent, Wash., received the processor award for heat-and-serve meatball and meatloaf promotions at trade shows, in distributor contests and as coupons on packages.
– Macgregors Meat & Seafood, Toronto, received the international value-added products award for introducing meatballs and advertising on the rink board for the local American Hockey League team.
Two suppliers received Commitment to Integrity awards for their leadership in maintaining the brand’s quality and integrity. They were: National Beef Packing Co., and Aries Prepared Beef, Burbank, Calif.
Certified Angus Beef LLC hosted its annual conference Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. More than 15,000 businesses partner with the brand in the United States and 46 other countries. Annual sales top $2.7 billion. The Certified Angus Beef ® brand, introduced in 1978, is a cut about USDA Prime, Choice and Select thanks to 10 quality standards. For more information, visit www.certifiedangusbeef.com.
Source: Certified Angus Beef LLC