WEBVTT
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In the back of the VIP area, as I would like to say, of the Mitchell's Mercantile.
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If you haven't stopped at this stop, you have to.
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If you're coming through Drop Corner out of the red line, check it out.
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And you can even see Studio in the back.
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We got a good one for you today.
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Episode number 84.
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We're going to have Mr.
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Bryce Kelly join us.
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And he is with Richie Tags.
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Richie Tags, we are going to talk, we're going to talk a lot today about the importance of identification, the importance of tags and products that work.
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And so, Mr.
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Bryce, thank you for joining me today.
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And you got to see the ranch for the first time today as well.
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Yeah, love that.
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Thank you for having me.
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Uh first time out at your place.
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And it really just gave me a better appreciation for you and your family, Tucker, and kind of what the R.A.
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Brown ranch is about, some of the history.
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So thank you so much for letting me do that.
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Yeah, it was it's always good whenever we like when I get to deliver bulls and see a customer's place and really get to learn more about them.
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And then it's it was kind of fun to be on the other side of that coin to like have invite you out to be able to see what we do, see your tags and work.
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For those listening, we've been using Richie Tags for years.
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And we always say we're pretty loyal to the companies we use, and we always say there's three things that of boxes that have to be checked.
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The price has to be good, the service has to be good, and the product has to be great.
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And when those three things are checked, we we stay with the company that that we're with.
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And uh gosh, we've we've been with Richie Tags for years, and that's been that for us.
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And so getting to know you, and then of course having having Morgan at Richie Tags and see working with you on socials and being uh like at the booth at NCBA, all of that's been pretty fun.
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Hey, well, I mean, A, I appreciate the business.
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And you know, those three things you uh checked off, it's uh it's a responsibility for us uh to make sure we check those boxes for each and one of the ranchers around the country.
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And you you do some ranching yourself.
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You've got a place in Nebraska.
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So my my dad's side of the family, uh, we came from the uh row crop.
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So we have Kelly Bean Company.
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We're one of the largest processors of dry edible beans in the country.
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So when I'm talking beans, I'm talking pinto beans and black beans are great northern beans.
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So we're based out of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
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I've spent the majority of my career there.
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But my mother's side of the family has a cow calf operation in the sand hills in Nebraska, just north of Trient and south of Mullen.
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So the family uh no longer is active in ranching.
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Uh we've got a great operator on that land and hope to keep in the family for another 100 years.
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Oh, how cool.
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Man, I didn't know that about the beans.
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Boy, that's something that's way outside my wheelhouse.
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I wouldn't know, I wouldn't know one thing about it.
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I tell you what, the most exciting things in the world, beans and ear tags, like you know, that's what I deal with.
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Yeah, quite the blood flow from those two things.
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But uh I'd I love that uh I mean the importance of tags for uh for us at the ranch is extremely important.
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And here's for the listeners who are like, what am I gonna learn about ear tags today?
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Well, I'd I want to talk about the importance of identification and how tags are a part of that success.
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Because identification is where we find those animals that do the right things, or if we find those animals that do the wrong things that we don't want to keep anymore.
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And we put a bunch, oh gosh, a whole bunch.
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We should have brought a tag which we can add, we can add a picture of it.
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Um, Riley, thank you.
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We can add a picture of what ours looked like, but we put a whole bunch on ours, a whole bunch of information.
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We put the identification of the animal, the sire, the uh the damn, the damn sire.
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Like we man, we fill that tag up.
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You know, I think you guys, out of anyone I can think of on the top of my head, I I think you're loading the most amount of data on that tag, the most amount of information.
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Yeah, right, and Donald would probably put more if you'd let him, but we're running out of room.
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Right.
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We're running out of room.
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Because the whole backside, we can use that too.
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That's true.
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Yeah, that's true.
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Um, but we've been using Ritchie Tags because all three of those boxes have been checked.
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And uh we and if you've seen us at a at a convention where we are dremeling tags ourselves, we actually got that idea from Ritchie Tags.
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Uh, because we're dremeling tags and putting in a brand and we have y'all laser our brand on the other side, and it's a really good giveaway gift that people can remember and have their own brand on.
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And I don't know, it's pretty neat.
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But you know, you sit through a trade show and and and Morgan can attest to this, but uh you know, we'll we'll engrave hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of keychains a day.
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Yeah.
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And you know, so you sit through an NFR where you're doing that for like two and a half, three weeks, and it's a lot of engraving.
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Yeah, that's when your hand starts vibrating while you're sleeping.
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Yes, we're gonna be able to do that.
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You wake up with it vibrating.
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Where uh were you where are we all at at the NFR?
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So we were at what what booth were we at?
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Were you at South Point or South Point, yeah, we were at South Point, yeah.
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So we we're we're in the main arena still at South Point, uh, and we've been doing it that well, at least since I've been around, but probably for a good 10 years now, I think.
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I've never made it to South Point during the NFR.
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Like that makes me a little sad to say out loud.
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Yeah.
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But I've never made it over.
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That would have been the first place you go.
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I know.
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Uh most of the time when I've when I have gone the past couple years, it's been for ag gear or it's been for bedrock truck beds, and they're in the at Cowboy Christmas, and I've got to be in the booth for a certain amount of hours over there helping them.
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And so this year, crossing my fingers that it'll I'll be the uh I'll have a point and a good reason to go to South Point.
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Yeah.
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I you know, it's it's uh it's one of our favorite shows.
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It's it's one of the most well-known shows, but uh you know, we we go to trade shows around the country, and you know, sometimes the smaller for me the better.
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Like it's just a little bit more intimate, and you get to spend a little bit more time with each rancher.
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Uh sometimes NFR can be quite busy and you got people coming at you from 18 different angles, and you just don't get as much uh time to talk to them.
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And yeah, you know, that's uh unfortunately I can't get out to every single ranch around the country, but those trade shows allow us a good opportunity to to shake a hand, uh, you know, hear about people's concerns, our successes, and even our failures.
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Well, tell me more, Bryce, tell me more about Ritchie Tags, because um, I mean, I know we've been using you for a long time, but what what's happened to me is that like as I've grown up, all I knew is that or like whenever I came back to the ranch, like we use Ritchie Tags.
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Like that's what we do because they work.
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But I've never really gotten to know y'all.
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And and so that I what uh what I love about this podcast is that's gonna give me that opportunity to really know more about you, more about the history of the company.
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And could you start there?
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Yeah, yeah.
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So the the company itself uh was founded in 1964 by uh Gene and Joe Ritchie.
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And one of the most amazing things uh about this business, uh at least when I came across it, and I'm sure we'll get to that in a little bit, but you know, they they had they answered one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, questions in business, and it's why do we exist?
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Why should we exist?
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And you know, Jean was focused on the longevity of identification and how long you could read that tag, and came up with a different approach over time.
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And that's it's really what we became known for uh you know, 60 plus years later is the tag that never fades.
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And so, you know, we're based out of Colorado, uh, so we're an American company, we're a family-owned company, everything's manufactured in Colorado, uh, even our resin or raw material products are are coming from Texas and the United States.
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So, you know, it's uh a legacy of a business uh that you know I'm just really uh grateful to be a part of now.
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And being, I mean, uh identification's changed since 1964, whatever that 64, what was it?
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Yeah, 1964.
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A lot has changed since 64.
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Uh how has Ritchie changed with it?
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Or has it had to?
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You know, uh as much as things have changed, a lot of things have stayed the same.
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And uh one of the things I love about this business is that it solves for a very specific problem uh of fading air tags.
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And the Ritchie family, to their credit, you know, they they never got out of their lane.
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Uh they spent 60 years trying to get better and better and better at one thing, and that was just the longevity of identification.
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And so, you know, as as much as people come in and um, you know, especially a new owner like me, I you know, bought the company from the Ritchie family in 2020, and you come in guns and firing, and you know, all these ideas that you think you want to do, but you know, sometimes it's it's what you don't do uh that makes you successful in a small business.
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And so we've really focused on uh the longevity of identification and how important that is.
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I find that interesting, the things you don't do, because I've I've felt a little bit that myself as part of the rule of coming back to the ranch, which we talked about earlier today, was that for me to come back to the ranch, there either had to be a job open or to bring a business plan back.
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And in the beef side of things, I wanted to have like a storefront and I wanted to be selling beef, and I found out pretty quickly that I needed to stay in my lane of what I enjoyed in my lane and the things that we were good at.
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So thank I'm I'm kind of glad that I don't have a storefront or that I'm shipping packages of beef as much as I think that would be neat.
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I staying in my lane is is the thing that really has made us better.
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Yeah, and we we've got we got tens of thousands of customers uh across North America and we're dealing with some some very strong dealer partners.
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And so, you know, the the assumption would be like how do we keep adding more products and and take more of that uh they call it wallet share uh when someone comes to buy from you.
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And and what we've just found is you know we're we're really good at this, and we want to continue to get better at this.
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And so if we can kind of tune out the noise of what's shiny uh and chasing things out there, I think we're gonna be just fine.
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And ultimately we're gonna do a better service to our customers.
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And we've talked about some of those shiny objects that are changing identification, because like right now I've I've got an app on my phone that I can see where those cattle are, I can circle it and I can know who they are.
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And I could hear some people being like, so why would I why would I invest in a tag that's gonna last a long time when I don't need it?
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How would you answer that?
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When I was doing the due diligence to buy Ritchie, that's one of the most common things I heard was this this is a dying star, uh the technology's no longer relevant in today's world.
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Uh, we're gonna have all of these things, whether it's a smart tag, EID, etc.
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And the way I like to think about it, Tucker, is the more data, the more information that we associate with these animals, the more important it is for when I look at an animal, I know exactly who she is.
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So I'm actually more bullish, more excited about visual identification than ever before, because knowing that animal is more important than ever before.
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Yeah, such a good point.
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You know, and uh we still and I I'm sure technology is gonna it's come a long way, gonna continue to go a long way, but there's still battery issues, there's still connectivity issues.
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Uh you just don't know, you know, when you're in the truck driving across the ranch, when you're gonna need to make a decision on an animal, and you want to be able to look at her and know exactly who she is.
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Well, like this morning, gosh, that's so true.
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I haven't thought about it that way.
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This morning, whenever we um I mean, obviously we kind of take things to another step when it comes to ranching and data and gathering all that information being a seed stock place.
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Uh, but we had to we had to get nine donors to a place this morning.
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Um we were gonna do some IVF with them.
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And so we had to go gather them and we sure enough, we pulled up our app, we circled, we found where they were, we went and got them, but we wouldn't have known.
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I mean, we went and looked at those tags today.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And God, that's such a good point that really I feel like the uh the side, the ceiling is moving up rather than down for that because people are gonna be more interested in figuring out which animals they they're collecting that data on.
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You know, there's we're we're in this world where there's almost an infinite amount of data that we're collecting around these animals.
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And so the more we associate with them, I I think the more important it's gonna be uh just to take a quick look at her and know who she is.
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And you know, I I've still, at least today, I'm still a believer that you know our eyes, our brains, our gut instinct, you know, those still have a role to play in ranching and judgment and decision making.
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And so, and when you're able to look at least at one of your tags, I mean you can see if you can see a family tree right there, you can see a genealogy, and with a look, you know, you start to build that gut instinct that you guys use to make decisions with.
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Not to say that you can't uh supplement it, which I think we should with a bunch of uh data and analysis and spreadsheets and artificial intelligence and all those things, but uh you know, I I I think human judgment really still and always will play a role in that, and that's going to require us to be able to see that tag.
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And a part of seeing it too, what I what I enjoy, what I like that Richie does, uh you you say like Richie tags, the tags that never fade, and they're the engraving on them from my point of view, whenever we've tried other tags, the engraving makes a huge difference.
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We make tags different than as far as I know, this would be a little bit big of a claim, but uh we we just make them different than anyone else in the world, uh certainly here in the United States.
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And so we use a different manufacturing process to make that tag where there's several different layers.
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So we're not putting, I'd like to say we're not putting information onto the tag, we're permanently engraving it into the tag.
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And the way that tag reads today, it's gonna read the same 15 plus years, or you know, definitely for the life of that animal.
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So there's other other ways to to go about printing tags, whether it's uh laser printing or UV printing or some of the uh other ideas, but uh our tag is just a little bit different than anyone else in the world.
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That's so unique to dive into a niche product that hard and find that lane, that the the problem that people had of a tag not working, and then fixing that problem.
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Yeah, it's just one simple problem, and yet the simplicity that it sounds like it when we're talking about it's like, hey, it's a simple problem, we can figure this out and solve.
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And and yet when you uh expand on how important it is to know that animal, uh really our job becomes substantially more critical.
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Uh that that tag lasts, you can read it, stays in, uh, because there's just so much going on uh in today's world and more so tomorrow, with what we're using that data for.
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You know, what it what a tag does, you know, there either there's facts that you collect uh along an animal's life.
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Uh you know, you have a birth weight, uh, there's a treatment, uh, there's a weaning weight.
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All of these facts by themselves probably don't mean a lot.
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Uh but when you can associate those facts with the animal over time, that becomes a history, okay?
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And then once a history is developed, patterns start to emerge throughout that history.
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And it's really through that pattern recognition that we can start to make judgments and better decisions.
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And so the more information that's associated with that animal, the deeper you go, getting all the way down into the genetics you guys do.
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Yeah, it's just this better overall picture we've got at the animal that ultimately helps us make better decisions.
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So I'd like to I'd like to say that you know the Ritchie tag, as simple as it is, is the gateway to better decisions on a ranch.
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Wow.
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Yeah, because we've gone from we've gone from uh you know what did uh from from people worrying about the the average of their and which are you still these are still data points that we use like um what's the what's the breed up of your cow herd?
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What's the what percent opens did you have, what percent calls did you have to now we're getting so much more perspective on that animal and worried much more about which animals we're culling or keeping rather than the entire and then you go to the feed yard and it'd be the same thing.
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Like I know we're worried about what percent prime and choice we are, but now we have all these data points to be able to find out which animals that that that that's actually coming from.
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Oh yeah, you know, yeah uh the the common person drives by uh you know drives down the highway in Texas and you know they see a a bunch or a group of cattle.
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Maybe if they're a little bit more educated, they see a herd of cattle.
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But you know, to to you all, you see 187 individuals with history attached to them, and and it that that individuality, uh that identity is really where it all comes together to start making some of these bigger decisions and drive profitability at the end of the day.
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Yeah, and in a time where I mean the the beef industry has kind of come to a head uh or come to a come to the top of conversation in some of the media for whether it's beef coming overseas or a shrinking cow herd or uh things like that, the more efficient we can be with our own place.
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Right now, the way the market is, a little more weight or breeding the making the right breeding or using the right cow, keeping the right cow, makes a big difference to the bottom line.
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The bottom line, and I think greater society, I mean, whatever, eight, nine billion people on this planet, wherever we're getting to, I mean, we have to get more efficient.
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We simply have to.
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So in order to do that, uh, you know, the you've got to have a profitable rancher, you've got to have a pro profitable cow-calf operator, but you have a profitable supply chain.
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Uh but ultimately, you know, we as a human uh society here, you know, our farmers and ranchers are gonna have to get more efficient.
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That's interesting.
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Um I'm gonna change directions here a little bit.
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Yes, sir.
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So you bought the company in 2020, um, and we've talked a little bit about the future, but you've made a big investment in the company in building a new warehouse.
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So when we bought the company in 2020 uh from the Ritchie family, we leased the original building back uh and it had been there again since 1964, and it it literally looked like it did in 1964.
00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:04.480
So, you know, but with the growth of the company, and we've been so grateful for the growth.
00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:12.079
So even though the the cattle herd has gotten smaller, uh we've been lucky enough to grow our business and I feel very fortunate about that.
00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:19.119
But it got to the point where we were, you know, tripping all over ourselves and the space constraint was restricting our growth.
00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:20.880
So we made the decision.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:25.599
Again, we're more bullish on visual identification today than ever before.
00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:33.039
Uh we know this cow herd is going to start to grow and come back, and we just felt the right time uh to move into our own facility.
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:40.079
We have well over double the square footage and just set that stage for the future and kind of what's to come in the next chapter.
00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.640
And that's uh where where's Fort Collins?
00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:43.759
Just in Fort Collins, yeah.
00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:55.519
So the company was founded in Brighton, Colorado, and so we're now up in Fort Collins, very, very excited about the Fort Collins community, uh, excited about some partnerships with Colorado State University, Big Ag University.
00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.359
So we're excited about that.
00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.000
Yeah.
00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.839
And then just the the amount of folks that we have.
00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:09.920
So we're we're pulling employees from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Greeley, Colorado, all the way down south to Longmont, Colorado.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.880
So it's a much bigger circle in terms of trying to put together the best team we can.
00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:16.799
Yeah, that's neat.
00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:30.799
Especially gosh, that's I feel like that's bold because I think a lot of the to buy that company in 2020, with so many people looking at it on the downside of saying it's a dying company.
00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:38.240
Um were you as as bullish thinking you were going to build a new warehouse and um expand?
00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:41.119
Were you that bullish when you when you bought it?
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:48.079
You know, uh when when when I was first looking at this opportunity, I had some some truly grandiose visions.
00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:57.759
I mean, we we talked about technology, and I'm like, here is a perfect platform, a perfect brand name, is that I can flip this into a technology company like you know, nobody's business.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:11.920
And you know, when I when I finally took ownership, uh I I quickly realized that the the day that I took over, the day I have the most authority, I have the least understanding of what's going on on day one.
00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:18.960
So customers know about more about the product than I do, our employees know about more about the processes, our vendors know more about the raw materials.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:28.799
And so I really needed to be patient uh with you know trying any of my ideas over time and really learned how how we got, you know, how we made it for 60 years.
00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:32.079
You know, so few small businesses make it that long.
00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:34.240
Yeah so certainly something is going right.
00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.880
And in our case, luckily, there was a lot of things going right.
00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:43.440
So I really kind of had to be humble, um, learn from those around me to truly understand this business.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:54.240
And then it took some time for me to make some decisions on what it could become and what it should become.
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:59.759
And we've really simplified the vision and really intend on just being.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.640
Incredibly good at identification.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:07.599
So a lot of these shiny things we've kind of put our blinders to.
00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:15.200
And not to say that we're not going to roll technology, that's not a part of our future, but as long as it's part of our future in terms of identification.
00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:24.960
I feel like learning that whole industry had to be quite the learning curve.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:28.079
Like coming in as the owner and then You know what?
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:32.799
And on top of that, there was COVID and supply, you know, global supply chain challenges.
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.079
A lot of fun that first two years.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:40.640
I think, you know, the the the first couple of weeks, I got a letter.
00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.640
We had a we used to have a button supplier.
00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:45.279
Uh got a letter that they weren't going to supply us anymore.
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:49.599
I I think month three, I got a letter from or a call from a resin supplier.
00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:52.640
They weren't sure when they were gonna be able to deliver any more resin to us.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.559
I'm like next week, next month.
00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.599
He's like, Mr.
00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.720
Kelly, it could be another five or six months before I get you any more resin.
00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:02.240
And so there were some incredibly challenging times.
00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:07.920
I was I was like, we're gonna own this company for six months and go bankrupt in the first six months, even though we've been going on for 60 years.
00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:08.319
Yeah.
00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.960
So you know we we battled our way through it.
00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:14.079
Um I think we become a much stronger company on the other side of that.
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:18.319
You know, we got some great new relationships, but it was uh it was a fight.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.759
It was a fight for a while.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:26.400
Well what changed the most, what has changed the most since 2020 for your business.
00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.359
If I were honest, I would probably say me.
00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:33.599
I I would say I probably have changed the most.
00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:56.720
You know, there's there's certainly dynamics are around this that are happening, but uh to to be this leader that narrows the focus, and again, I I keep using this uh analogy, these shiny things, uh, I I think that uh that took some growth out of me to say no a lot uh and say yes to a very few number of things.
00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:59.359
Um so I I I you know I've I've grown a lot.
00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:01.759
This was my first CEO gig, if you will.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:22.720
I've been in business my entire life, I've been in agricultural business my entire life, but this is uh my first go-around as CEO, and it's uh it's a lonely desk uh sometimes when you're a lot of things going on around you and you're making this uh some hard decisions of when you have no resin, there's some customer you have to say, I'm sorry, you're not gonna get your tags this year, and some customers you can say I can I can make that shipment.
00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:25.279
So, you know, I I've grown a lot with it.
00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:34.880
Um I'm not so not so sure that the values of our customers uh luckily uh haven't changed, and I don't uh believe ever will change, but their expectations of us have.
00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:43.039
You know, we we live in this world of the what I call the Amazon effect, uh, where you know people place an order, they want it in you know, tomorrow.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:50.079
And you know, each one of our tags, when you think about it, is is a is a custom manufactured item.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:56.640
Uh if everyone in the world just ordered tag one through 50, you know, this would be a lot uh much easier conversation.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:06.480
But you know, you guys are loading it up with custom information, people are putting their family brand, their their phone numbers, their ranch names, and each one of those tags is individual and unique.
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:13.680
And it's uh it you know, it's it's tough for us to pull off the Amazon expectation of uh delivery in the first 24 hours.
00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:17.680
So we know we we try our best uh to get product out as quick as we can.
00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:23.440
And uh we're we're putting different technology pieces in place to get better at our customer service.
00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:31.680
But I think at the end of the day, Tucker, folks are still going to want to pick up a phone, and when they have a problem, they want to talk to a real person that understands what's going on.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.359
Yeah, I think that's huge.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:33.839
Yeah.
00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:40.640
And uh This uh you'll have to help me if this is an ignorant question or an ignorant statement slash question.
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:47.759
It seems like in the tag industry it is very large company based relative to Ritchie.
00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.279
Yeah, I mean the largest Ritchie being a family business.
00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:59.680
Yeah, uh the largest one, you know, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Offlex, uh, an amazing competitor, but they're a global company, you know, billions of dollars of uh corporation.
00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:03.599
And you know, there there is still uh a family business or two around there.
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:06.400
Uh Whitex is a great company out of Wyoming.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:14.319
But uh yeah, certainly we are uh amongst the giants uh as a small family company, but that's kind of where I like to be.
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:18.240
Uh I love the David versus Goliath uh type of situation.
00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:23.359
Um, I think we can move a lot faster uh than a lot of those big cut companies.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:25.680
We can understand our customer a lot deeper.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:29.839
So I I love the position we're in and I I love showing up for the fight each day.
00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:39.759
On the on the business side, like you've said it a few times, you know, making you've made things simpler, you've stayed in your lane, you've gone after one thing and get really, really good at it.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:54.880
Um that it that's another thing that it was actually the last podcast we had or two ago where I had Donald on, and he said, Man, we used to breed 17 different breeds and then trimmed it down, and I wanted to be really good at three of them.
00:26:55.200 --> 00:27:03.519
But on the I mean, it sounds like that can just cross-reference to different businesses and to where I think in terms of not more, but better.
00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:07.680
Uh you know, so slightly better tag, slightly better customer experience.
00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:15.599
I mean, you were showing me all these things on the ranch that you guys have done to enhance the customer experience uh when you come into your bull sales.
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:24.720
Um, you know, it's it's it was just I I loved hearing that story because that's exactly how we feel uh like how do we make things just a little bit better each day?
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:28.240
Customer experience, product, manufacturing process.
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:36.880
Uh we hired a new director of operations for a Fort Collins facility, and and this guy is a nerd about efficiency.
00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:38.079
Like I love him.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:41.759
Uh he's finding things that I haven't seen in the last five years.
00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:46.880
He's finding things that maybe the Richie's never knew about uh in terms of how to make our operations more efficient.
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:50.079
But it's like, how do we show up and get 1% better every day?
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:55.119
So not not more, not more products, not more, but better.
00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:56.880
Have you seen any?
00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:00.559
And I guess this is more along the advice trail.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:15.440
Um, but as you've gotten more involved with your customers and their needs and their questions, have you found anything where maybe ranchers might be able to do something similar, like maybe not doing more, but doing better?
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:17.200
Have you seen anything like that?
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:22.640
You know, it's talking specifically about identification.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:30.480
Um, you know, there's there's I I would I would argue that ranchers have always been data-driven operations.
00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:43.680
Uh data, you know, we we tend to think about data in terms of a spreadsheet, um, but it's also an observation, an observation about you know when that calf was born, how much rain we got in the temper or the rain gauge.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:46.640
Uh so it's a series of of observations.
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:54.960
And and some folks uh I feel could probably go a lot deeper uh into that knowing of their animals.
00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:00.079
So again, we're not we're not adding more animals, we're going deeper and knowing each one better.
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:08.400
And and I think there's probably some room for that, especially as we get into the you know, EPDs and genomics and all that sort of thing, that you know many folks aren't doing out there.
00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:12.559
They're still doing you know some very observational things out on that ranch.
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:16.160
And so again, not more, but going deeper to know that animal.
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:17.759
That's interesting.
00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:18.799
I think that's great.
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:22.559
I mean, I think that's great advice because we we push our customers to do the same.
00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:24.400
I mean, I know you guys do it, but yeah, we do.
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:28.160
How do you think that lands with the quote unquote average rancher out there?
00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:32.240
You think uh folks are starting to look deeper or that's a good question.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:38.240
Uh I mean in general, yes, I do, because I think I I think that pays.
00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.839
I think it pays to look deeper.
00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:53.200
And when ranching hasn't always been the most profitable business, and when you're trying to make it work and you love that place and it's your passion like a lot of ranchers have, you'll do anything to make it work.
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.839
Yeah.
00:29:54.079 --> 00:30:06.799
And so if you just if you told someone that, oh, you mean if I take a$30 DNA test, I can figure out which ones are making me more money and multiply those and make more money and be able to pay off my land payment.
00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.759
Like that's the that's the thought process that I have when that question comes up.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:33.839
But it's a it there will always I believe there will always be um the the thing that makes ranching so different than any other agriculture cattle ranching makes it different than any other thing in agriculture, I believe, is that I don't see anybody raising beans for fun.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:46.880
Maybe a little garden, but they're not investing their life savings like a lot of people do into buying their ranch to do as a hobby on the weekend or to go work their insurance jobs to be able to go ranch.
00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:50.319
And I don't see anybody having pigs for fun.
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:57.599
Like I don't it the cattle is very different, it's much more of a hands-on love for what for what it is.
00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:05.039
So there will always be a portion of ranching that does not do it for a living and only does it because they love the lifestyle.
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:06.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:16.640
I you know, it you to you talk about the customer base, and uh you know one of the one of the reasons I I chose Richie and wanted to stay in agriculture in kind of this next chapter is is for the people.
00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:23.279
You know, I've been involved in several different businesses and we talk about like your accounts receivable, okay?
00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:27.839
I'm not I don't worry about those things, you know, because our customers pay us.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:36.319
And it's just part of this industry and these salt of the earth people of who we work with, and it's just uh it's just such a it's just such a pleasure to work with them.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:38.160
It's uh so true.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:53.279
Because I spoiled growing up in it, yeah, not knowing that people didn't pay people all the time until I leave and go somewhere else and you know have it have a different job outside of agriculture for the first time in college, and I was like, what?
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:55.119
Why have they not paid yet?
00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.359
Do they they're like they never do?
00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:12.079
Yeah, in my my previous life with with Kelly Bean, I I literally have gone to other company other countries to chase money down because like folks weren't paying us, and so I was flying into different countries, sitting across their desks and being like, Yeah, you're gonna pay me like now, right now.
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:13.920
Go ahead and pull that paycheck out.
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:18.000
I do I wish I could say that we've never had to do that.
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:20.160
But in general, in general, right.
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.519
Rarely do we have to do that.
00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:24.400
Very rarely, very rarely do we have to do that.
00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:29.359
And buying this business, you've got a challenge that I've I've never had to think of.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:36.480
Of a company that's lasted for 60 years, kind of has a tradition and history of its own, and then you come in and buy it.
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:46.640
How how will you how did you or are you, you know, remembering what they did and the history they've built with creating your own?
00:32:47.680 --> 00:32:58.640
You know, when you it's a great question because it's like uh you know, I I still think about it as uh in an entrepreneurial sense in terms of you can start up a business or you can buy an existing business, right?
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:08.240
And I I chose the latter um and you quickly realize that you're not the first chapter of the story.
00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:19.039
Uh there's so many chapters before you uh of how this company got to where it was, and specifically with Ritchie, uh 60 years worth of chapters.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:27.359
During that due diligence process, um, when I was calling some of the ranchers around the country that I knew well and trusted their opinion, you know, they just kept repeating this thing.
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:30.960
Oh, yeah, you know, Ritchie tags that never phase, never phase, never phase.
00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:40.319
And like I don't know how much Nike spent for the tagline, just do it, but in this case, the customer base came up with their their own tagline.
00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:44.319
And it's a business that really mattered to customers.
00:33:44.400 --> 00:33:52.640
And I I learned that probably more than ever during COVID when we we did have to say no to some some good folks, and we just we didn't have enough tags to to sell.
00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:54.799
And it's like I took the firstborn child.
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:55.920
It's like I'm like, really?
00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:56.559
It's just a tag.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:59.039
They're like, no, it's not just a tag show.
00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:06.880
Uh and so I I I feel grateful that that I don't have to make up a new reason for Ritchie to exist.
00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:16.159
Uh I feel grateful that I can be the steward of this uh company and what Gene and Joe and Grant and Craig Richie have built all these years.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:20.960
Uh and it puts me in a position, Tucker, where I can focus on details.
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:23.199
And we talked a little bit about getting better every day.
00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:31.599
Like I can truly focus on the details because I got such an amazing operational base and foundation to kind of launch off of.
00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:34.880
Now, am I gonna sprinkle some of my own personality in there?
00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:35.599
Sure.
00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:46.320
Um, it's part of the fun part about owning a business, but I'm just not one of those people that needs to have his fingerprints all over everything just to prove I was there.
00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:54.239
Uh we have a you know, kind of the saying that I challenge our employees with at work, and I said, you know, I just asked three simple things of you.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:58.159
I said, I want you to show up, I want you to mean it, and I want you to make it better.
00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:01.519
And if you do those three things, I said, things are gonna be great.
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:06.960
And that's that's really kind of how I think about my role in the Richie story.
00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:10.079
Uh and show up every day, I'm gonna mean it.
00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:20.800
Uh and I I mean I'd mean it, and I want to make it just a little bit better so when the next person comes along to take over, it's in a little bit better shape than when Bryce found it.
00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:21.519
That's cool.
00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.519
I like those three points.
00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:29.440
I I mean, I mean they they they resonate, they're they're easy, and they're incredibly impactful.
00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.400
Just those three things.
00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:31.679
Did you trademark them?
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.320
Oh, I didn't do that, I should have, yeah.
00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:35.679
That's cool.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:54.000
Well, well, one of the new, and I don't know if it's um new to the company or just new to me, but one of the new things I have learned about y'all that Morgan was telling me about, and we talked a little bit about at the ranch today, was you're um talking about how long the Ritchie tags last, and then how do you prove that it lasts that long?
00:35:54.159 --> 00:36:00.559
And then you said, well, this I don't even that's like a weather machine, a time tester machine.
00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:01.840
I don't even know what to call it.
00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:03.280
The time machine, yeah.
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:18.320
Yeah, it's uh you know, our our special place in this world with our our flagship product, that dual color permanently engravable tag, it's really meant for that replacement heifer that's gonna be a part of your herd for the you know the next 10 plus 15 years.
00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:22.719
And we let me give an example.
00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:28.000
Uh nearly every week we get a call and someone wants a different color, different color combination.
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:37.840
Okay, and it sometimes takes us years to prove that that color will hold up to our standards of 15 plus years of surviving.
00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:58.320
When you think about it, like it could be, you know, it was I think it was 111 here yesterday, but uh the high heat desert of Texas or Arizona, it's got to make it through uh the humidity of Florida, you know, that humidity causes microbes that can eat in the tags, it's gotta last up into Canada where it you know it gets really, really, really cold.
00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:06.239
So we've got a a heavy, uh heavy and high bar to try to get across to launch a new color.
00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:17.679
So that we've got some some machines that test those things out, and it's roughly speaking, about a thousand hours represent one year out in the wild.
00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:30.480
And so you know we're we're testing a new color right now, and I I think this is on our third or fourth recipe of the color where you know three or four thousand hours into it, and it's already starting to fade, and we've got to start over from scratch.
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:37.840
So it's we take a lot of time and effort to introduce something as simple as a new color because we've got a we've got a reputation at the end of the day.
00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:44.320
We've we've made a promise to the customer that thinks things are gonna last, and so we've got to make sure that uh that that happens.
00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:50.159
Yeah, that technology's wild to be able to develop a weather test.
00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:52.480
Tag weather testing machine.
00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:54.559
I mean, gosh, that's so unique.
00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:58.719
But I think it's a testament to what Ritchie stands for, too.
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.719
Like, yeah, we're gonna say it and we can show you.
00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:17.679
You know, and when when I talk to a brand new rancher, say at a trade show, that has never heard of Ritchie tags, and you know, we we talk about what challenges they see with livestock identification and you know whether it's fading or falling out, causing ear problems.
00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:21.760
And I when I say I say, you know, we I can solve that fading problem for you.
00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:22.239
I can.
00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:27.119
And you know, they look at me like, well, you know, can you really prove it to your to your question?
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:36.000
And I'm like, you know, sir, man, we've been doing this for 60 years, and I can say without you know any hesitation that I can solve that problem for you.
00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:45.519
Uh so that's uh again, we going back to the uh the beginning here, it's it's it's why this company exists to solve one specific problem.
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:53.760
And it's just you don't come across these businesses very often that uh are are able to focus on one thing and and make a go of it for so long.
00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.440
But you know, this is uh this is an example of somebody who has.
00:38:58.079 --> 00:39:07.840
Well, you you brought up a good point too, because we we've talked about what Ritchie can do, but the problem we haven't really talked about that problem.
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:10.719
Fading is a problem, the rolling up of the tag is the problem.
00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:12.480
What are some of those other problems that ranchers?
00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:14.960
Yeah, you know, luckily fading is not one we get.
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:19.199
Um but we certainly have folks calling about uh lost tags or ear problems.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:25.679
Or but that that tags in general, the problem that of that Ritchie fixes would be the fading.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.559
The fade, yep.
00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:32.880
And and some other like what are some of those others that other tag that were a problem that Ritchie kind of came into.
00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:36.559
I I think the fading, you know, uh certainly the the roll-up as well.
00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:45.039
So but uh the fading by far is is really kind of what we focus on and and the problem that we uh we've solved uh over the years.
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:52.960
Um there there aren't too many other things that that specific design uh does uh other than solve that one problem.
00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:59.840
Any other I mean look here's a good spot for this, I feel like.
00:40:00.559 --> 00:40:07.360
Um one thing I did learn, I think it was through the the Saras guy, Shane.
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:08.320
Shane, yeah.
00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:15.440
Was telling me about um I mean it's always a frustration when people lose tags.
00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:20.079
Like you've you've invested in them, you you buy the best ones out there and you still lose them.
00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:21.360
Like that's gonna happen.
00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:38.159
But I what I didn't know was that the the laws and regulations that tag companies have to follow with uh the animals, what is it, um like with by not ripping the ear or can you touch on that?
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:40.719
Because I'm I'm not saying I'm not remembering it right.
00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:55.039
Yeah, not not only do certain countries in this world require that your tag fails at a certain amount of pounds of pressure uh because they're trying to protect you know animal welfare, they don't want those ears ripping.
00:40:55.280 --> 00:41:05.440
We we've surveyed and surveyed and surveyed and surveyed this, and and by far and large, uh the ranch base in this country, they want that tag to fail rather than ripping that ear.
00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:06.559
And so we interesting.
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:08.800
Yeah, and and I I would have thought the other way around.
00:41:09.119 --> 00:41:12.320
Um I and that's why we kept surveying and surveying, because like that can't be right.
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:17.440
And with all this data and the information associated, surely you want the ear ripping before the tag failure.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:20.480
But I would say it's like well over 70%, said the other.
00:41:20.639 --> 00:41:26.719
And in fact, some countries mandate that that that tag needs to fail after so many pounds of pull.
00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:32.880
Otherwise, you know, we we could easily come up with a you know a metal tag, if you will, it just never comes out, it's just always gonna rip out.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:43.440
So it's a it's a very fine line of trying to get that tag to hold for as long as physically possible, but right before that air starts to rip, let that thing fail.
00:41:43.840 --> 00:41:57.920
I've never thought about building a product to fail at a certain point, which I guess I have because like when I'm when I'm doing a water break in a fence, and I I want that that little piece to fail so that it doesn't take out the whole fence.
00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:04.480
But uh that's gotta be, I feel like that would be difficult to build a and test that and everything else.
00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:11.679
Yeah, and then not only that, you're you're working with you know uh you know, babies up to mature adults and those year changes over time.
00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:16.079
So, you know, what works for a calf certainly won't work for a cow.
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:16.320
Right.
00:42:16.559 --> 00:42:21.360
And uh so there's a these are the these are the things I learned uh when when you take it over.
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:24.960
And uh certainly I've made problem you know, made some some errors.
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:29.440
Uh I've done the wrong things here and there, but you know, that's uh the opportunity to learn.
00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:37.119
And uh there's it's so interesting how you know it's a dollar fifty piece of plastic, you know, when you clue the button.
00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:45.039
And yet what we expect out of it, I mean I I would put our tag up against some of the cars being made right now, uh, you know, in terms of lasting where it needs to last.
00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:53.199
And and so it uh you know the the rancher uh for as little as that investment is, uh they rely on it for a number of different reasons.
00:42:53.360 --> 00:43:01.760
And the process behind delivering on that promise uh is uh pretty deep and pretty complex, more so than I ever would have known.
00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:03.199
Dollar fifty.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:05.119
Yeah.
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:06.400
Dang.
00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:11.280
Again,$1.50 is that gateway to better decisions.
00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:20.159
I mean, you know, thousands of dollars are at stake, as you know, sometimes a lot more than thousands of dollars by maintaining the identity of that animal.
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:23.599
Yeah, and then well here's a good here's a good spot for this.
00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:29.360
This is one of my favorite segments of the podcast, and it's called the Unstoppable Can Am Defender Side-by-side comparison.
00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:33.920
Can Ams are the side-by-sides that we use at the ranch because they last a long time.
00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:35.440
Doesn't that sound familiar?
00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:36.000
Oh, yeah.
00:43:36.239 --> 00:43:36.719
My goodness.
00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:44.000
Yeah, because the Can Ams last, they um, gosh, I've I've used a couple others and we had to work on them, and it was I'm not a mechanic.
00:43:44.079 --> 00:43:45.360
I'm a bad mechanic.
00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:49.599
So thankfully, I have not had to work on our Can Ams because they last a long time.
00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:53.280
But the Can Am, the unstoppable Can Am Defender side by side comparison.
00:43:53.360 --> 00:43:56.159
Would you compare the different tags that you have?
00:43:56.400 --> 00:44:01.039
Because, like you just said, what works for a calf won't work for Full grown cow.
00:44:01.199 --> 00:44:05.760
And you've got a couple different products, including a product couple products that aren't tags.
00:44:06.159 --> 00:44:07.360
Could you talk about those?
00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:07.840
Yeah.
00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:19.440
So within our company, um, what we're really starting to push uh more and more, and you're gonna see more coming out from us, is that you know, ear tags need to last just as long as they need to.
00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:32.159
Um, you know, we we wouldn't expect the rancher to uh pay an exorbitant amount for a tag that really say at the feedlot only needs to last a few months uh for your steers, maybe 18 to 24 months.
00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:38.079
Uh and so we're really focusing on identification that lasts just as just as long as it needs to.
00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:41.039
And there's different manufacturing processes to do that.
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:48.079
So we're really gonna try to start to orient the company around the life cycle of that animal.
00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:53.760
Um, but other products, I mean, actually, one of my favorite products in our company is the hook doctor.
00:44:54.000 --> 00:45:02.559
And I know you know the hook doctor, but it's the craziest, and when folks have never seen it before, and they come up to the trade show booth, I mean they look at it and like, you know, what the heck is that?
00:45:02.639 --> 00:45:04.719
Like it just looks so weird.
00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:22.480
Uh but luckily we've got videos we put together, including some of yours, that we show it in use, and it's become a uh an animal handling tool that you know once folks get one, they usually come back and get two or three more because they they want one on the side-by-side, one at the back of the truck, and one at the chute.
00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:25.920
Uh, but you know, it's both a calf catcher, you can use it to mouth.
00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:29.920
Uh it's it's just such a cool, quirky type product.
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:30.960
It's one of my favorite.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:38.800
It is a the the product is interesting, and I know it like every time I do a video with it, I know it's gonna do well because it catches people's attention.
00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:39.519
It really does.
00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:47.840
And whenever we're like at NCBA standing in the booth with y'all, and people are like, What is can I scratch my back with that?
00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:59.840
Or yeah, yeah, you know, different I mean, it is a different product, but whether you're using it to catch a calf, reach out and catch a calf's foot or mouth a cow or scratch my back, whatever, yeah, whatever.
00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:01.119
That it's a it's a cool tool.
00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:05.920
I mean, I love that video where you put the camera on your on your hat brim and we're chasing that little calf around.
00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:06.239
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:06.559 --> 00:46:07.119
That's fantastic.
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.800
Great, great stuff, yeah.
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:17.280
But the I'm so you have the engraved engravable ones, and then we talked about some another one today.
00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:26.239
Yeah, so um the the engravable ones are are really our our longevity product, our never phage product, but we want more of a utility tag.
00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:29.360
So uh that's that's gonna be a UV print.
00:46:29.440 --> 00:46:34.320
Uh it's secured on there with a specialty UV ink, and it's it's not made to last.
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:40.880
Like we we want to lower that price point for ranchers because it's not made to last for you know 10-15 years.
00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:56.719
You know, we've got that product uh in our kind of our our Cadillac tag there, but you know, we're we're a never fades product line and then what we're calling our utility product line to really serve different points of the life cycle of that animal in the supply chain.
00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:01.360
So would that be, I mean, for is that more for feedlots?
00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:04.719
Is it for yearland yearland guys or calves?
00:47:05.199 --> 00:47:06.000
Calves for sure.
00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:11.599
Uh so our calf tags, uh feedlots, we're we're starting to get a lot of inquiries from from feedlots.
00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:23.280
Uh we've got uh the old school traditional feedlot tag that's starting to disappear, but you know, we're still carrying it, and and and a lot of guys love that old tag, so we want to be able to throw an identification mark on there for them as well.
00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:26.000
But our calf tag, this is gonna fit right in with that.
00:47:26.079 --> 00:47:26.400
Yep.
00:47:27.760 --> 00:47:34.079
And then do you do you ever do any customer?
00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:38.320
I ask this because we have to do some education on where we put our tags.
00:47:39.039 --> 00:47:48.880
Do you ever do any like customer education on how to make your tag stay in the ear longer or like where to place it or what button to use, anything like that?
00:47:49.920 --> 00:47:54.159
I feel it's our responsibility uh to continue to educate folks.
00:47:54.239 --> 00:48:04.800
And and I don't care if you've been ranching for you know five generations or five months, uh, we're going to continue to try to push what we feel are best in class practices around our products.
00:48:04.960 --> 00:48:10.960
Uh, you know, Morgan and Serena and Jeff, our social media team, they're they're doing a great job putting out educational content.
00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:18.400
But you know, if I were to think of you know two probably tips uh that I give out the most or I come across the most.
00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:20.559
One is in terms of retention.
00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:24.400
You know, you've heard of that statement, death by a thousand cuts.
00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:27.920
I thought I was gonna meet my end by death by a thousand tool pins.
00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:28.960
Uh I really did.
00:48:29.199 --> 00:48:37.599
So it's as simple as that is, each button's manufacturer pairs perfectly with a certain the tool pin on your tagger.
00:48:37.679 --> 00:48:39.119
Some people call it a needle.
00:48:39.199 --> 00:48:42.800
Uh the whitex has like a hollow tip.
00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:47.760
Uh, all flex kind of has a graduating uh cylinder from wide to narrow.
00:48:47.920 --> 00:48:49.280
Ours is a copper color.
00:48:49.599 --> 00:48:58.159
And these pins, the geometry of them, Tucker, they fit that button perfectly in order to get the most pressure to shove that button in through the air and through the tag.
00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:02.800
If you use the wrong tool pin, you're gonna get buttons busting out the side.
00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:06.639
You're gonna get even worse, I think, is you get a false installation.
00:49:06.800 --> 00:49:13.760
So it feels like it clicks in there, but it doesn't, and so that tag's just gonna fall out, you know, two weeks later, three weeks later.
00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:15.519
Tool pin.
00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:17.280
Check the darn toolpin.
00:49:17.599 --> 00:49:21.840
And it and the other thing I find out is don't check just yours.
00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:32.239
You gotta check your daughters, you check your hired man's, you gotta check the neighbor that helped, because we'll often see a pattern where someone will call in, they're like, Well, I lost 20 or 30 percent of my tags.
00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:38.639
And you know, by really digging deeper, we found out that oh yeah, the name the neighbor was helping me tag that day.
00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:42.480
Uh, and he didn't know anything about the tool pen or didn't even ask what buttons we were using.
00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:44.400
Uh so the tool pin's a big one.
00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:50.639
Um, placement, you know, we we sell a unique uh button, we call it the clover button.
00:49:50.719 --> 00:50:03.519
It's got a little bit more of a convex top on it and forms around that ear, shapes around that ear in just a little bit of a different way to help prevent things from getting s snagged or caught behind that ear.
00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:10.079
So when we think about retention, I think about things getting caught behind the ear, or I think about that tag getting caught from the front.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:17.119
So, in in honor of Richie, we're trying to solve yet again one problem of things getting caught behind that ear.
00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:29.599
So, because of that low profile nature, which is the point of the product, our recommendation on insulation is dead center of that middle third of the ear, of course, between the ribs.
00:50:29.840 --> 00:50:34.960
And and what I hear is you know, sometimes guys want to cheat a little bit closer to the head.
00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:44.159
You know, you get the the tissue gets thicker, and logic says, well, the thicker it is, the better the anchor is going to be to hold that tag in place.
00:50:44.400 --> 00:50:52.239
And what can happen is you get closer to the head is there's less and less room for that ear to exist between the button and the back of the tag.
00:50:52.480 --> 00:50:57.920
We want that tag to pendulate freely, at least with our product, and have some airspace in there.
00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:06.559
And so for uh our button, I go dead center, even if you cheat just a hair towards the tip, but still keep in that middle third.
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:14.239
In fact, like I see a lot of guys that saw it on your answer today, you know, just just to the side of dead center, that leaves room towards the inner side for that EID tag.
00:51:14.320 --> 00:51:15.840
So that's a perfect setup right there.
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:22.960
So those two things, tool pin and placement, solve 99% of any issue I ever hear about.
00:51:23.360 --> 00:51:28.320
Where do where is a the quote unquote right place?
00:51:28.400 --> 00:51:37.519
I'm sure it's different for different sized cattle and stuff, but um to put that tag in, where is that right place at to help it last long?
00:51:37.679 --> 00:51:37.920
Stay there.
00:51:38.239 --> 00:51:39.760
I mean, I I'm I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go dead.
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.559
So you got that inner third uh between the two ribs, I'm gonna go dead center on that.
00:51:44.639 --> 00:51:50.480
So I like dead center just to a little bit to the hair towards the tip is probably for our button.
00:51:50.559 --> 00:51:55.119
Again, it's got a it's got a little bit of a lower profile, a shorter profile.
00:51:55.280 --> 00:51:58.960
So we want to provide the space that it has to pendulate.
00:51:59.199 --> 00:52:02.480
You'll you'll know if you've got a successful uh insertion.
00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:08.559
So right after you tag, uh you should be able to swing that thing freely, and that you know you got a good uh insertion on that.
00:52:08.639 --> 00:52:14.400
It shouldn't be the tissue should not be all bunched up, or you got a little bit too close to the head and you're gonna have run into ear problems.
00:52:15.199 --> 00:52:20.000
I've seen a few, well, I d I do know those stick out.
00:52:20.239 --> 00:52:22.079
So, like we're clipping bulls this week.
00:52:22.239 --> 00:52:24.159
You got to see them working on that.
00:52:24.239 --> 00:52:30.159
And uh normally we we're cut we put two Ritchie tags in, one on the left, one on the left ear, one on the right.
00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:35.119
And whenever we put lot tags in, we have to cut out the right, the tag in the right ear.
00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:38.559
And whenever they have those, what'd you call them, clover clover button, yep.
00:52:38.800 --> 00:52:39.199
Clover button.
00:52:39.280 --> 00:52:40.480
We have the clover buttons on there.
00:52:40.639 --> 00:52:46.880
We always have to like cut at it like twice to because it is like wrapped around that ear.
00:52:47.280 --> 00:52:49.039
Solve one problem to discover another.
00:52:49.199 --> 00:52:49.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:54.880
We we've actually received that, you know, as as you progress through the supply chain of we're hard to get off.
00:52:54.960 --> 00:52:56.239
Uh, but that that's that's the point.
00:52:56.880 --> 00:52:57.599
That's really the point.
00:52:57.760 --> 00:53:05.039
So yeah, we're we're gonna err on the side of uh of the rancher side on that, and uh, but yeah, it's it's the point of the the the button.
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:08.079
Um I was gonna ask you, so you get you guys double tag.
00:53:08.239 --> 00:53:11.840
Is that is that just a a backup system for you, or what do you do that for?
00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:13.840
I think it's it's definitely a backup system.
00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:22.559
And I also I think my dad also I think he got to the point where he was like, I think I'll pay a dollar fifty to be able to read that tag from the other side of the cow.
00:53:22.719 --> 00:53:30.079
Like got to where it was frustrating at times to only you know the cow to be that tag to be on the other ear and not being able to see it.
00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:38.960
Uh we always used to put it in the left ear, and then we made that change probably two years ago where it's part of the law now.
00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:40.960
Gotta have one in each ear.
00:53:41.119 --> 00:53:42.159
But that's what it's for.
00:53:42.400 --> 00:53:46.719
You know, we see more and more folks are doing that again as a kind of risk management backup system.
00:53:46.800 --> 00:53:51.840
We get as we've been talking, we got all that that data, that information stored up in that identity.
00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.079
So we want to make sure and preserve that identity.
00:53:54.239 --> 00:54:11.440
And one of the things I've been thinking about, and it's it's not my idea, I learned it at a trade show, but if you if you're you if you want to do the double tagging system and you're using both those large tags, theoretically they have the same fail, what I call failure mode.
00:54:11.519 --> 00:54:17.920
So what I mean by that is they're the same size or in the same placement in the air, they hang down about the same amount.
00:54:18.079 --> 00:54:23.760
So wherever they're getting caught, one is just as likely to get caught as the other in a theory.
00:54:23.840 --> 00:54:38.239
And so one of the one of the things I've been thinking about is maybe change up the size of the second tag, use our medium tag, um, you know, our small or ribbon tag that usually the uh the gopin sheep operators are using, you know, just to change that failure mode.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:44.159
And again, you won't be able to see it from really far away, but the point is just to say that identification if uh the other one falls.
00:54:44.639 --> 00:54:45.039
Still have it.
00:54:45.199 --> 00:54:49.760
Yeah, in which we we have a a couple of forms being on the registered side, we have a couple forms.
00:54:49.920 --> 00:54:52.719
We have that EID which pair which is paired to an ID.
00:54:52.880 --> 00:54:54.079
We have the tattoo in the ear.
00:54:54.320 --> 00:54:55.280
Yeah, oh, you're doing the tattoos.
00:54:55.519 --> 00:54:56.719
Yeah, doing tattoos.
00:54:56.880 --> 00:54:59.679
We don't brand the identification on, thankfully.
00:54:59.840 --> 00:55:01.199
That'd be a mess.
00:55:01.599 --> 00:55:04.960
My goodness, that would be that would be a gosh.
00:55:05.199 --> 00:55:08.800
And then uh, but yeah, tattoos, e ID, and tag.
00:55:08.960 --> 00:55:09.679
So we take identification.
00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:11.039
Yeah, you're doubling and tripling up on it.
00:55:11.199 --> 00:55:12.079
We we take it very seriously.
00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:13.599
There's a lot of value in that identity.
00:55:13.760 --> 00:55:15.360
I mean, you you guys know that better than me.
00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:15.679
Yeah.
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:20.639
I mean, you look at I mean last year, last sale we had a bull go for$150,000.
00:55:20.719 --> 00:55:30.559
And if we would have swapped him because two bulls lost their tag and they got a ten thousand dollar bull, I think they would be a little upset.
00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:34.159
I think they'd be a little upset instead of getting their$150,000 bull.
00:55:34.400 --> 00:55:34.800
Yeah, yeah.
00:55:34.960 --> 00:55:43.039
Going back to and I I realize there's more involved in in how much you guys do, but that that gateway is is that dumb$1.50 year tag.
00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:44.000
Yeah.
00:55:45.440 --> 00:55:46.639
That's the gateway to this whole thing.
00:55:46.719 --> 00:55:55.280
But I mean, of course, you guys are then investing loads more time and effort to to build that identity, build that story of that animal.
00:55:56.159 --> 00:56:13.039
And we we used to buy them from y'all and we would just dremel them ourselves, which is like people can still do if they don't want to buy it lasered or and we keep a couple extra bags so that when tags fall out and we need to put one on that we can just dremel it right away.
00:56:13.360 --> 00:56:31.920
But the the laser engraved, I remember, I remember when we switched to the laser engraved, because then because the cowboys handwriting that we or my handwriting wasn't exactly as good as that laser engravement and and being able to read it, but nothing's more frustrating.
00:56:32.079 --> 00:56:36.559
And my dad used to get to me on our like our calf tags that we write on.
00:56:36.719 --> 00:56:41.599
Um he's like, You spend all that time to tag the animal, and I can't read your handwriting.
00:56:41.840 --> 00:56:44.079
Like that's what that's what you're gonna do.
00:56:44.400 --> 00:56:49.840
So not only is tagging important, but the laser engraving, holy cow, makes it so easy to read.
00:56:50.239 --> 00:56:53.519
You you ask how the customer base has changed, at least since since I've been around.
00:56:53.599 --> 00:57:07.920
And I think maybe when I started, and these are kind of generalized numbers, I would say maybe half uh of our customer base bought a blank tag and are doing the drumline just like you're talking, and and we did the engraving, or one of our engraver partners uh did the engraving for them.
00:57:08.239 --> 00:57:15.519
And you know, folks are uh we we've been on a good run in this industry and making a little bit more money, and so I think that started to shift.
00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:24.400
We're probably more like 60 to 65 percent that we're doing the engraving for them, nice, uh saving them the time and energy and effort, and uh they're investing a little bit more.
00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:32.239
But yeah, I mean uh I've seen some attempts uh at some hand uh dremeling and yeah.
00:57:33.119 --> 00:57:38.239
It's it's it's easy, uh, you know, it but it does come back to your handwriting.
00:57:38.320 --> 00:57:38.639
It really does.
00:57:39.360 --> 00:57:39.679
Absolutely.
00:57:39.920 --> 00:57:41.199
Yeah, it really does.
00:57:41.519 --> 00:57:47.920
Those uh oh, where was I gonna go with that?
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:51.280
Um handwriting, the dremeling.
00:57:52.639 --> 00:57:53.760
I hate it when that happens.
00:57:54.480 --> 00:57:58.159
Trying to go back to where I'll I had the perfect question for you.
00:57:59.360 --> 00:58:00.320
Not really the perfect one.
00:58:00.719 --> 00:58:03.039
It it it it's also one of the things that sets us apart.
00:58:03.199 --> 00:58:06.079
Um because and and you you said it right there.
00:58:06.239 --> 00:58:12.880
If if you need an emergency tag, you can grab that Dremel, you can permanently engrave that number on there, and you're off to the races.
00:58:13.119 --> 00:58:20.559
You don't need to put a temporary tag on there just because you you couldn't find one or you lost one, you can do that right there at the shoot if you need to.
00:58:21.199 --> 00:58:26.400
And our now, whenever our cooperators send their bulls, they have to have the tags already in there.
00:58:26.480 --> 00:58:26.559
Yeah.
00:58:26.800 --> 00:58:37.760
We used to put them in there, but now we've my dad loves it so much that when the bull shows up, they either have to bring the tags with them to put in or they already have to be in.
00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:40.000
Which is Yeah, it's all said in awesome.
00:58:40.320 --> 00:58:40.800
It's been great for us.
00:58:41.920 --> 00:58:42.320
Great idea.
00:58:42.400 --> 00:58:42.559
Yeah.
00:58:42.719 --> 00:58:43.440
It's been really good.
00:58:43.519 --> 00:58:49.039
But bulls will do what bulls do and they hurt themselves or lose a tag or something.
00:58:49.119 --> 00:58:51.039
Yeah, bulls are tough on tags, that's for sure.
00:58:51.360 --> 00:58:59.440
Rubbing up against our feed efficiency system or our that water intake deal, like all that is just perfect for something to grab.
00:59:00.079 --> 00:59:09.280
You know, and and when we get reports of lost tags, you know, we we really work with our customer success team to be you know curious and not judgmental.
00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:12.559
We're not trying to talk at the rancher and tell them what they're doing right or wrong.
00:59:12.719 --> 00:59:14.159
We're trying to help them work the problem.
00:59:14.239 --> 00:59:16.159
You know, why are these tags getting lost?
00:59:16.239 --> 00:59:31.199
You know, uh, and so we we become kind of little investigators of when when did they get lost, like who all was tagging, uh was it one or twenty, and or twenty, is twenty tags a half a percent of your operation or eighty percent of your operation?
00:59:31.360 --> 00:59:39.039
And you know, one of the things we'll try to work through is you know, all those pieces of equipment you just described, you know, those are all tag snatchers.
00:59:39.119 --> 00:59:45.760
Uh and so trying to figure out where those tags are coming out on an operation is something we do our best to try to help customers with.
00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:49.840
And then try to eliminate that, yeah, eliminate that that failure right there.
00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:54.320
Yeah, what a different way to take it to as a part of the customer service.
00:59:55.280 --> 00:59:56.559
That's part of that a little bit better.
00:59:56.880 --> 00:59:58.559
You know, not more, a little bit better.
00:59:58.719 --> 01:00:01.679
And you know, I I will always say we have a long ways to go.
01:00:01.840 --> 01:00:16.480
I our our customer success team, I think, is one of the best, but I will always challenge them to get a little bit a little bit better, know a little bit more about their customers, get a little bit deeper uh onto their operation to try to see things through their eyes and help them work those problems.
01:00:16.880 --> 01:00:19.440
So you're six years into owning the company.
01:00:20.079 --> 01:00:22.719
What do the next six look like?
01:00:23.920 --> 01:00:28.800
You know, we it and I I keep saying this, and it's so I I gotta stick to my guns.
01:00:29.119 --> 01:00:30.480
It's just getting a little bit better every day.
01:00:30.639 --> 01:00:32.079
You know, we we really believe that.
01:00:32.159 --> 01:00:38.000
Um, you know, this year's kind of a reset year for us as we you know get to know our new facility.
01:00:38.079 --> 01:00:39.440
Uh it's amazing.
01:00:39.599 --> 01:00:43.280
You know, we we became really good at operating with no space.
01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:47.280
And now we've got all the space in the world, and like, where should this go and where should that go?
01:00:47.360 --> 01:00:54.960
And you know, we're we we have to kind of live in that space for some time uh to figure out what's the most efficient way to use that space.
01:00:55.039 --> 01:00:59.679
Uh on top of that, you know, unfortunately we're weren't able to bring our entire team with us.
01:00:59.760 --> 01:01:03.199
Like I would have loved to have just been able to pick the team up, move it to Fort Collins.
01:01:03.679 --> 01:01:13.440
But uh most, you know, our executive management team all made it, our customer success team all made it, but it's the hourly people with that institutional knowledge.
01:01:13.519 --> 01:01:24.960
Uh, you know, we had a lady that'd been with us for 30 years, um, but there were just were some folks that were multi-generational, what I call Brightonians or people from Brighton, Colorado, that just couldn't make the move.
01:01:25.199 --> 01:01:30.239
So we've had to go out and replace those, replace that knowledge, replace that expertise.
01:01:30.320 --> 01:01:35.199
Uh, just ask folks to be a little patient with us this year as we kind of make this transition.
01:01:35.360 --> 01:01:40.480
But we're we're still getting our feet underneath us, but we're we're back up and running, all the machines are going.
01:01:40.639 --> 01:01:44.320
Uh you know, and it just sets the stage for for what's to come.
01:01:44.480 --> 01:01:51.119
Uh, and I and I think you know, there's not going to be any crazy announcements for Richie jumping into something that we don't know a lot about.
01:01:51.440 --> 01:02:04.559
Uh some of our improvements, you know, you might not even know about just because they're incremental improvements that we know that we're testing the crap out of to make that tag stand just a little bit longer, uh, that customer experience a little bit better.
01:02:04.719 --> 01:02:08.320
Um, you know, if if one person's tags fall out, I get upset.
01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:09.119
I really do.
01:02:09.199 --> 01:02:10.960
I it's one of these things that I take to heart.
01:02:11.039 --> 01:02:25.519
Um, just because of uh my mom's side of the family and and where that part comes from, uh, you know, I I I know how hard you all work, and the very least I can do is to get this one small thing right for you.
01:02:26.000 --> 01:02:31.119
Uh so until I get no complaints, we're on an ever-ending journey to get a little bit better.
01:02:31.599 --> 01:02:34.239
I remembered what my question was earlier.
01:02:34.559 --> 01:02:36.880
Had to write it down so I wouldn't forget again.
01:02:37.119 --> 01:02:46.320
Uh, but with that laser engraver, and who knows what's going to happen in the next six years with the technology you can use for it, but you'll put some really neat things on the tags.
01:02:46.559 --> 01:02:49.760
Like not just data and ID and stuff.
01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:50.239
Yeah.
01:02:50.559 --> 01:02:52.559
You you can do some crazy things with that laser.
01:02:52.719 --> 01:02:57.760
I mean, it's uh, and and I we have several partners around the country.
01:02:57.920 --> 01:03:06.320
Um, you know, most of them are ranchers that that also they buy our tags and at wholesale and then they have their own laser engraving operations, they do an incredible job.
01:03:06.480 --> 01:03:09.599
But yeah, what that what that laser can do is is crazy.
01:03:09.679 --> 01:03:13.519
And we we use it in social media, but I mean it can put shadows on the tag.
01:03:13.599 --> 01:03:18.400
I mean, it can just take off just a little bit uh of that plastics, it changes color.
01:03:18.559 --> 01:03:33.519
Um, but you know, more more broadly speaking, what's another thing that's been interesting me, uh Tucker, is that when the as the word gets out and spreads that we've got this ID tag that doesn't fade over time, I mean we we get some crazy calls.
01:03:33.599 --> 01:03:46.639
So it's it's not only ranchers, uh, we've got tags on pelican wings, we've got tags underneath the ocean on this coral research project, oil and gas, um, vineyards all over the place.
01:03:46.800 --> 01:03:53.440
So, really, where there's uh a need for identity, visual identity, uh that can stand the test of mother nature.
01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:55.119
We theoretically have a spot.
01:03:55.280 --> 01:04:06.320
Now, you know, the the ag producer will always be, always has been our bread and butter, but some of the calls we get are are are pretty fun to kind of think about what if.
01:04:06.639 --> 01:04:10.000
Yeah, I've never thought outside the the cattle industry.
01:04:10.320 --> 01:04:13.199
Yeah, so if I mean I have like with sheep and goats and stuff, sure.
01:04:13.679 --> 01:04:15.119
But not outside the livestock industry.
01:04:15.440 --> 01:04:35.599
Yeah, if you take a step back and you don't think cow tag or goat tag or sheep tag, uh it really there's so many applications to where this uh, you know, I I say technology, even though it's been around a really long time, I almost have a hard time using that word, but yeah, the the manufacturing process and you know our special little thing that we do, it's got a lot of applications in this world.
01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:44.880
And you know, I think it's certainly smart for us to diversify as a business uh using the same product, um, and uh but always stay close to home.
01:04:45.840 --> 01:04:46.239
Huh.
01:04:48.239 --> 01:04:51.119
That I've just never thought about being on a pelican.
01:04:51.519 --> 01:04:52.079
Pelican week.
01:04:52.159 --> 01:04:59.920
Yeah, there's this big uh there's this uh Canadian group doing a big uh migration study, and they chose our tag as the best that they had tested at least.
01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:16.800
There's uh another group off the coast of Florida that's put our tags again underneath the ocean, and they're they're helping regrow the coral reefs and doing a lot of study uh about warming environments around the coast of Florida, and uh just some just some really cool and fun, interesting things that are happening with our tags.
01:05:17.840 --> 01:05:19.199
That that is fun.
01:05:19.760 --> 01:05:28.400
Well, this is one of the funner segments, or scary for me, because you get to become the host as it becomes the Richie Tags or the Bryce Kelly podcast.
01:05:28.639 --> 01:05:28.880
Hey.
01:05:29.119 --> 01:05:33.039
You get to guide the direction, guide the guide the conversation, direct conversation.
01:05:33.199 --> 01:05:36.960
You get to ask questions, could be to Morgan, could be to Briley.
01:05:37.199 --> 01:05:39.280
Most of the times they just come at me, though.
01:05:40.480 --> 01:05:41.280
I get to go.
01:05:41.440 --> 01:05:41.920
You're in.
01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:46.880
Okay, fellas and I I I love the way you were opening your podcast.
01:05:47.039 --> 01:05:48.719
I'm like, oh, that's impressive right there.
01:05:49.039 --> 01:05:57.280
You know, one of the questions I have for you, so we we've got this saying uh at Ritchie called make your mark with the tag that never fades.
01:05:57.599 --> 01:06:05.440
It's got a dual meaning in that we've Talked about how you can physically engrave your number in that tag, i.e., make your mark on that tag.
01:06:05.920 --> 01:06:09.360
Never fades in terms that'll be readable for the life of the animal, right?
01:06:09.920 --> 01:06:13.440
Both of those phrases have a double meaning for us.
01:06:13.599 --> 01:06:22.719
Um and so uh when I think about make your mark, uh, how does Tucker make his mark uh on an operation that's been around for so long and so successful?
01:06:23.119 --> 01:06:23.440
Yeah.
01:06:23.760 --> 01:06:25.920
This segment brought to you by Richie Tag.
01:06:29.679 --> 01:06:30.480
Great question.
01:06:30.639 --> 01:06:46.639
And uh we talked a little bit about that's a that's a question our family likes to likes to ask and and to the not the solution, but the the opportunity for the solution to that problem comes in the form of when you come back, you come back with a business plan.
01:06:46.960 --> 01:06:57.039
So that no matter of the 17 in my generation, whether it was one that came back or all 17, that you had some sort of mark that was yours.
01:06:57.360 --> 01:07:12.639
And not only would that give us some sort of personal attachment um besides being a part of the Brown family, but like that little piece was ours that that we could make our own, that we could fail with, that we could succeed with.
01:07:13.519 --> 01:07:16.079
Turns out most of the first ones actually fail.
01:07:16.559 --> 01:07:27.920
But uh, but as we can I think part of that I think that's what makes it so good is that it kind of made us not afraid of failure because a lot of us did fail on that first one that came back.
01:07:28.320 --> 01:07:30.880
Um, but to try again and then make it work.
01:07:31.199 --> 01:07:48.559
And so my brother has found his with horses and training and making his mark on the on the horse industry and the ranch, and then uh me doing it with uh with media and with marketing and with speaking and the industry as as a whole, kind of being a spokesperson for for it.
01:07:49.280 --> 01:08:08.719
I think uh I'm thankful that my grandparents made that because that has made our family I believe that's made our family want to come back to the ranch because we knew that we could add a piece of our that we could make our mark and be a piece of the ranch rather than just be under or behind the ranch brand.
01:08:09.039 --> 01:08:16.000
Um so super thankful for my grandparents visualizing that, being a visionary and seeing how that would help us.
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:20.800
And I'd because 15 of the 17 of us are back on a ranch in some sort of fashion.
01:08:21.119 --> 01:08:21.680
That's incredible.
01:08:21.920 --> 01:08:23.039
I think it I think it worked.
01:08:23.279 --> 01:08:24.239
I think it worked quite well.
01:08:24.399 --> 01:08:24.560
Yeah.
01:08:24.720 --> 01:08:36.079
And now there's 28 in the seventh generation with three of my own that I've got to pass that thing down to, pass that principle down to of making your mark.
01:08:36.239 --> 01:08:49.359
I think it's super important because a lot of times what we've seen in agriculture is that when you come back to the ranch, you don't get to make your mark until you're 50 or 60 years old when when mom and dad finally pass away.
01:08:49.920 --> 01:08:58.560
And I think our the generation and culture now is changing to recognizing the importance of people being able to make their own mark on that.
01:08:58.720 --> 01:08:59.760
So super thankful for that.
01:08:59.840 --> 01:09:01.279
I can ramble about that for a long time.
01:09:01.359 --> 01:09:02.880
But great, great answer.
01:09:02.960 --> 01:09:07.680
And and you know, it makes me think about my own journey and and how it led to Richie.
01:09:07.920 --> 01:09:10.239
You know, I spent uh 20 plus years.
01:09:10.560 --> 01:09:19.920
I I grew up in the the dry little bean warehouses uh loading rail cars, and we we don't have 17 people uh in the family, but I had an uncle and father and brother and three or four cousins.
01:09:20.079 --> 01:09:29.760
And you know, I uh was a young, aggressive, probably not so patient uh business person that kind of wanted to make my own mark, which which led uh to where where I am today.
01:09:30.079 --> 01:09:45.840
So um yeah, it's I like that the as you know those family business dynamics uh can be it can be something that no one else in the world has to experience, and yet on it can be some of the toughest the most challenging times to deal with as well.
01:09:46.079 --> 01:09:53.760
So you know when you sit over a Thanksgiving dinner and you're arguing about the bean markets or the cattle markets, it's like you know, it's just part of the part of the thing there.
01:09:54.079 --> 01:09:54.960
Yeah, it really isn't it?
01:09:55.039 --> 01:09:55.279
Yeah.
01:09:55.520 --> 01:10:08.640
No, I d I always um I remember hearing my dad whenever I was a kid, he was talking about marketing and how not marketing if you don't market, it's like winking at a girl in the dark and nobody knows what's going on but you.
01:10:08.960 --> 01:10:17.520
And so it doesn't matter how good your tag is, how long or how good your bulls are, but if nobody knows, like it doesn't matter.
01:10:17.840 --> 01:10:18.159
Yeah.
01:10:20.239 --> 01:10:29.039
And so I I guess I took that to heart as a kid, and ever since then I've been a storyteller, and now I just get to use those stories on social media.
01:10:29.199 --> 01:10:35.359
I have like the best job because I get to everybody loves to talk about their cows, but now I kind of get paid to talk about them.
01:10:35.439 --> 01:10:36.479
Like it's the best thing.
01:10:37.600 --> 01:10:51.279
Another thing I love about this industry is you know, if even if you have like a new producer coming in, uh there's there's so many resources for them to turn to, whether it's uh the extension and the university system or or podcasts like yours to learn.
01:10:51.359 --> 01:10:57.279
I mean, these they're coming into the industry, they're new, they're curious, they there's a lot for them to learn, a lot for them to learn.
01:10:57.439 --> 01:11:02.399
So yeah, I just respect and appreciate uh what you're what you're doing and accomplishing with this.
01:11:03.279 --> 01:11:05.039
Another question for you, if I may, sir.
01:11:05.359 --> 01:11:05.600
Of course.
01:11:06.079 --> 01:11:10.000
You know, we uh we don't shy away from our problems at Richie.
01:11:10.159 --> 01:11:11.520
We stand behind our product.
01:11:11.760 --> 01:11:19.840
So from your perspective, if there was one thing I could take home that you thought I could do to make us a better company for you, what would it be?
01:11:21.199 --> 01:11:22.159
Oh man.
01:11:25.600 --> 01:11:31.920
I think you should do more videos with that registered ranching guy, I just think would I come back anytime.
01:11:32.079 --> 01:11:32.399
Yeah.
01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:32.880
Man.
01:11:34.319 --> 01:11:59.199
That's a well I think the more I think everybody has their ideas of how tags could be better, but then once you learn about the problems of making it and how making it last, and just the problem of making a different color last, or the the the laws in different countries of making it fail, like all of that gives me a new appreciation for the production of the tag and how it works.
01:11:59.680 --> 01:12:11.920
Uh and so yeah, fixing a problem or or or something that I could see on the make it better side is really hard for me to come up with.
01:12:12.239 --> 01:12:17.279
Because I I say it mo I say it a lot where I don't want to tell Tom Brady where to throw the football.
01:12:18.079 --> 01:12:19.840
And I kind of feel like that at the moment.
01:12:19.920 --> 01:12:25.439
I'm sitting here at the table with the the CEO, the owner, the guy who's learned a ton in the last six years on the tags.
01:12:25.680 --> 01:12:29.680
Um, but gosh, is there a better way?
01:12:29.840 --> 01:12:34.159
Uh maybe a maybe a wish list.
01:12:35.279 --> 01:12:37.039
Is there is there a way?
01:12:39.359 --> 01:12:45.760
Because of its simplicity, it makes it difficult to change.
01:12:46.479 --> 01:12:52.720
Um whenever as we look at more of these we love new technology, right?
01:12:52.880 --> 01:12:54.560
Our ranch tags, we we love to use new tags.
01:12:57.119 --> 01:13:08.079
We're using two tags, and so there's these new smart tags coming out that take space in the ear, but don't show the identification of the animal.
01:13:09.680 --> 01:13:19.119
Is there a way to use a smart tag and still have an identification tag in the same ear?
01:13:19.439 --> 01:13:25.760
Yeah, I you know, it has kind of started out like I'm more bullish than ever before on that visual identity.
01:13:25.840 --> 01:13:31.359
I I I think our solution uh for longevity is a strong one.
01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:37.600
So can you marry what's always worked and what we know will continue to work with what's coming along?
01:13:37.760 --> 01:13:44.000
I I think the answer is absolutely yes, and I would be shocked if you don't see something you know like that in the in the years to come.
01:13:44.159 --> 01:13:47.359
So I think that's uh that's a that's a big ask, man.
01:13:47.439 --> 01:13:49.039
But I'll I'll get to work on it.
01:13:49.359 --> 01:13:55.279
Well, you know those six years ago, the like smart tags were right not.
01:13:56.079 --> 01:13:58.560
I mean, if they were they were very unaffordable.
01:13:59.039 --> 01:14:09.840
And in just a matter of six years, we have the tag, the technologic, the technology tag and smart tag industry has changed a ton.
01:14:11.359 --> 01:14:19.279
And I've I've met several of those guys and just some really good people uh as well working on those products, and and and you're absolutely right.
01:14:19.359 --> 01:14:29.279
It it blows my mind what some of those tags in terms of adding to your pool of knowledge, uh, I I think is truly spectacular.
01:14:29.520 --> 01:14:40.560
And you know, that's that's this thing about identity is uh you know, so many folks are are are they well aware of the basic things that happen with their animals day in, day out.
01:14:40.640 --> 01:14:50.960
And I just always do encourage them to go just a little bit deeper, learn a little bit more uh about who that animal is, because ultimately, you know, um you're gonna make the better decisions.
01:14:51.039 --> 01:15:14.000
And and that's what I would also suggest is that anytime you are thinking about investing in in one of these new technologies, the first question you probably need to answer is what decision am I, what what am I gonna do differently now that I've got that data and that information that I wasn't gonna do before that?
01:15:14.239 --> 01:15:19.760
And if you can answer that and provide an ROI to it, then it's a it's a slam dunk.
01:15:20.159 --> 01:15:27.359
If you can't answer some of those basic questions, you know, then then all this data becomes really expensive trivia in my mind.
01:15:27.520 --> 01:15:37.600
And so I just encourage folks to think about, you know, as as they're looking at at all of these amazing products out there, is like, how will I do things differently because of this?
01:15:38.720 --> 01:15:46.239
Yeah, we I mean we had that conversation, I mean not really, but a very similar conversation talking about the water intake measurements.
01:15:46.560 --> 01:15:54.319
That we have the opportunity to measure water intake, but would it change what anything we do?
01:15:54.560 --> 01:15:56.319
Like it not right now.
01:15:56.560 --> 01:15:57.439
No, yeah, not yet.
01:15:58.000 --> 01:15:59.439
We wouldn't change anything.
01:15:59.760 --> 01:16:04.800
It's like uh yeah, this is the most water efficient bull I don't think any I don't think anybody's paying for.
01:16:05.119 --> 01:16:05.680
Right, right.
01:16:05.920 --> 01:16:07.520
Maybe out in Arizona or something.
01:16:07.840 --> 01:16:09.520
But yeah, I just excited.
01:16:09.600 --> 01:16:12.079
Uh we're we're bullish, if you will, on technology.
01:16:12.239 --> 01:16:17.920
We really are, and uh again, I think as we gather more information about that animal, we know them better.
01:16:18.079 --> 01:16:23.680
It becomes even more important for the human being to just look across, you know, outside his pickup and see who that is.
01:16:23.920 --> 01:16:36.000
Um I I constantly think of this this rancher I know in Nebraska, and he's putting out some of the best beef in the country right now, and he uses a Ritchie tag and a three-notch on the air system, doesn't use anything else.
01:16:36.239 --> 01:16:57.119
And they've been doing this for generations, and it's a very strong system that they they understand what that means, they know what to look for, and you know, so you can be super, super successful at these things, but I just wonder how more successful they could be if they start to dig a little bit deeper and see what else is out there and show up and mean it and get a little bit better.
01:16:57.439 --> 01:16:58.159
Yes, sir.
01:16:58.960 --> 01:17:07.279
Well, um I'll anything else before we before we start to land the plane, anything else that they need to know about Ritchie Tags?
01:17:08.399 --> 01:17:17.279
So when we were driving around on your operation, Tucker, you were pointing out to me, you know, that different colors of Ritchie Tags mean different things to you guys.
01:17:17.439 --> 01:17:24.239
So I guess my last question for you what do you think our top selling colors are at Ritchie Tags?
01:17:25.039 --> 01:17:26.479
Top selling.
01:17:28.800 --> 01:17:37.920
I feel like this is a trick question because uh my mind, I'm gonna say the yeah, I'll just say the one I'm gonna jump into the trap.
01:17:38.159 --> 01:17:38.960
I feel like it's a trap.
01:17:39.039 --> 01:17:40.079
I'm gonna jump into it.
01:17:40.319 --> 01:18:00.399
I think they would be white, black, uh white, black, yellow, and blue, the light blue.
01:18:00.560 --> 01:18:01.680
Oh, it was so close.
01:18:01.840 --> 01:18:02.800
It was so close, yeah.
01:18:02.960 --> 01:18:10.399
So yellow and black by far and away are number one, followed by white, black, followed by red, white, followed by black, white.
01:18:10.640 --> 01:18:15.279
So you you're the blue white just outside of that, probably top four or five.
01:18:15.439 --> 01:18:26.079
But it's you know, I think we offer 13 or 14 different color combinations, and and I love to learn about how folks use those different color combinations.
01:18:26.239 --> 01:18:33.520
Uh, you know, from uh you have multiple families running on the same land to differentiating who owns what to different birth years.
01:18:33.680 --> 01:18:38.319
And you guys were saying, what was the reasoning for the different colors you guys were using?
01:18:39.039 --> 01:18:44.399
We use we use the red tag, let's see, let's start easier.
01:18:44.640 --> 01:18:46.079
The white tags are purebred.
01:18:46.399 --> 01:18:49.279
So if it's a black animal, it's purebred black Angus.
01:18:49.359 --> 01:18:51.439
If it's a red animal, it's purebred red angus.
01:18:51.600 --> 01:18:59.760
And then there if if it's a mixture of the two, then we're you doing if it's a black red Angus cross, we use a black tag with the white.
01:19:00.560 --> 01:19:05.680
All of I guess I should restart because it's always the two colors, like you mentioned.
01:19:06.399 --> 01:19:09.600
The white tag with the black inside, what do you call it?
01:19:09.840 --> 01:19:10.560
The white with the white inside.
01:19:10.720 --> 01:19:12.239
White core, white core, yep.
01:19:13.520 --> 01:19:14.560
Is what we have most.
01:19:14.720 --> 01:19:19.039
And then the the black tag with the white core, we use for our black-red crosses.
01:19:19.279 --> 01:19:26.720
Then the cementol, depending on what percent cementol they are, if they're a quarter cementol, they're semangus crosses.
01:19:26.880 --> 01:19:32.079
So if they're a quarter cementol, three-quarter angus, they get an orange tag with the black core.
01:19:32.399 --> 01:19:35.920
If they're 50-50, then they get a red tag with a black core.
01:19:36.000 --> 01:19:43.520
And if they are three-quarter semi, then they get it's a that's the yellow tag with the black core.
01:19:43.680 --> 01:19:46.560
Is your yellow tag with the white one more popular or the black?
01:19:46.880 --> 01:19:48.159
So we just have a yellow with a black.
01:19:48.479 --> 01:19:48.800
Okay, okay.
01:19:48.960 --> 01:19:50.319
Yeah, we don't offer yellow with white core.
01:19:50.560 --> 01:19:51.359
I figure that might be hard.
01:19:51.439 --> 01:19:55.600
I was thinking out loud to myself, like, man, that must be a little hard to see if it was yellow on white.
01:19:55.920 --> 01:20:02.880
Yeah, and it it's just one more reason, and kind of going back to what we were talking about earlier, why I'm bullish on visual ID, because of the color system, right?
01:20:03.039 --> 01:20:04.479
Uh you don't have no yet.
01:20:04.640 --> 01:20:10.000
We don't have any EIDs yet that can flash that quick color to let you know all those things you just said.
01:20:10.399 --> 01:20:10.720
Right away.
01:20:11.039 --> 01:20:11.600
Right away.
01:20:11.760 --> 01:20:24.079
And and I can tell you that, you know, I know folks, uh, and I'm thinking of a rancher specifically out of uh Nebraska right now, they use every one of our 14 colors, and it means different things, and they wish I would add 10 more colors.
01:20:24.239 --> 01:20:32.560
So it's a very color-complex management system, if you will, but it you know it means a lot to them, and they could tell in an instant what's going on with that animal.
01:20:32.960 --> 01:20:33.680
That's interesting.
01:20:33.840 --> 01:20:34.159
Yeah.
01:20:34.399 --> 01:20:34.960
That's interesting.
01:20:35.039 --> 01:20:41.039
And you mentioned earlier you said all of that product you'd get in the U.S.
01:20:41.840 --> 01:20:46.319
So, yeah, we I mean we are a manufacturer of tags in Colorado.
01:20:46.479 --> 01:20:50.000
So we are sourcing the virgin resin uh out of Texas.
01:20:50.159 --> 01:20:56.800
We bring it up to Colorado to manufacture that tag in Colorado, and we have been since 1964.
01:20:56.960 --> 01:21:01.520
Uh, we're also able to use as as best we can any excess plastic.
01:21:01.600 --> 01:21:13.840
Uh, we we try to be uh as green-friendly as we can and and good to our uh God-given planet here, but um, we use as much as the re what regrinding the plastic industry uh use as much of that as we possibly can.
01:21:13.920 --> 01:21:21.760
And we've got a few clever little ideas that I can't talk quite about yet that use even more of that uh really regrind product.
01:21:21.840 --> 01:21:22.079
Yep.
01:21:22.800 --> 01:21:25.279
You're gonna have to have an episode 2.0 to reveal.
01:21:25.520 --> 01:21:26.560
Yeah, I'd love to be back.
01:21:26.640 --> 01:21:33.039
But no, it's I I tell you what, uh could we uh figure out a way to make a richie tag cheaper in another country?
01:21:33.359 --> 01:21:39.600
Answer is probably yes, but this is part of our DNA, it's part of who we are, it's part of who we always have been.
01:21:39.760 --> 01:21:46.319
And uh as as far as I'm concerned, as long as I'm in charge of this company, we're gonna be manufacturing things at our new facility in Fort Collins.
01:21:47.199 --> 01:21:47.920
Bring it on.
01:21:48.000 --> 01:21:49.359
That's red, white, and blue right there.
01:21:49.600 --> 01:21:50.079
Yes, sir.
01:21:50.319 --> 01:21:51.680
You have any American flags?
01:21:51.920 --> 01:21:52.399
Any what?
01:21:52.560 --> 01:21:54.239
You have any American flags on the tags?
01:21:54.960 --> 01:22:03.359
You know, we have so we don't have a red, white, and blue tag, but we've done some cool posts over time that has our red and white or blue and white or white and black.
01:22:03.439 --> 01:22:06.079
We've done some fun posts for Fourth of July and some of those things.
01:22:06.159 --> 01:22:06.399
Yeah.
01:22:06.720 --> 01:22:12.319
How is your um your one of your social media managers, one of your newer ones?
01:22:13.920 --> 01:22:14.239
Ms.
01:22:14.319 --> 01:22:14.640
Morgan?
01:22:14.800 --> 01:22:15.199
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:22:15.439 --> 01:22:18.239
Yeah, you've read I she's done a great job.
01:22:18.399 --> 01:22:18.880
We love her.
01:22:19.039 --> 01:22:27.680
Yeah, we I I honestly, and I even you know, she's sitting in the room, but uh Serena, Morgan, Jeff, uh, we've got a small but mighty team.
01:22:27.760 --> 01:22:30.640
They're doing some really cool, cool stuff for us.
01:22:30.800 --> 01:22:46.239
Like uh our our growth, uh, even in this uh industry where we have less and less cattle uh than when we started, um it's it's been it's been impressive, uh I I would argue in a business sense, and uh those three have a lot to do with it.
01:22:46.319 --> 01:22:48.079
So Morgan, officially, thank you.
01:22:48.319 --> 01:22:49.279
We appreciate you.
01:22:49.680 --> 01:22:50.880
Shout out, Morgan.
01:22:51.199 --> 01:23:00.720
Yeah, she uh was doing our social media, and then whenever they made this made their change, then left it with me, and everyone was like, Your social media change.
01:23:00.880 --> 01:23:03.199
I was like, Well, yeah, now it's not Morgan doing it.
01:23:03.600 --> 01:23:04.560
There's an art too.
01:23:05.119 --> 01:23:06.800
There is a talent and art to that stuff.
01:23:06.960 --> 01:23:13.039
I I tried to do a little of our own in the first two months and quickly realized that I am not user.
01:23:13.359 --> 01:23:15.279
Uh this is not my specialty in this world.
01:23:15.600 --> 01:23:15.920
No.
01:23:17.439 --> 01:23:18.560
It is it's tough.
01:23:18.800 --> 01:23:19.119
It is.
01:23:19.279 --> 01:23:20.079
Shout out, Morgan.
01:23:20.239 --> 01:23:20.560
Yeah.
01:23:22.079 --> 01:23:24.159
Anything else we need to add to that one?
01:23:24.479 --> 01:23:26.079
No, I I think I think we covered it.
01:23:26.159 --> 01:23:28.560
Uh, and we we talked about some of our challenges again.
01:23:28.640 --> 01:23:33.039
I I've had no problem talking about our challenges because that's how that's how we learn and get better.
01:23:33.199 --> 01:23:39.199
Um, you know, sometimes ranchers are they're a nice group of people, they're just a little afraid to raise their hand when something goes wrong.
01:23:39.279 --> 01:23:40.720
And I I encourage you not to do that.
01:23:40.800 --> 01:23:43.520
I encourage you to let us know because we don't run from our problems.
01:23:43.600 --> 01:23:45.279
We we want to know about them.
01:23:45.520 --> 01:23:50.000
Um more bullish than ever before on the on the visual idea itself.
01:23:50.079 --> 01:23:52.319
I like I'm really excited for the future.
01:23:52.479 --> 01:23:54.479
Uh excited for the future of ranching, too.
01:23:54.560 --> 01:23:55.279
So I can tell.
01:23:55.359 --> 01:23:56.720
Yeah, I really feel it.
01:23:56.800 --> 01:23:57.039
Yeah.
01:23:57.359 --> 01:23:58.239
I can feel it.
01:23:58.399 --> 01:24:10.319
Well, um, what is either um one of them or both the best advice you've ever received, and how has your faith played a role in your life?
01:24:11.359 --> 01:24:37.680
You you you warned me that uh advice question was coming, and and I've been trying to think about like a certain person uh and a face really hasn't come to mind uh that someone's given me some some really great advice, but I I know this has come from several people, and just the the act of being curious about things uh I think is uh is an incredible superpower, regardless of where technology goes.
01:24:37.840 --> 01:24:48.960
Uh so the more folks can develop their curiosity, ask smart questions, ask why, I think you know, it's it's it's only really gonna benefit them.
01:24:49.520 --> 01:24:55.039
Um you know, our our our faith, uh my my wife and I are pretty private about our faith.
01:24:55.119 --> 01:25:08.399
Uh but you know, the one thing I will say that you know we we kind of believe we're kind of these First Amendment people that uh believe in the separation and you know believe there's a a place in the day that uh which I have a hard time walking away from work.
01:25:08.880 --> 01:25:09.439
I really do.
01:25:09.840 --> 01:25:18.720
Uh my wife knows that about me, but something that we continue to work on and say, hey, you know, this is this is the day of rest, and uh we're supposed to be doing something other than working right now.
01:25:18.800 --> 01:25:23.039
So of course yeah, that's been a it's been a hard lesson for me to learn, especially as a CEO.
01:25:23.199 --> 01:25:27.920
But uh, you know, Morgan knows Francis and my my wife Frances is very good about it.
01:25:28.079 --> 01:25:31.039
Encourage me to get a little bit better in those parts of my life.
01:25:31.760 --> 01:25:36.239
Well, the the curious part I find so so true.
01:25:36.560 --> 01:25:45.439
Um because you I feel I feel like you learn so much more that way and not rather than being offended, yeah, being curious.
01:25:45.600 --> 01:25:45.920
Yep.
01:25:46.079 --> 01:25:57.279
I mean it's uh it's a lot like you saying, like, well, whenever they call and tell us lost a lot of tags, well, rather than being upset that you put them in wrong, it's like, well, wait, why did they why did they go in wrong?
01:25:57.439 --> 01:25:58.560
Or what is pulling them out?
01:25:58.880 --> 01:26:12.960
Yeah, and it's you know when you really and again we we continually train our customer success team and uh you know and and on our trade show team, but it's it's asking questions and it's a series of specific questions to really get at the root of that problem.
01:26:13.039 --> 01:26:18.640
And um, but that's you know, if it it's kind of how I approach uh business in general.
01:26:18.800 --> 01:26:32.560
You know, I I think making a tag, um, you can be a craftsman uh and just you know continue to get curious, continue to make micro little improvements, but I think you can be a craftsman, you know, building a business too.
01:26:32.640 --> 01:26:41.840
Uh so there's so many places in a general business to get curious around and about, and uh really that curiosity can help at least me uh move towards improvement.
01:26:42.319 --> 01:26:47.760
So someone wanting to there's gonna be so many people order richie tags after this podcast.
01:26:48.000 --> 01:26:48.560
So many.
01:26:48.720 --> 01:26:48.880
Okay.
01:26:49.119 --> 01:26:49.920
I mean, thank you.
01:26:50.079 --> 01:26:57.520
I I mean but if they were if somebody was wanting if somebody look at this hat by the way.
01:26:57.680 --> 01:26:58.640
Look at that thing.
01:26:58.880 --> 01:26:59.840
Carly's gonna love it.
01:27:00.000 --> 01:27:01.039
Yeah, I love that one.
01:27:01.520 --> 01:27:11.119
Um if if somebody's wanting to order Richie tags, and um what's the best way to get a hold of you, and how far out should they be thinking?
01:27:11.279 --> 01:27:16.479
If I'm prepping, if they need to be prepped and ready to go, how far out should they be ordering these?
01:27:16.800 --> 01:27:29.199
So we try to be uh anywhere a person wants to do business with us, so you certainly can go onto our website, Richie Tags R-I-T-C-H-E-Y-T-A-G-S.com.
01:27:29.359 --> 01:27:34.000
We have a full e-commerce site and you can uh you know custom your tags on that site as well.
01:27:34.079 --> 01:27:37.279
We've got this really cool 3D tag design tool.
01:27:37.359 --> 01:27:42.560
Uh, but we're still a company of people, uh, so you're welcome to call us at 1-800-air tags.
01:27:42.800 --> 01:27:46.319
You can also email us at sales at richy tags.com.
01:27:46.560 --> 01:27:52.079
Uh so we we try to whatever's most convenient uh for the producer, uh, we try to be there for them.
01:27:52.239 --> 01:27:59.279
Um, you know, I I generally like to say about four weeks, you know, if you can give us five or six, that's we're grateful for that.
01:27:59.439 --> 01:28:07.520
Uh we do our best for those that forget, and they always forget, um, you know, to try to make some changes for them.
01:28:07.760 --> 01:28:18.000
But with that said, and I've been very stern about this since I've taken over, um, I don't I try not to let big ranchers bully small ranchers.
01:28:18.079 --> 01:28:20.479
And what I mean by that is we have a first in, first out.
01:28:20.640 --> 01:28:22.239
There's a line of people at the door.
01:28:22.399 --> 01:28:26.399
I don't care who you are, get in line and you know, we'll get our tags out as quick as we can.
01:28:26.560 --> 01:28:32.319
So we, you know, we we try to live by that rule of I'm gonna call it fairness for lack of a better word.
01:28:32.479 --> 01:28:32.560
Yeah.
01:28:32.640 --> 01:28:36.800
Uh but I'd say four or five weeks if you could give us that, that would be greatly appreciated.
01:28:36.960 --> 01:28:39.119
And that's for a full custom tag, okay?
01:28:39.199 --> 01:28:44.800
So a blank tag, you know, if you're still doing the engraving yourself, three to five days, we should be able to shoot it out to you, no problem.
01:28:45.039 --> 01:28:45.520
Oh wow.
01:28:45.600 --> 01:28:46.000
Yep.
01:28:46.479 --> 01:28:48.000
So for those people who forgot.
01:28:48.319 --> 01:28:51.279
Yeah, you want to if you don't want to you're gonna be dremeling yourself.
01:28:51.359 --> 01:28:53.279
Yeah you don't want to wait those five or six weeks.
01:28:53.359 --> 01:28:58.319
I mean, and again, we still have a massive group of folks that uh they save themselves a little bit of money.
01:28:58.399 --> 01:29:02.720
Uh they don't they can order at the last second and dremel it and they'll be just fine.
01:29:02.960 --> 01:29:03.439
That's cool.
01:29:03.520 --> 01:29:05.680
Well, Bryce, thank you very much for coming today.
01:29:05.840 --> 01:29:09.199
It was really cool to have you at the ranch and have this conversation, learn more about it from you.
01:29:09.520 --> 01:29:16.159
Yeah, you know, at the end of the day, Tucker, you you do it regardless of how many customers we have, we we do business with people.
01:29:16.319 --> 01:29:27.840
And so it's uh a true honor and privilege of mine uh to be able to come out here face to face, shake your hand, shake your dad's hand, see your operation, get a deeper understanding where it comes from.
01:29:28.000 --> 01:29:31.840
Uh you know, that that makes my my job worthwhile, makes it worth getting up every day.
01:29:31.920 --> 01:29:32.720
So thank you, sir.
01:29:32.880 --> 01:29:41.199
Well, I know you'll have a booth at our bull sale and at WRCA final, bull sale on October 13th and 14th.
01:29:41.279 --> 01:29:42.239
Make sure you come out and see him.
01:29:42.399 --> 01:29:44.239
You can see, I don't know if Rox is gonna make it.
01:29:44.479 --> 01:29:45.439
Uh Morgan's better.
01:29:45.520 --> 01:29:46.399
So Morgan's better.
01:29:46.479 --> 01:29:46.640
Okay.
01:29:46.800 --> 01:29:47.520
Morgan will be there.
01:29:47.600 --> 01:29:48.000
Yeah, Morgan.
01:29:48.159 --> 01:29:50.000
You'll be able to see and touch the tags yourself.
01:29:50.159 --> 01:29:53.039
Uh, but Ricky's tags, we love them.
01:29:53.439 --> 01:29:54.640
Thanks for coming today, Rox.
01:29:54.880 --> 01:29:55.279
Good to have you on.
01:29:55.439 --> 01:29:56.000
Thank you so much.
01:29:56.239 --> 01:29:57.039
Thanks, Morgan.
01:29:57.600 --> 01:29:59.039
Thanks, Riley, in the back.
01:29:59.199 --> 01:30:01.199
You can listen to the Registered Grant and podcast.
01:30:01.279 --> 01:30:02.640
Check out the merch on the wine.
01:30:03.039 --> 01:30:04.800
Morgan is announced for the ends.
01:30:04.880 --> 01:30:05.359
We always love this.
00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.839
In the back of the VIP area, as I would like to say, of the Mitchell's Mercantile.
00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.000
If you haven't stopped at this stop, you have to.
00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.640
If you're coming through Drop Corner out of the red line, check it out.
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.600
And you can even see Studio in the back.
00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:29.839
We got a good one for you today.
00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:31.679
Episode number 84.
00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:32.479
We're going to have Mr.
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.240
Bryce Kelly join us.
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:36.159
And he is with Richie Tags.
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:45.600
Richie Tags, we are going to talk, we're going to talk a lot today about the importance of identification, the importance of tags and products that work.
00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:46.719
And so, Mr.
00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:48.560
Bryce, thank you for joining me today.
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:50.960
And you got to see the ranch for the first time today as well.
00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:51.920
Yeah, love that.
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Thank you for having me.
00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:54.560
Uh first time out at your place.
00:00:54.719 --> 00:01:01.439
And it really just gave me a better appreciation for you and your family, Tucker, and kind of what the R.A.
00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:03.439
Brown ranch is about, some of the history.
00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:05.599
So thank you so much for letting me do that.
00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:13.840
Yeah, it was it's always good whenever we like when I get to deliver bulls and see a customer's place and really get to learn more about them.
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And then it's it was kind of fun to be on the other side of that coin to like have invite you out to be able to see what we do, see your tags and work.
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For those listening, we've been using Richie Tags for years.
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And we always say we're pretty loyal to the companies we use, and we always say there's three things that of boxes that have to be checked.
00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.840
The price has to be good, the service has to be good, and the product has to be great.
00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.640
And when those three things are checked, we we stay with the company that that we're with.
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:47.760
And uh gosh, we've we've been with Richie Tags for years, and that's been that for us.
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:58.480
And so getting to know you, and then of course having having Morgan at Richie Tags and see working with you on socials and being uh like at the booth at NCBA, all of that's been pretty fun.
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Hey, well, I mean, A, I appreciate the business.
00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:10.159
And you know, those three things you uh checked off, it's uh it's a responsibility for us uh to make sure we check those boxes for each and one of the ranchers around the country.
00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.199
And you you do some ranching yourself.
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.560
You've got a place in Nebraska.
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:19.840
So my my dad's side of the family, uh, we came from the uh row crop.
00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.520
So we have Kelly Bean Company.
00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:24.800
We're one of the largest processors of dry edible beans in the country.
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So when I'm talking beans, I'm talking pinto beans and black beans are great northern beans.
00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:31.599
So we're based out of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
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I've spent the majority of my career there.
00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:40.240
But my mother's side of the family has a cow calf operation in the sand hills in Nebraska, just north of Trient and south of Mullen.
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.439
So the family uh no longer is active in ranching.
00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:48.159
Uh we've got a great operator on that land and hope to keep in the family for another 100 years.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:49.520
Oh, how cool.
00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:51.199
Man, I didn't know that about the beans.
00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.599
Boy, that's something that's way outside my wheelhouse.
00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:56.240
I wouldn't know, I wouldn't know one thing about it.
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I tell you what, the most exciting things in the world, beans and ear tags, like you know, that's what I deal with.
00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:06.159
Yeah, quite the blood flow from those two things.
00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:15.039
But uh I'd I love that uh I mean the importance of tags for uh for us at the ranch is extremely important.
00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:19.680
And here's for the listeners who are like, what am I gonna learn about ear tags today?
00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:27.120
Well, I'd I want to talk about the importance of identification and how tags are a part of that success.
00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:35.680
Because identification is where we find those animals that do the right things, or if we find those animals that do the wrong things that we don't want to keep anymore.
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.159
And we put a bunch, oh gosh, a whole bunch.
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:44.159
We should have brought a tag which we can add, we can add a picture of it.
00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.840
Um, Riley, thank you.
00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:50.000
We can add a picture of what ours looked like, but we put a whole bunch on ours, a whole bunch of information.
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:56.400
We put the identification of the animal, the sire, the uh the damn, the damn sire.
00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.479
Like we man, we fill that tag up.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:06.240
You know, I think you guys, out of anyone I can think of on the top of my head, I I think you're loading the most amount of data on that tag, the most amount of information.
00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.360
Yeah, right, and Donald would probably put more if you'd let him, but we're running out of room.
00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:11.680
Right.
00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:12.800
We're running out of room.
00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:14.879
Because the whole backside, we can use that too.
00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:16.000
That's true.
00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:17.600
Yeah, that's true.
00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:21.839
Um, but we've been using Ritchie Tags because all three of those boxes have been checked.
00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:33.120
And uh we and if you've seen us at a at a convention where we are dremeling tags ourselves, we actually got that idea from Ritchie Tags.
00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:44.480
Uh, because we're dremeling tags and putting in a brand and we have y'all laser our brand on the other side, and it's a really good giveaway gift that people can remember and have their own brand on.
00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:46.000
And I don't know, it's pretty neat.
00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:54.079
But you know, you sit through a trade show and and and Morgan can attest to this, but uh you know, we'll we'll engrave hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of keychains a day.
00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:54.319
Yeah.
00:04:54.480 --> 00:05:00.000
And you know, so you sit through an NFR where you're doing that for like two and a half, three weeks, and it's a lot of engraving.
00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.319
Yeah, that's when your hand starts vibrating while you're sleeping.
00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:02.800
Yes, we're gonna be able to do that.
00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:04.480
You wake up with it vibrating.
00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.360
Where uh were you where are we all at at the NFR?
00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.319
So we were at what what booth were we at?
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:14.319
Were you at South Point or South Point, yeah, we were at South Point, yeah.
00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:21.920
So we we're we're in the main arena still at South Point, uh, and we've been doing it that well, at least since I've been around, but probably for a good 10 years now, I think.
00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:25.040
I've never made it to South Point during the NFR.
00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.199
Like that makes me a little sad to say out loud.
00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:27.519
Yeah.
00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:28.480
But I've never made it over.
00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:29.920
That would have been the first place you go.
00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:30.480
I know.
00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:43.360
Uh most of the time when I've when I have gone the past couple years, it's been for ag gear or it's been for bedrock truck beds, and they're in the at Cowboy Christmas, and I've got to be in the booth for a certain amount of hours over there helping them.
00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:51.680
And so this year, crossing my fingers that it'll I'll be the uh I'll have a point and a good reason to go to South Point.
00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:52.000
Yeah.
00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:55.040
I you know, it's it's uh it's one of our favorite shows.
00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:04.720
It's it's one of the most well-known shows, but uh you know, we we go to trade shows around the country, and you know, sometimes the smaller for me the better.
00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:09.120
Like it's just a little bit more intimate, and you get to spend a little bit more time with each rancher.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:16.319
Uh sometimes NFR can be quite busy and you got people coming at you from 18 different angles, and you just don't get as much uh time to talk to them.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:28.720
And yeah, you know, that's uh unfortunately I can't get out to every single ranch around the country, but those trade shows allow us a good opportunity to to shake a hand, uh, you know, hear about people's concerns, our successes, and even our failures.
00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:44.800
Well, tell me more, Bryce, tell me more about Ritchie Tags, because um, I mean, I know we've been using you for a long time, but what what's happened to me is that like as I've grown up, all I knew is that or like whenever I came back to the ranch, like we use Ritchie Tags.
00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:46.480
Like that's what we do because they work.
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:48.800
But I've never really gotten to know y'all.
00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:56.639
And and so that I what uh what I love about this podcast is that's gonna give me that opportunity to really know more about you, more about the history of the company.
00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:57.759
And could you start there?
00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:58.639
Yeah, yeah.
00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:05.439
So the the company itself uh was founded in 1964 by uh Gene and Joe Ritchie.
00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:22.639
And one of the most amazing things uh about this business, uh at least when I came across it, and I'm sure we'll get to that in a little bit, but you know, they they had they answered one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, questions in business, and it's why do we exist?
00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:24.240
Why should we exist?
00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:35.199
And you know, Jean was focused on the longevity of identification and how long you could read that tag, and came up with a different approach over time.
00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:41.920
And that's it's really what we became known for uh you know, 60 plus years later is the tag that never fades.
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:54.639
And so, you know, we're based out of Colorado, uh, so we're an American company, we're a family-owned company, everything's manufactured in Colorado, uh, even our resin or raw material products are are coming from Texas and the United States.
00:07:54.800 --> 00:08:01.439
So, you know, it's uh a legacy of a business uh that you know I'm just really uh grateful to be a part of now.
00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:08.560
And being, I mean, uh identification's changed since 1964, whatever that 64, what was it?
00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:09.439
Yeah, 1964.
00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.480
A lot has changed since 64.
00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.680
Uh how has Ritchie changed with it?
00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:17.439
Or has it had to?
00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:23.279
You know, uh as much as things have changed, a lot of things have stayed the same.
00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:34.080
And uh one of the things I love about this business is that it solves for a very specific problem uh of fading air tags.
00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:39.360
And the Ritchie family, to their credit, you know, they they never got out of their lane.
00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:47.600
Uh they spent 60 years trying to get better and better and better at one thing, and that was just the longevity of identification.
00:08:47.759 --> 00:09:05.440
And so, you know, as as much as people come in and um, you know, especially a new owner like me, I you know, bought the company from the Ritchie family in 2020, and you come in guns and firing, and you know, all these ideas that you think you want to do, but you know, sometimes it's it's what you don't do uh that makes you successful in a small business.
00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:10.960
And so we've really focused on uh the longevity of identification and how important that is.
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:26.639
I find that interesting, the things you don't do, because I've I've felt a little bit that myself as part of the rule of coming back to the ranch, which we talked about earlier today, was that for me to come back to the ranch, there either had to be a job open or to bring a business plan back.
00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:38.799
And in the beef side of things, I wanted to have like a storefront and I wanted to be selling beef, and I found out pretty quickly that I needed to stay in my lane of what I enjoyed in my lane and the things that we were good at.
00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:46.879
So thank I'm I'm kind of glad that I don't have a storefront or that I'm shipping packages of beef as much as I think that would be neat.
00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.279
I staying in my lane is is the thing that really has made us better.
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:59.840
Yeah, and we we've got we got tens of thousands of customers uh across North America and we're dealing with some some very strong dealer partners.
00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:09.600
And so, you know, the the assumption would be like how do we keep adding more products and and take more of that uh they call it wallet share uh when someone comes to buy from you.
00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:16.000
And and what we've just found is you know we're we're really good at this, and we want to continue to get better at this.
00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:24.159
And so if we can kind of tune out the noise of what's shiny uh and chasing things out there, I think we're gonna be just fine.
00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.799
And ultimately we're gonna do a better service to our customers.
00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:39.279
And we've talked about some of those shiny objects that are changing identification, because like right now I've I've got an app on my phone that I can see where those cattle are, I can circle it and I can know who they are.
00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:46.240
And I could hear some people being like, so why would I why would I invest in a tag that's gonna last a long time when I don't need it?
00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:48.559
How would you answer that?
00:10:49.519 --> 00:11:00.720
When I was doing the due diligence to buy Ritchie, that's one of the most common things I heard was this this is a dying star, uh the technology's no longer relevant in today's world.
00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:04.799
Uh, we're gonna have all of these things, whether it's a smart tag, EID, etc.
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:19.600
And the way I like to think about it, Tucker, is the more data, the more information that we associate with these animals, the more important it is for when I look at an animal, I know exactly who she is.
00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:29.039
So I'm actually more bullish, more excited about visual identification than ever before, because knowing that animal is more important than ever before.
00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:30.159
Yeah, such a good point.
00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:39.039
You know, and uh we still and I I'm sure technology is gonna it's come a long way, gonna continue to go a long way, but there's still battery issues, there's still connectivity issues.
00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:48.639
Uh you just don't know, you know, when you're in the truck driving across the ranch, when you're gonna need to make a decision on an animal, and you want to be able to look at her and know exactly who she is.
00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:51.039
Well, like this morning, gosh, that's so true.
00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:52.240
I haven't thought about it that way.
00:11:52.399 --> 00:12:02.639
This morning, whenever we um I mean, obviously we kind of take things to another step when it comes to ranching and data and gathering all that information being a seed stock place.
00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:06.799
Uh, but we had to we had to get nine donors to a place this morning.
00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:09.360
Um we were gonna do some IVF with them.
00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:18.399
And so we had to go gather them and we sure enough, we pulled up our app, we circled, we found where they were, we went and got them, but we wouldn't have known.
00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:20.240
I mean, we went and looked at those tags today.
00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:20.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:34.799
And God, that's such a good point that really I feel like the uh the side, the ceiling is moving up rather than down for that because people are gonna be more interested in figuring out which animals they they're collecting that data on.
00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:42.000
You know, there's we're we're in this world where there's almost an infinite amount of data that we're collecting around these animals.
00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:49.679
And so the more we associate with them, I I think the more important it's gonna be uh just to take a quick look at her and know who she is.
00:12:49.919 --> 00:13:01.039
And you know, I I've still, at least today, I'm still a believer that you know our eyes, our brains, our gut instinct, you know, those still have a role to play in ranching and judgment and decision making.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:14.399
And so, and when you're able to look at least at one of your tags, I mean you can see if you can see a family tree right there, you can see a genealogy, and with a look, you know, you start to build that gut instinct that you guys use to make decisions with.
00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:31.519
Not to say that you can't uh supplement it, which I think we should with a bunch of uh data and analysis and spreadsheets and artificial intelligence and all those things, but uh you know, I I I think human judgment really still and always will play a role in that, and that's going to require us to be able to see that tag.
00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:48.639
And a part of seeing it too, what I what I enjoy, what I like that Richie does, uh you you say like Richie tags, the tags that never fade, and they're the engraving on them from my point of view, whenever we've tried other tags, the engraving makes a huge difference.
00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:57.600
We make tags different than as far as I know, this would be a little bit big of a claim, but uh we we just make them different than anyone else in the world, uh certainly here in the United States.
00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:02.399
And so we use a different manufacturing process to make that tag where there's several different layers.
00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:08.960
So we're not putting, I'd like to say we're not putting information onto the tag, we're permanently engraving it into the tag.
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:14.879
And the way that tag reads today, it's gonna read the same 15 plus years, or you know, definitely for the life of that animal.
00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:26.240
So there's other other ways to to go about printing tags, whether it's uh laser printing or UV printing or some of the uh other ideas, but uh our tag is just a little bit different than anyone else in the world.
00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:41.679
That's so unique to dive into a niche product that hard and find that lane, that the the problem that people had of a tag not working, and then fixing that problem.
00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:50.639
Yeah, it's just one simple problem, and yet the simplicity that it sounds like it when we're talking about it's like, hey, it's a simple problem, we can figure this out and solve.
00:14:50.960 --> 00:15:02.159
And and yet when you uh expand on how important it is to know that animal, uh really our job becomes substantially more critical.
00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:13.039
Uh that that tag lasts, you can read it, stays in, uh, because there's just so much going on uh in today's world and more so tomorrow, with what we're using that data for.
00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:23.200
You know, what it what a tag does, you know, there either there's facts that you collect uh along an animal's life.
00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:28.399
Uh you know, you have a birth weight, uh, there's a treatment, uh, there's a weaning weight.
00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.879
All of these facts by themselves probably don't mean a lot.
00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:42.080
Uh but when you can associate those facts with the animal over time, that becomes a history, okay?
00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:48.080
And then once a history is developed, patterns start to emerge throughout that history.
00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:53.919
And it's really through that pattern recognition that we can start to make judgments and better decisions.
00:15:54.159 --> 00:16:02.399
And so the more information that's associated with that animal, the deeper you go, getting all the way down into the genetics you guys do.
00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:08.159
Yeah, it's just this better overall picture we've got at the animal that ultimately helps us make better decisions.
00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:14.480
So I'd like to I'd like to say that you know the Ritchie tag, as simple as it is, is the gateway to better decisions on a ranch.
00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:15.440
Wow.
00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:34.240
Yeah, because we've gone from we've gone from uh you know what did uh from from people worrying about the the average of their and which are you still these are still data points that we use like um what's the what's the breed up of your cow herd?
00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:51.279
What's the what percent opens did you have, what percent calls did you have to now we're getting so much more perspective on that animal and worried much more about which animals we're culling or keeping rather than the entire and then you go to the feed yard and it'd be the same thing.
00:16:51.360 --> 00:17:01.120
Like I know we're worried about what percent prime and choice we are, but now we have all these data points to be able to find out which animals that that that that's actually coming from.
00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:09.119
Oh yeah, you know, yeah uh the the common person drives by uh you know drives down the highway in Texas and you know they see a a bunch or a group of cattle.
00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.759
Maybe if they're a little bit more educated, they see a herd of cattle.
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:27.759
But you know, to to you all, you see 187 individuals with history attached to them, and and it that that individuality, uh that identity is really where it all comes together to start making some of these bigger decisions and drive profitability at the end of the day.
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:47.920
Yeah, and in a time where I mean the the beef industry has kind of come to a head uh or come to a come to the top of conversation in some of the media for whether it's beef coming overseas or a shrinking cow herd or uh things like that, the more efficient we can be with our own place.
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:59.599
Right now, the way the market is, a little more weight or breeding the making the right breeding or using the right cow, keeping the right cow, makes a big difference to the bottom line.
00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:08.319
The bottom line, and I think greater society, I mean, whatever, eight, nine billion people on this planet, wherever we're getting to, I mean, we have to get more efficient.
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:09.599
We simply have to.
00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:18.160
So in order to do that, uh, you know, the you've got to have a profitable rancher, you've got to have a pro profitable cow-calf operator, but you have a profitable supply chain.
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:26.160
Uh but ultimately, you know, we as a human uh society here, you know, our farmers and ranchers are gonna have to get more efficient.
00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:29.519
That's interesting.
00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:33.440
Um I'm gonna change directions here a little bit.
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:34.079
Yes, sir.
00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:46.640
So you bought the company in 2020, um, and we've talked a little bit about the future, but you've made a big investment in the company in building a new warehouse.
00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:59.759
So when we bought the company in 2020 uh from the Ritchie family, we leased the original building back uh and it had been there again since 1964, and it it literally looked like it did in 1964.
00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:04.480
So, you know, but with the growth of the company, and we've been so grateful for the growth.
00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:12.079
So even though the the cattle herd has gotten smaller, uh we've been lucky enough to grow our business and I feel very fortunate about that.
00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:19.119
But it got to the point where we were, you know, tripping all over ourselves and the space constraint was restricting our growth.
00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:20.880
So we made the decision.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:25.599
Again, we're more bullish on visual identification today than ever before.
00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:33.039
Uh we know this cow herd is going to start to grow and come back, and we just felt the right time uh to move into our own facility.
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:40.079
We have well over double the square footage and just set that stage for the future and kind of what's to come in the next chapter.
00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.640
And that's uh where where's Fort Collins?
00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:43.759
Just in Fort Collins, yeah.
00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:55.519
So the company was founded in Brighton, Colorado, and so we're now up in Fort Collins, very, very excited about the Fort Collins community, uh, excited about some partnerships with Colorado State University, Big Ag University.
00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.359
So we're excited about that.
00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.000
Yeah.
00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.839
And then just the the amount of folks that we have.
00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:09.920
So we're we're pulling employees from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Greeley, Colorado, all the way down south to Longmont, Colorado.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.880
So it's a much bigger circle in terms of trying to put together the best team we can.
00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:16.799
Yeah, that's neat.
00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:30.799
Especially gosh, that's I feel like that's bold because I think a lot of the to buy that company in 2020, with so many people looking at it on the downside of saying it's a dying company.
00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:38.240
Um were you as as bullish thinking you were going to build a new warehouse and um expand?
00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:41.119
Were you that bullish when you when you bought it?
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:48.079
You know, uh when when when I was first looking at this opportunity, I had some some truly grandiose visions.
00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:57.759
I mean, we we talked about technology, and I'm like, here is a perfect platform, a perfect brand name, is that I can flip this into a technology company like you know, nobody's business.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:11.920
And you know, when I when I finally took ownership, uh I I quickly realized that the the day that I took over, the day I have the most authority, I have the least understanding of what's going on on day one.
00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:18.960
So customers know about more about the product than I do, our employees know about more about the processes, our vendors know more about the raw materials.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:28.799
And so I really needed to be patient uh with you know trying any of my ideas over time and really learned how how we got, you know, how we made it for 60 years.
00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:32.079
You know, so few small businesses make it that long.
00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:34.240
Yeah so certainly something is going right.
00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.880
And in our case, luckily, there was a lot of things going right.
00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:43.440
So I really kind of had to be humble, um, learn from those around me to truly understand this business.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:54.240
And then it took some time for me to make some decisions on what it could become and what it should become.
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:59.759
And we've really simplified the vision and really intend on just being.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.640
Incredibly good at identification.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:07.599
So a lot of these shiny things we've kind of put our blinders to.
00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:15.200
And not to say that we're not going to roll technology, that's not a part of our future, but as long as it's part of our future in terms of identification.
00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:24.960
I feel like learning that whole industry had to be quite the learning curve.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:28.079
Like coming in as the owner and then You know what?
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:32.799
And on top of that, there was COVID and supply, you know, global supply chain challenges.
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.079
A lot of fun that first two years.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:40.640
I think, you know, the the the first couple of weeks, I got a letter.
00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.640
We had a we used to have a button supplier.
00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:45.279
Uh got a letter that they weren't going to supply us anymore.
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:49.599
I I think month three, I got a letter from or a call from a resin supplier.
00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:52.640
They weren't sure when they were gonna be able to deliver any more resin to us.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.559
I'm like next week, next month.
00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.599
He's like, Mr.
00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.720
Kelly, it could be another five or six months before I get you any more resin.
00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:02.240
And so there were some incredibly challenging times.
00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:07.920
I was I was like, we're gonna own this company for six months and go bankrupt in the first six months, even though we've been going on for 60 years.
00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:08.319
Yeah.
00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.960
So you know we we battled our way through it.
00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:14.079
Um I think we become a much stronger company on the other side of that.
00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:18.319
You know, we got some great new relationships, but it was uh it was a fight.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.759
It was a fight for a while.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:26.400
Well what changed the most, what has changed the most since 2020 for your business.
00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.359
If I were honest, I would probably say me.
00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:33.599
I I would say I probably have changed the most.
00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:56.720
You know, there's there's certainly dynamics are around this that are happening, but uh to to be this leader that narrows the focus, and again, I I keep using this uh analogy, these shiny things, uh, I I think that uh that took some growth out of me to say no a lot uh and say yes to a very few number of things.
00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:59.359
Um so I I I you know I've I've grown a lot.
00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:01.759
This was my first CEO gig, if you will.
00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:22.720
I've been in business my entire life, I've been in agricultural business my entire life, but this is uh my first go-around as CEO, and it's uh it's a lonely desk uh sometimes when you're a lot of things going on around you and you're making this uh some hard decisions of when you have no resin, there's some customer you have to say, I'm sorry, you're not gonna get your tags this year, and some customers you can say I can I can make that shipment.
00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:25.279
So, you know, I I've grown a lot with it.
00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:34.880
Um I'm not so not so sure that the values of our customers uh luckily uh haven't changed, and I don't uh believe ever will change, but their expectations of us have.
00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:43.039
You know, we we live in this world of the what I call the Amazon effect, uh, where you know people place an order, they want it in you know, tomorrow.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:50.079
And you know, each one of our tags, when you think about it, is is a is a custom manufactured item.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:56.640
Uh if everyone in the world just ordered tag one through 50, you know, this would be a lot uh much easier conversation.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:06.480
But you know, you guys are loading it up with custom information, people are putting their family brand, their their phone numbers, their ranch names, and each one of those tags is individual and unique.
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:13.680
And it's uh it you know, it's it's tough for us to pull off the Amazon expectation of uh delivery in the first 24 hours.
00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:17.680
So we know we we try our best uh to get product out as quick as we can.
00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:23.440
And uh we're we're putting different technology pieces in place to get better at our customer service.
00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:31.680
But I think at the end of the day, Tucker, folks are still going to want to pick up a phone, and when they have a problem, they want to talk to a real person that understands what's going on.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.359
Yeah, I think that's huge.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:33.839
Yeah.
00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:40.640
And uh This uh you'll have to help me if this is an ignorant question or an ignorant statement slash question.
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:47.759
It seems like in the tag industry it is very large company based relative to Ritchie.
00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.279
Yeah, I mean the largest Ritchie being a family business.
00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:59.680
Yeah, uh the largest one, you know, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Offlex, uh, an amazing competitor, but they're a global company, you know, billions of dollars of uh corporation.
00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:03.599
And you know, there there is still uh a family business or two around there.
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:06.400
Uh Whitex is a great company out of Wyoming.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:14.319
But uh yeah, certainly we are uh amongst the giants uh as a small family company, but that's kind of where I like to be.
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:18.240
Uh I love the David versus Goliath uh type of situation.
00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:23.359
Um, I think we can move a lot faster uh than a lot of those big cut companies.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:25.680
We can understand our customer a lot deeper.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:29.839
So I I love the position we're in and I I love showing up for the fight each day.
00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:39.759
On the on the business side, like you've said it a few times, you know, making you've made things simpler, you've stayed in your lane, you've gone after one thing and get really, really good at it.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:54.880
Um that it that's another thing that it was actually the last podcast we had or two ago where I had Donald on, and he said, Man, we used to breed 17 different breeds and then trimmed it down, and I wanted to be really good at three of them.
00:26:55.200 --> 00:27:03.519
But on the I mean, it sounds like that can just cross-reference to different businesses and to where I think in terms of not more, but better.
00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:07.680
Uh you know, so slightly better tag, slightly better customer experience.
00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:15.599
I mean, you were showing me all these things on the ranch that you guys have done to enhance the customer experience uh when you come into your bull sales.
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:24.720
Um, you know, it's it's it was just I I loved hearing that story because that's exactly how we feel uh like how do we make things just a little bit better each day?
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:28.240
Customer experience, product, manufacturing process.
00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:36.880
Uh we hired a new director of operations for a Fort Collins facility, and and this guy is a nerd about efficiency.
00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:38.079
Like I love him.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:41.759
Uh he's finding things that I haven't seen in the last five years.
00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:46.880
He's finding things that maybe the Richie's never knew about uh in terms of how to make our operations more efficient.
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:50.079
But it's like, how do we show up and get 1% better every day?
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:55.119
So not not more, not more products, not more, but better.
00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:56.880
Have you seen any?
00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:00.559
And I guess this is more along the advice trail.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:15.440
Um, but as you've gotten more involved with your customers and their needs and their questions, have you found anything where maybe ranchers might be able to do something similar, like maybe not doing more, but doing better?
00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:17.200
Have you seen anything like that?
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:22.640
You know, it's talking specifically about identification.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:30.480
Um, you know, there's there's I I would I would argue that ranchers have always been data-driven operations.
00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:43.680
Uh data, you know, we we tend to think about data in terms of a spreadsheet, um, but it's also an observation, an observation about you know when that calf was born, how much rain we got in the temper or the rain gauge.
00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:46.640
Uh so it's a series of of observations.
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:54.960
And and some folks uh I feel could probably go a lot deeper uh into that knowing of their animals.
00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:00.079
So again, we're not we're not adding more animals, we're going deeper and knowing each one better.
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:08.400
And and I think there's probably some room for that, especially as we get into the you know, EPDs and genomics and all that sort of thing, that you know many folks aren't doing out there.
00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:12.559
They're still doing you know some very observational things out on that ranch.
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:16.160
And so again, not more, but going deeper to know that animal.
00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:17.759
That's interesting.
00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:18.799
I think that's great.
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:22.559
I mean, I think that's great advice because we we push our customers to do the same.
00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:24.400
I mean, I know you guys do it, but yeah, we do.
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:28.160
How do you think that lands with the quote unquote average rancher out there?
00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:32.240
You think uh folks are starting to look deeper or that's a good question.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:38.240
Uh I mean in general, yes, I do, because I think I I think that pays.
00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.839
I think it pays to look deeper.
00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:53.200
And when ranching hasn't always been the most profitable business, and when you're trying to make it work and you love that place and it's your passion like a lot of ranchers have, you'll do anything to make it work.
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.839
Yeah.
00:29:54.079 --> 00:30:06.799
And so if you just if you told someone that, oh, you mean if I take a$30 DNA test, I can figure out which ones are making me more money and multiply those and make more money and be able to pay off my land payment.
00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.759
Like that's the that's the thought process that I have when that question comes up.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:33.839
But it's a it there will always I believe there will always be um the the thing that makes ranching so different than any other agriculture cattle ranching makes it different than any other thing in agriculture, I believe, is that I don't see anybody raising beans for fun.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:46.880
Maybe a little garden, but they're not investing their life savings like a lot of people do into buying their ranch to do as a hobby on the weekend or to go work their insurance jobs to be able to go ranch.
00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:50.319
And I don't see anybody having pigs for fun.
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:57.599
Like I don't it the cattle is very different, it's much more of a hands-on love for what for what it is.
00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:05.039
So there will always be a portion of ranching that does not do it for a living and only does it because they love the lifestyle.
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:06.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:16.640
I you know, it you to you talk about the customer base, and uh you know one of the one of the reasons I I chose Richie and wanted to stay in agriculture in kind of this next chapter is is for the people.
00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:23.279
You know, I've been involved in several different businesses and we talk about like your accounts receivable, okay?
00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:27.839
I'm not I don't worry about those things, you know, because our customers pay us.
00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:36.319
And it's just part of this industry and these salt of the earth people of who we work with, and it's just uh it's just such a it's just such a pleasure to work with them.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:38.160
It's uh so true.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:53.279
Because I spoiled growing up in it, yeah, not knowing that people didn't pay people all the time until I leave and go somewhere else and you know have it have a different job outside of agriculture for the first time in college, and I was like, what?
00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:55.119
Why have they not paid yet?
00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.359
Do they they're like they never do?
00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:12.079
Yeah, in my my previous life with with Kelly Bean, I I literally have gone to other company other countries to chase money down because like folks weren't paying us, and so I was flying into different countries, sitting across their desks and being like, Yeah, you're gonna pay me like now, right now.
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:13.920
Go ahead and pull that paycheck out.
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:18.000
I do I wish I could say that we've never had to do that.
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:20.160
But in general, in general, right.
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.519
Rarely do we have to do that.
00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:24.400
Very rarely, very rarely do we have to do that.
00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:29.359
And buying this business, you've got a challenge that I've I've never had to think of.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:36.480
Of a company that's lasted for 60 years, kind of has a tradition and history of its own, and then you come in and buy it.
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:46.640
How how will you how did you or are you, you know, remembering what they did and the history they've built with creating your own?
00:32:47.680 --> 00:32:58.640
You know, when you it's a great question because it's like uh you know, I I still think about it as uh in an entrepreneurial sense in terms of you can start up a business or you can buy an existing business, right?
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:08.240
And I I chose the latter um and you quickly realize that you're not the first chapter of the story.
00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:19.039
Uh there's so many chapters before you uh of how this company got to where it was, and specifically with Ritchie, uh 60 years worth of chapters.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:27.359
During that due diligence process, um, when I was calling some of the ranchers around the country that I knew well and trusted their opinion, you know, they just kept repeating this thing.
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:30.960
Oh, yeah, you know, Ritchie tags that never phase, never phase, never phase.
00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:40.319
And like I don't know how much Nike spent for the tagline, just do it, but in this case, the customer base came up with their their own tagline.
00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:44.319
And it's a business that really mattered to customers.
00:33:44.400 --> 00:33:52.640
And I I learned that probably more than ever during COVID when we we did have to say no to some some good folks, and we just we didn't have enough tags to to sell.
00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:54.799
And it's like I took the firstborn child.
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:55.920
It's like I'm like, really?
00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:56.559
It's just a tag.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:59.039
They're like, no, it's not just a tag show.
00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:06.880
Uh and so I I I feel grateful that that I don't have to make up a new reason for Ritchie to exist.
00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:16.159
Uh I feel grateful that I can be the steward of this uh company and what Gene and Joe and Grant and Craig Richie have built all these years.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:20.960
Uh and it puts me in a position, Tucker, where I can focus on details.
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:23.199
And we talked a little bit about getting better every day.
00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:31.599
Like I can truly focus on the details because I got such an amazing operational base and foundation to kind of launch off of.
00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:34.880
Now, am I gonna sprinkle some of my own personality in there?
00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:35.599
Sure.
00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:46.320
Um, it's part of the fun part about owning a business, but I'm just not one of those people that needs to have his fingerprints all over everything just to prove I was there.
00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:54.239
Uh we have a you know, kind of the saying that I challenge our employees with at work, and I said, you know, I just asked three simple things of you.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:58.159
I said, I want you to show up, I want you to mean it, and I want you to make it better.
00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:01.519
And if you do those three things, I said, things are gonna be great.
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:06.960
And that's that's really kind of how I think about my role in the Richie story.
00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:10.079
Uh and show up every day, I'm gonna mean it.
00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:20.800
Uh and I I mean I'd mean it, and I want to make it just a little bit better so when the next person comes along to take over, it's in a little bit better shape than when Bryce found it.
00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:21.519
That's cool.
00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.519
I like those three points.
00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:29.440
I I mean, I mean they they they resonate, they're they're easy, and they're incredibly impactful.
00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.400
Just those three things.
00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:31.679
Did you trademark them?
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.320
Oh, I didn't do that, I should have, yeah.
00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:35.679
That's cool.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:54.000
Well, well, one of the new, and I don't know if it's um new to the company or just new to me, but one of the new things I have learned about y'all that Morgan was telling me about, and we talked a little bit about at the ranch today, was you're um talking about how long the Ritchie tags last, and then how do you prove that it lasts that long?
00:35:54.159 --> 00:36:00.559
And then you said, well, this I don't even that's like a weather machine, a time tester machine.
00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:01.840
I don't even know what to call it.
00:36:02.159 --> 00:36:03.280
The time machine, yeah.
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:18.320
Yeah, it's uh you know, our our special place in this world with our our flagship product, that dual color permanently engravable tag, it's really meant for that replacement heifer that's gonna be a part of your herd for the you know the next 10 plus 15 years.
00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:22.719
And we let me give an example.
00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:28.000
Uh nearly every week we get a call and someone wants a different color, different color combination.
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:37.840
Okay, and it sometimes takes us years to prove that that color will hold up to our standards of 15 plus years of surviving.
00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:58.320
When you think about it, like it could be, you know, it was I think it was 111 here yesterday, but uh the high heat desert of Texas or Arizona, it's got to make it through uh the humidity of Florida, you know, that humidity causes microbes that can eat in the tags, it's gotta last up into Canada where it you know it gets really, really, really cold.
00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:06.239
So we've got a a heavy, uh heavy and high bar to try to get across to launch a new color.
00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:17.679
So that we've got some some machines that test those things out, and it's roughly speaking, about a thousand hours represent one year out in the wild.
00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:30.480
And so you know we're we're testing a new color right now, and I I think this is on our third or fourth recipe of the color where you know three or four thousand hours into it, and it's already starting to fade, and we've got to start over from scratch.
00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:37.840
So it's we take a lot of time and effort to introduce something as simple as a new color because we've got a we've got a reputation at the end of the day.
00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:44.320
We've we've made a promise to the customer that thinks things are gonna last, and so we've got to make sure that uh that that happens.
00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:50.159
Yeah, that technology's wild to be able to develop a weather test.
00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:52.480
Tag weather testing machine.
00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:54.559
I mean, gosh, that's so unique.
00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:58.719
But I think it's a testament to what Ritchie stands for, too.
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.719
Like, yeah, we're gonna say it and we can show you.
00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:17.679
You know, and when when I talk to a brand new rancher, say at a trade show, that has never heard of Ritchie tags, and you know, we we talk about what challenges they see with livestock identification and you know whether it's fading or falling out, causing ear problems.
00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:21.760
And I when I say I say, you know, we I can solve that fading problem for you.
00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:22.239
I can.
00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:27.119
And you know, they look at me like, well, you know, can you really prove it to your to your question?
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:36.000
And I'm like, you know, sir, man, we've been doing this for 60 years, and I can say without you know any hesitation that I can solve that problem for you.
00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:45.519
Uh so that's uh again, we going back to the uh the beginning here, it's it's it's why this company exists to solve one specific problem.
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:53.760
And it's just you don't come across these businesses very often that uh are are able to focus on one thing and and make a go of it for so long.
00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.440
But you know, this is uh this is an example of somebody who has.
00:38:58.079 --> 00:39:07.840
Well, you you brought up a good point too, because we we've talked about what Ritchie can do, but the problem we haven't really talked about that problem.
00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:10.719
Fading is a problem, the rolling up of the tag is the problem.
00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:12.480
What are some of those other problems that ranchers?
00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:14.960
Yeah, you know, luckily fading is not one we get.
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:19.199
Um but we certainly have folks calling about uh lost tags or ear problems.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:25.679
Or but that that tags in general, the problem that of that Ritchie fixes would be the fading.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.559
The fade, yep.
00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:32.880
And and some other like what are some of those others that other tag that were a problem that Ritchie kind of came into.
00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:36.559
I I think the fading, you know, uh certainly the the roll-up as well.
00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:45.039
So but uh the fading by far is is really kind of what we focus on and and the problem that we uh we've solved uh over the years.
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:52.960
Um there there aren't too many other things that that specific design uh does uh other than solve that one problem.
00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:59.840
Any other I mean look here's a good spot for this, I feel like.
00:40:00.559 --> 00:40:07.360
Um one thing I did learn, I think it was through the the Saras guy, Shane.
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:08.320
Shane, yeah.
00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:15.440
Was telling me about um I mean it's always a frustration when people lose tags.
00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:20.079
Like you've you've invested in them, you you buy the best ones out there and you still lose them.
00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:21.360
Like that's gonna happen.
00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:38.159
But I what I didn't know was that the the laws and regulations that tag companies have to follow with uh the animals, what is it, um like with by not ripping the ear or can you touch on that?
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:40.719
Because I'm I'm not saying I'm not remembering it right.
00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:55.039
Yeah, not not only do certain countries in this world require that your tag fails at a certain amount of pounds of pressure uh because they're trying to protect you know animal welfare, they don't want those ears ripping.
00:40:55.280 --> 00:41:05.440
We we've surveyed and surveyed and surveyed and surveyed this, and and by far and large, uh the ranch base in this country, they want that tag to fail rather than ripping that ear.
00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:06.559
And so we interesting.
00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:08.800
Yeah, and and I I would have thought the other way around.
00:41:09.119 --> 00:41:12.320
Um I and that's why we kept surveying and surveying, because like that can't be right.
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:17.440
And with all this data and the information associated, surely you want the ear ripping before the tag failure.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:20.480
But I would say it's like well over 70%, said the other.
00:41:20.639 --> 00:41:26.719
And in fact, some countries mandate that that that tag needs to fail after so many pounds of pull.
00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:32.880
Otherwise, you know, we we could easily come up with a you know a metal tag, if you will, it just never comes out, it's just always gonna rip out.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:43.440
So it's a it's a very fine line of trying to get that tag to hold for as long as physically possible, but right before that air starts to rip, let that thing fail.
00:41:43.840 --> 00:41:57.920
I've never thought about building a product to fail at a certain point, which I guess I have because like when I'm when I'm doing a water break in a fence, and I I want that that little piece to fail so that it doesn't take out the whole fence.
00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:04.480
But uh that's gotta be, I feel like that would be difficult to build a and test that and everything else.
00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:11.679
Yeah, and then not only that, you're you're working with you know uh you know, babies up to mature adults and those year changes over time.
00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:16.079
So, you know, what works for a calf certainly won't work for a cow.
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:16.320
Right.
00:42:16.559 --> 00:42:21.360
And uh so there's a these are the these are the things I learned uh when when you take it over.
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:24.960
And uh certainly I've made problem you know, made some some errors.
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:29.440
Uh I've done the wrong things here and there, but you know, that's uh the opportunity to learn.
00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:37.119
And uh there's it's so interesting how you know it's a dollar fifty piece of plastic, you know, when you clue the button.
00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:45.039
And yet what we expect out of it, I mean I I would put our tag up against some of the cars being made right now, uh, you know, in terms of lasting where it needs to last.
00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:53.199
And and so it uh you know the the rancher uh for as little as that investment is, uh they rely on it for a number of different reasons.
00:42:53.360 --> 00:43:01.760
And the process behind delivering on that promise uh is uh pretty deep and pretty complex, more so than I ever would have known.
00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:03.199
Dollar fifty.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:05.119
Yeah.
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:06.400
Dang.
00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:11.280
Again,$1.50 is that gateway to better decisions.
00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:20.159
I mean, you know, thousands of dollars are at stake, as you know, sometimes a lot more than thousands of dollars by maintaining the identity of that animal.
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:23.599
Yeah, and then well here's a good here's a good spot for this.
00:43:23.679 --> 00:43:29.360
This is one of my favorite segments of the podcast, and it's called the Unstoppable Can Am Defender Side-by-side comparison.
00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:33.920
Can Ams are the side-by-sides that we use at the ranch because they last a long time.
00:43:34.079 --> 00:43:35.440
Doesn't that sound familiar?
00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:36.000
Oh, yeah.
00:43:36.239 --> 00:43:36.719
My goodness.
00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:44.000
Yeah, because the Can Ams last, they um, gosh, I've I've used a couple others and we had to work on them, and it was I'm not a mechanic.
00:43:44.079 --> 00:43:45.360
I'm a bad mechanic.
00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:49.599
So thankfully, I have not had to work on our Can Ams because they last a long time.
00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:53.280
But the Can Am, the unstoppable Can Am Defender side by side comparison.
00:43:53.360 --> 00:43:56.159
Would you compare the different tags that you have?
00:43:56.400 --> 00:44:01.039
Because, like you just said, what works for a calf won't work for Full grown cow.
00:44:01.199 --> 00:44:05.760
And you've got a couple different products, including a product couple products that aren't tags.
00:44:06.159 --> 00:44:07.360
Could you talk about those?
00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:07.840
Yeah.
00:44:08.079 --> 00:44:19.440
So within our company, um, what we're really starting to push uh more and more, and you're gonna see more coming out from us, is that you know, ear tags need to last just as long as they need to.
00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:32.159
Um, you know, we we wouldn't expect the rancher to uh pay an exorbitant amount for a tag that really say at the feedlot only needs to last a few months uh for your steers, maybe 18 to 24 months.
00:44:32.239 --> 00:44:38.079
Uh and so we're really focusing on identification that lasts just as just as long as it needs to.
00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:41.039
And there's different manufacturing processes to do that.
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:48.079
So we're really gonna try to start to orient the company around the life cycle of that animal.
00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:53.760
Um, but other products, I mean, actually, one of my favorite products in our company is the hook doctor.
00:44:54.000 --> 00:45:02.559
And I know you know the hook doctor, but it's the craziest, and when folks have never seen it before, and they come up to the trade show booth, I mean they look at it and like, you know, what the heck is that?
00:45:02.639 --> 00:45:04.719
Like it just looks so weird.
00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:22.480
Uh but luckily we've got videos we put together, including some of yours, that we show it in use, and it's become a uh an animal handling tool that you know once folks get one, they usually come back and get two or three more because they they want one on the side-by-side, one at the back of the truck, and one at the chute.
00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:25.920
Uh, but you know, it's both a calf catcher, you can use it to mouth.
00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:29.920
Uh it's it's just such a cool, quirky type product.
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:30.960
It's one of my favorite.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:38.800
It is a the the product is interesting, and I know it like every time I do a video with it, I know it's gonna do well because it catches people's attention.
00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:39.519
It really does.
00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:47.840
And whenever we're like at NCBA standing in the booth with y'all, and people are like, What is can I scratch my back with that?
00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:59.840
Or yeah, yeah, you know, different I mean, it is a different product, but whether you're using it to catch a calf, reach out and catch a calf's foot or mouth a cow or scratch my back, whatever, yeah, whatever.
00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:01.119
That it's a it's a cool tool.
00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:05.920
I mean, I love that video where you put the camera on your on your hat brim and we're chasing that little calf around.
00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:06.239
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:06.559 --> 00:46:07.119
That's fantastic.
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.800
Great, great stuff, yeah.
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:17.280
But the I'm so you have the engraved engravable ones, and then we talked about some another one today.
00:46:17.599 --> 00:46:26.239
Yeah, so um the the engravable ones are are really our our longevity product, our never phage product, but we want more of a utility tag.
00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:29.360
So uh that's that's gonna be a UV print.
00:46:29.440 --> 00:46:34.320
Uh it's secured on there with a specialty UV ink, and it's it's not made to last.
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:40.880
Like we we want to lower that price point for ranchers because it's not made to last for you know 10-15 years.
00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:56.719
You know, we've got that product uh in our kind of our our Cadillac tag there, but you know, we're we're a never fades product line and then what we're calling our utility product line to really serve different points of the life cycle of that animal in the supply chain.
00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:01.360
So would that be, I mean, for is that more for feedlots?
00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:04.719
Is it for yearland yearland guys or calves?
00:47:05.199 --> 00:47:06.000
Calves for sure.
00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:11.599
Uh so our calf tags, uh feedlots, we're we're starting to get a lot of inquiries from from feedlots.
00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:23.280
Uh we've got uh the old school traditional feedlot tag that's starting to disappear, but you know, we're still carrying it, and and and a lot of guys love that old tag, so we want to be able to throw an identification mark on there for them as well.
00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:26.000
But our calf tag, this is gonna fit right in with that.
00:47:26.079 --> 00:47:26.400
Yep.
00:47:27.760 --> 00:47:34.079
And then do you do you ever do any customer?
00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:38.320
I ask this because we have to do some education on where we put our tags.
00:47:39.039 --> 00:47:48.880
Do you ever do any like customer education on how to make your tag stay in the ear longer or like where to place it or what button to use, anything like that?
00:47:49.920 --> 00:47:54.159
I feel it's our responsibility uh to continue to educate folks.
00:47:54.239 --> 00:48:04.800
And and I don't care if you've been ranching for you know five generations or five months, uh, we're going to continue to try to push what we feel are best in class practices around our products.
00:48:04.960 --> 00:48:10.960
Uh, you know, Morgan and Serena and Jeff, our social media team, they're they're doing a great job putting out educational content.
00:48:11.119 --> 00:48:18.400
But you know, if I were to think of you know two probably tips uh that I give out the most or I come across the most.
00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:20.559
One is in terms of retention.
00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:24.400
You know, you've heard of that statement, death by a thousand cuts.
00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:27.920
I thought I was gonna meet my end by death by a thousand tool pins.
00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:28.960
Uh I really did.
00:48:29.199 --> 00:48:37.599
So it's as simple as that is, each button's manufacturer pairs perfectly with a certain the tool pin on your tagger.
00:48:37.679 --> 00:48:39.119
Some people call it a needle.
00:48:39.199 --> 00:48:42.800
Uh the whitex has like a hollow tip.
00:48:42.880 --> 00:48:47.760
Uh, all flex kind of has a graduating uh cylinder from wide to narrow.
00:48:47.920 --> 00:48:49.280
Ours is a copper color.
00:48:49.599 --> 00:48:58.159
And these pins, the geometry of them, Tucker, they fit that button perfectly in order to get the most pressure to shove that button in through the air and through the tag.
00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:02.800
If you use the wrong tool pin, you're gonna get buttons busting out the side.
00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:06.639
You're gonna get even worse, I think, is you get a false installation.
00:49:06.800 --> 00:49:13.760
So it feels like it clicks in there, but it doesn't, and so that tag's just gonna fall out, you know, two weeks later, three weeks later.
00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:15.519
Tool pin.
00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:17.280
Check the darn toolpin.
00:49:17.599 --> 00:49:21.840
And it and the other thing I find out is don't check just yours.
00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:32.239
You gotta check your daughters, you check your hired man's, you gotta check the neighbor that helped, because we'll often see a pattern where someone will call in, they're like, Well, I lost 20 or 30 percent of my tags.
00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:38.639
And you know, by really digging deeper, we found out that oh yeah, the name the neighbor was helping me tag that day.
00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:42.480
Uh, and he didn't know anything about the tool pen or didn't even ask what buttons we were using.
00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:44.400
Uh so the tool pin's a big one.
00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:50.639
Um, placement, you know, we we sell a unique uh button, we call it the clover button.
00:49:50.719 --> 00:50:03.519
It's got a little bit more of a convex top on it and forms around that ear, shapes around that ear in just a little bit of a different way to help prevent things from getting s snagged or caught behind that ear.
00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:10.079
So when we think about retention, I think about things getting caught behind the ear, or I think about that tag getting caught from the front.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:17.119
So, in in honor of Richie, we're trying to solve yet again one problem of things getting caught behind that ear.
00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:29.599
So, because of that low profile nature, which is the point of the product, our recommendation on insulation is dead center of that middle third of the ear, of course, between the ribs.
00:50:29.840 --> 00:50:34.960
And and what I hear is you know, sometimes guys want to cheat a little bit closer to the head.
00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:44.159
You know, you get the the tissue gets thicker, and logic says, well, the thicker it is, the better the anchor is going to be to hold that tag in place.
00:50:44.400 --> 00:50:52.239
And what can happen is you get closer to the head is there's less and less room for that ear to exist between the button and the back of the tag.
00:50:52.480 --> 00:50:57.920
We want that tag to pendulate freely, at least with our product, and have some airspace in there.
00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:06.559
And so for uh our button, I go dead center, even if you cheat just a hair towards the tip, but still keep in that middle third.
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:14.239
In fact, like I see a lot of guys that saw it on your answer today, you know, just just to the side of dead center, that leaves room towards the inner side for that EID tag.
00:51:14.320 --> 00:51:15.840
So that's a perfect setup right there.
00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:22.960
So those two things, tool pin and placement, solve 99% of any issue I ever hear about.
00:51:23.360 --> 00:51:28.320
Where do where is a the quote unquote right place?
00:51:28.400 --> 00:51:37.519
I'm sure it's different for different sized cattle and stuff, but um to put that tag in, where is that right place at to help it last long?
00:51:37.679 --> 00:51:37.920
Stay there.
00:51:38.239 --> 00:51:39.760
I mean, I I'm I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go dead.
00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.559
So you got that inner third uh between the two ribs, I'm gonna go dead center on that.
00:51:44.639 --> 00:51:50.480
So I like dead center just to a little bit to the hair towards the tip is probably for our button.
00:51:50.559 --> 00:51:55.119
Again, it's got a it's got a little bit of a lower profile, a shorter profile.
00:51:55.280 --> 00:51:58.960
So we want to provide the space that it has to pendulate.
00:51:59.199 --> 00:52:02.480
You'll you'll know if you've got a successful uh insertion.
00:52:02.559 --> 00:52:08.559
So right after you tag, uh you should be able to swing that thing freely, and that you know you got a good uh insertion on that.
00:52:08.639 --> 00:52:14.400
It shouldn't be the tissue should not be all bunched up, or you got a little bit too close to the head and you're gonna have run into ear problems.
00:52:15.199 --> 00:52:20.000
I've seen a few, well, I d I do know those stick out.
00:52:20.239 --> 00:52:22.079
So, like we're clipping bulls this week.
00:52:22.239 --> 00:52:24.159
You got to see them working on that.
00:52:24.239 --> 00:52:30.159
And uh normally we we're cut we put two Ritchie tags in, one on the left, one on the left ear, one on the right.
00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:35.119
And whenever we put lot tags in, we have to cut out the right, the tag in the right ear.
00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:38.559
And whenever they have those, what'd you call them, clover clover button, yep.
00:52:38.800 --> 00:52:39.199
Clover button.
00:52:39.280 --> 00:52:40.480
We have the clover buttons on there.
00:52:40.639 --> 00:52:46.880
We always have to like cut at it like twice to because it is like wrapped around that ear.
00:52:47.280 --> 00:52:49.039
Solve one problem to discover another.
00:52:49.199 --> 00:52:49.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:54.880
We we've actually received that, you know, as as you progress through the supply chain of we're hard to get off.
00:52:54.960 --> 00:52:56.239
Uh, but that that's that's the point.
00:52:56.880 --> 00:52:57.599
That's really the point.
00:52:57.760 --> 00:53:05.039
So yeah, we're we're gonna err on the side of uh of the rancher side on that, and uh, but yeah, it's it's the point of the the the button.
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:08.079
Um I was gonna ask you, so you get you guys double tag.
00:53:08.239 --> 00:53:11.840
Is that is that just a a backup system for you, or what do you do that for?
00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:13.840
I think it's it's definitely a backup system.
00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:22.559
And I also I think my dad also I think he got to the point where he was like, I think I'll pay a dollar fifty to be able to read that tag from the other side of the cow.
00:53:22.719 --> 00:53:30.079
Like got to where it was frustrating at times to only you know the cow to be that tag to be on the other ear and not being able to see it.
00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:38.960
Uh we always used to put it in the left ear, and then we made that change probably two years ago where it's part of the law now.
00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:40.960
Gotta have one in each ear.
00:53:41.119 --> 00:53:42.159
But that's what it's for.
00:53:42.400 --> 00:53:46.719
You know, we see more and more folks are doing that again as a kind of risk management backup system.
00:53:46.800 --> 00:53:51.840
We get as we've been talking, we got all that that data, that information stored up in that identity.
00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.079
So we want to make sure and preserve that identity.
00:53:54.239 --> 00:54:11.440
And one of the things I've been thinking about, and it's it's not my idea, I learned it at a trade show, but if you if you're you if you want to do the double tagging system and you're using both those large tags, theoretically they have the same fail, what I call failure mode.
00:54:11.519 --> 00:54:17.920
So what I mean by that is they're the same size or in the same placement in the air, they hang down about the same amount.
00:54:18.079 --> 00:54:23.760
So wherever they're getting caught, one is just as likely to get caught as the other in a theory.
00:54:23.840 --> 00:54:38.239
And so one of the one of the things I've been thinking about is maybe change up the size of the second tag, use our medium tag, um, you know, our small or ribbon tag that usually the uh the gopin sheep operators are using, you know, just to change that failure mode.
00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:44.159
And again, you won't be able to see it from really far away, but the point is just to say that identification if uh the other one falls.
00:54:44.639 --> 00:54:45.039
Still have it.
00:54:45.199 --> 00:54:49.760
Yeah, in which we we have a a couple of forms being on the registered side, we have a couple forms.
00:54:49.920 --> 00:54:52.719
We have that EID which pair which is paired to an ID.
00:54:52.880 --> 00:54:54.079
We have the tattoo in the ear.
00:54:54.320 --> 00:54:55.280
Yeah, oh, you're doing the tattoos.
00:54:55.519 --> 00:54:56.719
Yeah, doing tattoos.
00:54:56.880 --> 00:54:59.679
We don't brand the identification on, thankfully.
00:54:59.840 --> 00:55:01.199
That'd be a mess.
00:55:01.599 --> 00:55:04.960
My goodness, that would be that would be a gosh.
00:55:05.199 --> 00:55:08.800
And then uh, but yeah, tattoos, e ID, and tag.
00:55:08.960 --> 00:55:09.679
So we take identification.
00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:11.039
Yeah, you're doubling and tripling up on it.
00:55:11.199 --> 00:55:12.079
We we take it very seriously.
00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:13.599
There's a lot of value in that identity.
00:55:13.760 --> 00:55:15.360
I mean, you you guys know that better than me.
00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:15.679
Yeah.
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:20.639
I mean, you look at I mean last year, last sale we had a bull go for$150,000.
00:55:20.719 --> 00:55:30.559
And if we would have swapped him because two bulls lost their tag and they got a ten thousand dollar bull, I think they would be a little upset.
00:55:30.719 --> 00:55:34.159
I think they'd be a little upset instead of getting their$150,000 bull.
00:55:34.400 --> 00:55:34.800
Yeah, yeah.
00:55:34.960 --> 00:55:43.039
Going back to and I I realize there's more involved in in how much you guys do, but that that gateway is is that dumb$1.50 year tag.
00:55:43.920 --> 00:55:44.000
Yeah.
00:55:45.440 --> 00:55:46.639
That's the gateway to this whole thing.
00:55:46.719 --> 00:55:55.280
But I mean, of course, you guys are then investing loads more time and effort to to build that identity, build that story of that animal.
00:55:56.159 --> 00:56:13.039
And we we used to buy them from y'all and we would just dremel them ourselves, which is like people can still do if they don't want to buy it lasered or and we keep a couple extra bags so that when tags fall out and we need to put one on that we can just dremel it right away.
00:56:13.360 --> 00:56:31.920
But the the laser engraved, I remember, I remember when we switched to the laser engraved, because then because the cowboys handwriting that we or my handwriting wasn't exactly as good as that laser engravement and and being able to read it, but nothing's more frustrating.
00:56:32.079 --> 00:56:36.559
And my dad used to get to me on our like our calf tags that we write on.
00:56:36.719 --> 00:56:41.599
Um he's like, You spend all that time to tag the animal, and I can't read your handwriting.
00:56:41.840 --> 00:56:44.079
Like that's what that's what you're gonna do.
00:56:44.400 --> 00:56:49.840
So not only is tagging important, but the laser engraving, holy cow, makes it so easy to read.
00:56:50.239 --> 00:56:53.519
You you ask how the customer base has changed, at least since since I've been around.
00:56:53.599 --> 00:57:07.920
And I think maybe when I started, and these are kind of generalized numbers, I would say maybe half uh of our customer base bought a blank tag and are doing the drumline just like you're talking, and and we did the engraving, or one of our engraver partners uh did the engraving for them.
00:57:08.239 --> 00:57:15.519
And you know, folks are uh we we've been on a good run in this industry and making a little bit more money, and so I think that started to shift.
00:57:15.679 --> 00:57:24.400
We're probably more like 60 to 65 percent that we're doing the engraving for them, nice, uh saving them the time and energy and effort, and uh they're investing a little bit more.
00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:32.239
But yeah, I mean uh I've seen some attempts uh at some hand uh dremeling and yeah.
00:57:33.119 --> 00:57:38.239
It's it's it's easy, uh, you know, it but it does come back to your handwriting.
00:57:38.320 --> 00:57:38.639
It really does.
00:57:39.360 --> 00:57:39.679
Absolutely.
00:57:39.920 --> 00:57:41.199
Yeah, it really does.
00:57:41.519 --> 00:57:47.920
Those uh oh, where was I gonna go with that?
00:57:48.079 --> 00:57:51.280
Um handwriting, the dremeling.
00:57:52.639 --> 00:57:53.760
I hate it when that happens.
00:57:54.480 --> 00:57:58.159
Trying to go back to where I'll I had the perfect question for you.
00:57:59.360 --> 00:58:00.320
Not really the perfect one.
00:58:00.719 --> 00:58:03.039
It it it it's also one of the things that sets us apart.
00:58:03.199 --> 00:58:06.079
Um because and and you you said it right there.
00:58:06.239 --> 00:58:12.880
If if you need an emergency tag, you can grab that Dremel, you can permanently engrave that number on there, and you're off to the races.
00:58:13.119 --> 00:58:20.559
You don't need to put a temporary tag on there just because you you couldn't find one or you lost one, you can do that right there at the shoot if you need to.
00:58:21.199 --> 00:58:26.400
And our now, whenever our cooperators send their bulls, they have to have the tags already in there.
00:58:26.480 --> 00:58:26.559
Yeah.
00:58:26.800 --> 00:58:37.760
We used to put them in there, but now we've my dad loves it so much that when the bull shows up, they either have to bring the tags with them to put in or they already have to be in.
00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:40.000
Which is Yeah, it's all said in awesome.
00:58:40.320 --> 00:58:40.800
It's been great for us.
00:58:41.920 --> 00:58:42.320
Great idea.
00:58:42.400 --> 00:58:42.559
Yeah.
00:58:42.719 --> 00:58:43.440
It's been really good.
00:58:43.519 --> 00:58:49.039
But bulls will do what bulls do and they hurt themselves or lose a tag or something.
00:58:49.119 --> 00:58:51.039
Yeah, bulls are tough on tags, that's for sure.
00:58:51.360 --> 00:58:59.440
Rubbing up against our feed efficiency system or our that water intake deal, like all that is just perfect for something to grab.
00:59:00.079 --> 00:59:09.280
You know, and and when we get reports of lost tags, you know, we we really work with our customer success team to be you know curious and not judgmental.
00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:12.559
We're not trying to talk at the rancher and tell them what they're doing right or wrong.
00:59:12.719 --> 00:59:14.159
We're trying to help them work the problem.
00:59:14.239 --> 00:59:16.159
You know, why are these tags getting lost?
00:59:16.239 --> 00:59:31.199
You know, uh, and so we we become kind of little investigators of when when did they get lost, like who all was tagging, uh was it one or twenty, and or twenty, is twenty tags a half a percent of your operation or eighty percent of your operation?
00:59:31.360 --> 00:59:39.039
And you know, one of the things we'll try to work through is you know, all those pieces of equipment you just described, you know, those are all tag snatchers.
00:59:39.119 --> 00:59:45.760
Uh and so trying to figure out where those tags are coming out on an operation is something we do our best to try to help customers with.
00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:49.840
And then try to eliminate that, yeah, eliminate that that failure right there.
00:59:50.159 --> 00:59:54.320
Yeah, what a different way to take it to as a part of the customer service.
00:59:55.280 --> 00:59:56.559
That's part of that a little bit better.
00:59:56.880 --> 00:59:58.559
You know, not more, a little bit better.
00:59:58.719 --> 01:00:01.679
And you know, I I will always say we have a long ways to go.
01:00:01.840 --> 01:00:16.480
I our our customer success team, I think, is one of the best, but I will always challenge them to get a little bit a little bit better, know a little bit more about their customers, get a little bit deeper uh onto their operation to try to see things through their eyes and help them work those problems.
01:00:16.880 --> 01:00:19.440
So you're six years into owning the company.
01:00:20.079 --> 01:00:22.719
What do the next six look like?
01:00:23.920 --> 01:00:28.800
You know, we it and I I keep saying this, and it's so I I gotta stick to my guns.
01:00:29.119 --> 01:00:30.480
It's just getting a little bit better every day.
01:00:30.639 --> 01:00:32.079
You know, we we really believe that.
01:00:32.159 --> 01:00:38.000
Um, you know, this year's kind of a reset year for us as we you know get to know our new facility.
01:00:38.079 --> 01:00:39.440
Uh it's amazing.
01:00:39.599 --> 01:00:43.280
You know, we we became really good at operating with no space.
01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:47.280
And now we've got all the space in the world, and like, where should this go and where should that go?
01:00:47.360 --> 01:00:54.960
And you know, we're we we have to kind of live in that space for some time uh to figure out what's the most efficient way to use that space.
01:00:55.039 --> 01:00:59.679
Uh on top of that, you know, unfortunately we're weren't able to bring our entire team with us.
01:00:59.760 --> 01:01:03.199
Like I would have loved to have just been able to pick the team up, move it to Fort Collins.
01:01:03.679 --> 01:01:13.440
But uh most, you know, our executive management team all made it, our customer success team all made it, but it's the hourly people with that institutional knowledge.
01:01:13.519 --> 01:01:24.960
Uh, you know, we had a lady that'd been with us for 30 years, um, but there were just were some folks that were multi-generational, what I call Brightonians or people from Brighton, Colorado, that just couldn't make the move.
01:01:25.199 --> 01:01:30.239
So we've had to go out and replace those, replace that knowledge, replace that expertise.
01:01:30.320 --> 01:01:35.199
Uh, just ask folks to be a little patient with us this year as we kind of make this transition.
01:01:35.360 --> 01:01:40.480
But we're we're still getting our feet underneath us, but we're we're back up and running, all the machines are going.
01:01:40.639 --> 01:01:44.320
Uh you know, and it just sets the stage for for what's to come.
01:01:44.480 --> 01:01:51.119
Uh, and I and I think you know, there's not going to be any crazy announcements for Richie jumping into something that we don't know a lot about.
01:01:51.440 --> 01:02:04.559
Uh some of our improvements, you know, you might not even know about just because they're incremental improvements that we know that we're testing the crap out of to make that tag stand just a little bit longer, uh, that customer experience a little bit better.
01:02:04.719 --> 01:02:08.320
Um, you know, if if one person's tags fall out, I get upset.
01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:09.119
I really do.
01:02:09.199 --> 01:02:10.960
I it's one of these things that I take to heart.
01:02:11.039 --> 01:02:25.519
Um, just because of uh my mom's side of the family and and where that part comes from, uh, you know, I I I know how hard you all work, and the very least I can do is to get this one small thing right for you.
01:02:26.000 --> 01:02:31.119
Uh so until I get no complaints, we're on an ever-ending journey to get a little bit better.
01:02:31.599 --> 01:02:34.239
I remembered what my question was earlier.
01:02:34.559 --> 01:02:36.880
Had to write it down so I wouldn't forget again.
01:02:37.119 --> 01:02:46.320
Uh, but with that laser engraver, and who knows what's going to happen in the next six years with the technology you can use for it, but you'll put some really neat things on the tags.
01:02:46.559 --> 01:02:49.760
Like not just data and ID and stuff.
01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:50.239
Yeah.
01:02:50.559 --> 01:02:52.559
You you can do some crazy things with that laser.
01:02:52.719 --> 01:02:57.760
I mean, it's uh, and and I we have several partners around the country.
01:02:57.920 --> 01:03:06.320
Um, you know, most of them are ranchers that that also they buy our tags and at wholesale and then they have their own laser engraving operations, they do an incredible job.
01:03:06.480 --> 01:03:09.599
But yeah, what that what that laser can do is is crazy.
01:03:09.679 --> 01:03:13.519
And we we use it in social media, but I mean it can put shadows on the tag.
01:03:13.599 --> 01:03:18.400
I mean, it can just take off just a little bit uh of that plastics, it changes color.
01:03:18.559 --> 01:03:33.519
Um, but you know, more more broadly speaking, what's another thing that's been interesting me, uh Tucker, is that when the as the word gets out and spreads that we've got this ID tag that doesn't fade over time, I mean we we get some crazy calls.
01:03:33.599 --> 01:03:46.639
So it's it's not only ranchers, uh, we've got tags on pelican wings, we've got tags underneath the ocean on this coral research project, oil and gas, um, vineyards all over the place.
01:03:46.800 --> 01:03:53.440
So, really, where there's uh a need for identity, visual identity, uh that can stand the test of mother nature.
01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:55.119
We theoretically have a spot.
01:03:55.280 --> 01:04:06.320
Now, you know, the the ag producer will always be, always has been our bread and butter, but some of the calls we get are are are pretty fun to kind of think about what if.
01:04:06.639 --> 01:04:10.000
Yeah, I've never thought outside the the cattle industry.
01:04:10.320 --> 01:04:13.199
Yeah, so if I mean I have like with sheep and goats and stuff, sure.
01:04:13.679 --> 01:04:15.119
But not outside the livestock industry.
01:04:15.440 --> 01:04:35.599
Yeah, if you take a step back and you don't think cow tag or goat tag or sheep tag, uh it really there's so many applications to where this uh, you know, I I say technology, even though it's been around a really long time, I almost have a hard time using that word, but yeah, the the manufacturing process and you know our special little thing that we do, it's got a lot of applications in this world.
01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:44.880
And you know, I think it's certainly smart for us to diversify as a business uh using the same product, um, and uh but always stay close to home.
01:04:45.840 --> 01:04:46.239
Huh.
01:04:48.239 --> 01:04:51.119
That I've just never thought about being on a pelican.
01:04:51.519 --> 01:04:52.079
Pelican week.
01:04:52.159 --> 01:04:59.920
Yeah, there's this big uh there's this uh Canadian group doing a big uh migration study, and they chose our tag as the best that they had tested at least.
01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:16.800
There's uh another group off the coast of Florida that's put our tags again underneath the ocean, and they're they're helping regrow the coral reefs and doing a lot of study uh about warming environments around the coast of Florida, and uh just some just some really cool and fun, interesting things that are happening with our tags.
01:05:17.840 --> 01:05:19.199
That that is fun.
01:05:19.760 --> 01:05:28.400
Well, this is one of the funner segments, or scary for me, because you get to become the host as it becomes the Richie Tags or the Bryce Kelly podcast.
01:05:28.639 --> 01:05:28.880
Hey.
01:05:29.119 --> 01:05:33.039
You get to guide the direction, guide the guide the conversation, direct conversation.
01:05:33.199 --> 01:05:36.960
You get to ask questions, could be to Morgan, could be to Briley.
01:05:37.199 --> 01:05:39.280
Most of the times they just come at me, though.
01:05:40.480 --> 01:05:41.280
I get to go.
01:05:41.440 --> 01:05:41.920
You're in.
01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:46.880
Okay, fellas and I I I love the way you were opening your podcast.
01:05:47.039 --> 01:05:48.719
I'm like, oh, that's impressive right there.
01:05:49.039 --> 01:05:57.280
You know, one of the questions I have for you, so we we've got this saying uh at Ritchie called make your mark with the tag that never fades.
01:05:57.599 --> 01:06:05.440
It's got a dual meaning in that we've Talked about how you can physically engrave your number in that tag, i.e., make your mark on that tag.
01:06:05.920 --> 01:06:09.360
Never fades in terms that'll be readable for the life of the animal, right?
01:06:09.920 --> 01:06:13.440
Both of those phrases have a double meaning for us.
01:06:13.599 --> 01:06:22.719
Um and so uh when I think about make your mark, uh, how does Tucker make his mark uh on an operation that's been around for so long and so successful?
01:06:23.119 --> 01:06:23.440
Yeah.
01:06:23.760 --> 01:06:25.920
This segment brought to you by Richie Tag.
01:06:29.679 --> 01:06:30.480
Great question.
01:06:30.639 --> 01:06:46.639
And uh we talked a little bit about that's a that's a question our family likes to likes to ask and and to the not the solution, but the the opportunity for the solution to that problem comes in the form of when you come back, you come back with a business plan.
01:06:46.960 --> 01:06:57.039
So that no matter of the 17 in my generation, whether it was one that came back or all 17, that you had some sort of mark that was yours.
01:06:57.360 --> 01:07:12.639
And not only would that give us some sort of personal attachment um besides being a part of the Brown family, but like that little piece was ours that that we could make our own, that we could fail with, that we could succeed with.
01:07:13.519 --> 01:07:16.079
Turns out most of the first ones actually fail.
01:07:16.559 --> 01:07:27.920
But uh, but as we can I think part of that I think that's what makes it so good is that it kind of made us not afraid of failure because a lot of us did fail on that first one that came back.
01:07:28.320 --> 01:07:30.880
Um, but to try again and then make it work.
01:07:31.199 --> 01:07:48.559
And so my brother has found his with horses and training and making his mark on the on the horse industry and the ranch, and then uh me doing it with uh with media and with marketing and with speaking and the industry as as a whole, kind of being a spokesperson for for it.
01:07:49.280 --> 01:08:08.719
I think uh I'm thankful that my grandparents made that because that has made our family I believe that's made our family want to come back to the ranch because we knew that we could add a piece of our that we could make our mark and be a piece of the ranch rather than just be under or behind the ranch brand.
01:08:09.039 --> 01:08:16.000
Um so super thankful for my grandparents visualizing that, being a visionary and seeing how that would help us.
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:20.800
And I'd because 15 of the 17 of us are back on a ranch in some sort of fashion.
01:08:21.119 --> 01:08:21.680
That's incredible.
01:08:21.920 --> 01:08:23.039
I think it I think it worked.
01:08:23.279 --> 01:08:24.239
I think it worked quite well.
01:08:24.399 --> 01:08:24.560
Yeah.
01:08:24.720 --> 01:08:36.079
And now there's 28 in the seventh generation with three of my own that I've got to pass that thing down to, pass that principle down to of making your mark.
01:08:36.239 --> 01:08:49.359
I think it's super important because a lot of times what we've seen in agriculture is that when you come back to the ranch, you don't get to make your mark until you're 50 or 60 years old when when mom and dad finally pass away.
01:08:49.920 --> 01:08:58.560
And I think our the generation and culture now is changing to recognizing the importance of people being able to make their own mark on that.
01:08:58.720 --> 01:08:59.760
So super thankful for that.
01:08:59.840 --> 01:09:01.279
I can ramble about that for a long time.
01:09:01.359 --> 01:09:02.880
But great, great answer.
01:09:02.960 --> 01:09:07.680
And and you know, it makes me think about my own journey and and how it led to Richie.
01:09:07.920 --> 01:09:10.239
You know, I spent uh 20 plus years.
01:09:10.560 --> 01:09:19.920
I I grew up in the the dry little bean warehouses uh loading rail cars, and we we don't have 17 people uh in the family, but I had an uncle and father and brother and three or four cousins.
01:09:20.079 --> 01:09:29.760
And you know, I uh was a young, aggressive, probably not so patient uh business person that kind of wanted to make my own mark, which which led uh to where where I am today.
01:09:30.079 --> 01:09:45.840
So um yeah, it's I like that the as you know those family business dynamics uh can be it can be something that no one else in the world has to experience, and yet on it can be some of the toughest the most challenging times to deal with as well.
01:09:46.079 --> 01:09:53.760
So you know when you sit over a Thanksgiving dinner and you're arguing about the bean markets or the cattle markets, it's like you know, it's just part of the part of the thing there.
01:09:54.079 --> 01:09:54.960
Yeah, it really isn't it?
01:09:55.039 --> 01:09:55.279
Yeah.
01:09:55.520 --> 01:10:08.640
No, I d I always um I remember hearing my dad whenever I was a kid, he was talking about marketing and how not marketing if you don't market, it's like winking at a girl in the dark and nobody knows what's going on but you.
01:10:08.960 --> 01:10:17.520
And so it doesn't matter how good your tag is, how long or how good your bulls are, but if nobody knows, like it doesn't matter.
01:10:17.840 --> 01:10:18.159
Yeah.
01:10:20.239 --> 01:10:29.039
And so I I guess I took that to heart as a kid, and ever since then I've been a storyteller, and now I just get to use those stories on social media.
01:10:29.199 --> 01:10:35.359
I have like the best job because I get to everybody loves to talk about their cows, but now I kind of get paid to talk about them.
01:10:35.439 --> 01:10:36.479
Like it's the best thing.
01:10:37.600 --> 01:10:51.279
Another thing I love about this industry is you know, if even if you have like a new producer coming in, uh there's there's so many resources for them to turn to, whether it's uh the extension and the university system or or podcasts like yours to learn.
01:10:51.359 --> 01:10:57.279
I mean, these they're coming into the industry, they're new, they're curious, they there's a lot for them to learn, a lot for them to learn.
01:10:57.439 --> 01:11:02.399
So yeah, I just respect and appreciate uh what you're what you're doing and accomplishing with this.
01:11:03.279 --> 01:11:05.039
Another question for you, if I may, sir.
01:11:05.359 --> 01:11:05.600
Of course.
01:11:06.079 --> 01:11:10.000
You know, we uh we don't shy away from our problems at Richie.
01:11:10.159 --> 01:11:11.520
We stand behind our product.
01:11:11.760 --> 01:11:19.840
So from your perspective, if there was one thing I could take home that you thought I could do to make us a better company for you, what would it be?
01:11:21.199 --> 01:11:22.159
Oh man.
01:11:25.600 --> 01:11:31.920
I think you should do more videos with that registered ranching guy, I just think would I come back anytime.
01:11:32.079 --> 01:11:32.399
Yeah.
01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:32.880
Man.
01:11:34.319 --> 01:11:59.199
That's a well I think the more I think everybody has their ideas of how tags could be better, but then once you learn about the problems of making it and how making it last, and just the problem of making a different color last, or the the the laws in different countries of making it fail, like all of that gives me a new appreciation for the production of the tag and how it works.
01:11:59.680 --> 01:12:11.920
Uh and so yeah, fixing a problem or or or something that I could see on the make it better side is really hard for me to come up with.
01:12:12.239 --> 01:12:17.279
Because I I say it mo I say it a lot where I don't want to tell Tom Brady where to throw the football.
01:12:18.079 --> 01:12:19.840
And I kind of feel like that at the moment.
01:12:19.920 --> 01:12:25.439
I'm sitting here at the table with the the CEO, the owner, the guy who's learned a ton in the last six years on the tags.
01:12:25.680 --> 01:12:29.680
Um, but gosh, is there a better way?
01:12:29.840 --> 01:12:34.159
Uh maybe a maybe a wish list.
01:12:35.279 --> 01:12:37.039
Is there is there a way?
01:12:39.359 --> 01:12:45.760
Because of its simplicity, it makes it difficult to change.
01:12:46.479 --> 01:12:52.720
Um whenever as we look at more of these we love new technology, right?
01:12:52.880 --> 01:12:54.560
Our ranch tags, we we love to use new tags.
01:12:57.119 --> 01:13:08.079
We're using two tags, and so there's these new smart tags coming out that take space in the ear, but don't show the identification of the animal.
01:13:09.680 --> 01:13:19.119
Is there a way to use a smart tag and still have an identification tag in the same ear?
01:13:19.439 --> 01:13:25.760
Yeah, I you know, it has kind of started out like I'm more bullish than ever before on that visual identity.
01:13:25.840 --> 01:13:31.359
I I I think our solution uh for longevity is a strong one.
01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:37.600
So can you marry what's always worked and what we know will continue to work with what's coming along?
01:13:37.760 --> 01:13:44.000
I I think the answer is absolutely yes, and I would be shocked if you don't see something you know like that in the in the years to come.
01:13:44.159 --> 01:13:47.359
So I think that's uh that's a that's a big ask, man.
01:13:47.439 --> 01:13:49.039
But I'll I'll get to work on it.
01:13:49.359 --> 01:13:55.279
Well, you know those six years ago, the like smart tags were right not.
01:13:56.079 --> 01:13:58.560
I mean, if they were they were very unaffordable.
01:13:59.039 --> 01:14:09.840
And in just a matter of six years, we have the tag, the technologic, the technology tag and smart tag industry has changed a ton.
01:14:11.359 --> 01:14:19.279
And I've I've met several of those guys and just some really good people uh as well working on those products, and and and you're absolutely right.
01:14:19.359 --> 01:14:29.279
It it blows my mind what some of those tags in terms of adding to your pool of knowledge, uh, I I think is truly spectacular.
01:14:29.520 --> 01:14:40.560
And you know, that's that's this thing about identity is uh you know, so many folks are are are they well aware of the basic things that happen with their animals day in, day out.
01:14:40.640 --> 01:14:50.960
And I just always do encourage them to go just a little bit deeper, learn a little bit more uh about who that animal is, because ultimately, you know, um you're gonna make the better decisions.
01:14:51.039 --> 01:15:14.000
And and that's what I would also suggest is that anytime you are thinking about investing in in one of these new technologies, the first question you probably need to answer is what decision am I, what what am I gonna do differently now that I've got that data and that information that I wasn't gonna do before that?
01:15:14.239 --> 01:15:19.760
And if you can answer that and provide an ROI to it, then it's a it's a slam dunk.
01:15:20.159 --> 01:15:27.359
If you can't answer some of those basic questions, you know, then then all this data becomes really expensive trivia in my mind.
01:15:27.520 --> 01:15:37.600
And so I just encourage folks to think about, you know, as as they're looking at at all of these amazing products out there, is like, how will I do things differently because of this?
01:15:38.720 --> 01:15:46.239
Yeah, we I mean we had that conversation, I mean not really, but a very similar conversation talking about the water intake measurements.
01:15:46.560 --> 01:15:54.319
That we have the opportunity to measure water intake, but would it change what anything we do?
01:15:54.560 --> 01:15:56.319
Like it not right now.
01:15:56.560 --> 01:15:57.439
No, yeah, not yet.
01:15:58.000 --> 01:15:59.439
We wouldn't change anything.
01:15:59.760 --> 01:16:04.800
It's like uh yeah, this is the most water efficient bull I don't think any I don't think anybody's paying for.
01:16:05.119 --> 01:16:05.680
Right, right.
01:16:05.920 --> 01:16:07.520
Maybe out in Arizona or something.
01:16:07.840 --> 01:16:09.520
But yeah, I just excited.
01:16:09.600 --> 01:16:12.079
Uh we're we're bullish, if you will, on technology.
01:16:12.239 --> 01:16:17.920
We really are, and uh again, I think as we gather more information about that animal, we know them better.
01:16:18.079 --> 01:16:23.680
It becomes even more important for the human being to just look across, you know, outside his pickup and see who that is.
01:16:23.920 --> 01:16:36.000
Um I I constantly think of this this rancher I know in Nebraska, and he's putting out some of the best beef in the country right now, and he uses a Ritchie tag and a three-notch on the air system, doesn't use anything else.
01:16:36.239 --> 01:16:57.119
And they've been doing this for generations, and it's a very strong system that they they understand what that means, they know what to look for, and you know, so you can be super, super successful at these things, but I just wonder how more successful they could be if they start to dig a little bit deeper and see what else is out there and show up and mean it and get a little bit better.
01:16:57.439 --> 01:16:58.159
Yes, sir.
01:16:58.960 --> 01:17:07.279
Well, um I'll anything else before we before we start to land the plane, anything else that they need to know about Ritchie Tags?
01:17:08.399 --> 01:17:17.279
So when we were driving around on your operation, Tucker, you were pointing out to me, you know, that different colors of Ritchie Tags mean different things to you guys.
01:17:17.439 --> 01:17:24.239
So I guess my last question for you what do you think our top selling colors are at Ritchie Tags?
01:17:25.039 --> 01:17:26.479
Top selling.
01:17:28.800 --> 01:17:37.920
I feel like this is a trick question because uh my mind, I'm gonna say the yeah, I'll just say the one I'm gonna jump into the trap.
01:17:38.159 --> 01:17:38.960
I feel like it's a trap.
01:17:39.039 --> 01:17:40.079
I'm gonna jump into it.
01:17:40.319 --> 01:18:00.399
I think they would be white, black, uh white, black, yellow, and blue, the light blue.
01:18:00.560 --> 01:18:01.680
Oh, it was so close.
01:18:01.840 --> 01:18:02.800
It was so close, yeah.
01:18:02.960 --> 01:18:10.399
So yellow and black by far and away are number one, followed by white, black, followed by red, white, followed by black, white.
01:18:10.640 --> 01:18:15.279
So you you're the blue white just outside of that, probably top four or five.
01:18:15.439 --> 01:18:26.079
But it's you know, I think we offer 13 or 14 different color combinations, and and I love to learn about how folks use those different color combinations.
01:18:26.239 --> 01:18:33.520
Uh, you know, from uh you have multiple families running on the same land to differentiating who owns what to different birth years.
01:18:33.680 --> 01:18:38.319
And you guys were saying, what was the reasoning for the different colors you guys were using?
01:18:39.039 --> 01:18:44.399
We use we use the red tag, let's see, let's start easier.
01:18:44.640 --> 01:18:46.079
The white tags are purebred.
01:18:46.399 --> 01:18:49.279
So if it's a black animal, it's purebred black Angus.
01:18:49.359 --> 01:18:51.439
If it's a red animal, it's purebred red angus.
01:18:51.600 --> 01:18:59.760
And then there if if it's a mixture of the two, then we're you doing if it's a black red Angus cross, we use a black tag with the white.
01:19:00.560 --> 01:19:05.680
All of I guess I should restart because it's always the two colors, like you mentioned.
01:19:06.399 --> 01:19:09.600
The white tag with the black inside, what do you call it?
01:19:09.840 --> 01:19:10.560
The white with the white inside.
01:19:10.720 --> 01:19:12.239
White core, white core, yep.
01:19:13.520 --> 01:19:14.560
Is what we have most.
01:19:14.720 --> 01:19:19.039
And then the the black tag with the white core, we use for our black-red crosses.
01:19:19.279 --> 01:19:26.720
Then the cementol, depending on what percent cementol they are, if they're a quarter cementol, they're semangus crosses.
01:19:26.880 --> 01:19:32.079
So if they're a quarter cementol, three-quarter angus, they get an orange tag with the black core.
01:19:32.399 --> 01:19:35.920
If they're 50-50, then they get a red tag with a black core.
01:19:36.000 --> 01:19:43.520
And if they are three-quarter semi, then they get it's a that's the yellow tag with the black core.
01:19:43.680 --> 01:19:46.560
Is your yellow tag with the white one more popular or the black?
01:19:46.880 --> 01:19:48.159
So we just have a yellow with a black.
01:19:48.479 --> 01:19:48.800
Okay, okay.
01:19:48.960 --> 01:19:50.319
Yeah, we don't offer yellow with white core.
01:19:50.560 --> 01:19:51.359
I figure that might be hard.
01:19:51.439 --> 01:19:55.600
I was thinking out loud to myself, like, man, that must be a little hard to see if it was yellow on white.
01:19:55.920 --> 01:20:02.880
Yeah, and it it's just one more reason, and kind of going back to what we were talking about earlier, why I'm bullish on visual ID, because of the color system, right?
01:20:03.039 --> 01:20:04.479
Uh you don't have no yet.
01:20:04.640 --> 01:20:10.000
We don't have any EIDs yet that can flash that quick color to let you know all those things you just said.
01:20:10.399 --> 01:20:10.720
Right away.
01:20:11.039 --> 01:20:11.600
Right away.
01:20:11.760 --> 01:20:24.079
And and I can tell you that, you know, I know folks, uh, and I'm thinking of a rancher specifically out of uh Nebraska right now, they use every one of our 14 colors, and it means different things, and they wish I would add 10 more colors.
01:20:24.239 --> 01:20:32.560
So it's a very color-complex management system, if you will, but it you know it means a lot to them, and they could tell in an instant what's going on with that animal.
01:20:32.960 --> 01:20:33.680
That's interesting.
01:20:33.840 --> 01:20:34.159
Yeah.
01:20:34.399 --> 01:20:34.960
That's interesting.
01:20:35.039 --> 01:20:41.039
And you mentioned earlier you said all of that product you'd get in the U.S.
01:20:41.840 --> 01:20:46.319
So, yeah, we I mean we are a manufacturer of tags in Colorado.
01:20:46.479 --> 01:20:50.000
So we are sourcing the virgin resin uh out of Texas.
01:20:50.159 --> 01:20:56.800
We bring it up to Colorado to manufacture that tag in Colorado, and we have been since 1964.
01:20:56.960 --> 01:21:01.520
Uh, we're also able to use as as best we can any excess plastic.
01:21:01.600 --> 01:21:13.840
Uh, we we try to be uh as green-friendly as we can and and good to our uh God-given planet here, but um, we use as much as the re what regrinding the plastic industry uh use as much of that as we possibly can.
01:21:13.920 --> 01:21:21.760
And we've got a few clever little ideas that I can't talk quite about yet that use even more of that uh really regrind product.
01:21:21.840 --> 01:21:22.079
Yep.
01:21:22.800 --> 01:21:25.279
You're gonna have to have an episode 2.0 to reveal.
01:21:25.520 --> 01:21:26.560
Yeah, I'd love to be back.
01:21:26.640 --> 01:21:33.039
But no, it's I I tell you what, uh could we uh figure out a way to make a richie tag cheaper in another country?
01:21:33.359 --> 01:21:39.600
Answer is probably yes, but this is part of our DNA, it's part of who we are, it's part of who we always have been.
01:21:39.760 --> 01:21:46.319
And uh as as far as I'm concerned, as long as I'm in charge of this company, we're gonna be manufacturing things at our new facility in Fort Collins.
01:21:47.199 --> 01:21:47.920
Bring it on.
01:21:48.000 --> 01:21:49.359
That's red, white, and blue right there.
01:21:49.600 --> 01:21:50.079
Yes, sir.
01:21:50.319 --> 01:21:51.680
You have any American flags?
01:21:51.920 --> 01:21:52.399
Any what?
01:21:52.560 --> 01:21:54.239
You have any American flags on the tags?
01:21:54.960 --> 01:22:03.359
You know, we have so we don't have a red, white, and blue tag, but we've done some cool posts over time that has our red and white or blue and white or white and black.
01:22:03.439 --> 01:22:06.079
We've done some fun posts for Fourth of July and some of those things.
01:22:06.159 --> 01:22:06.399
Yeah.
01:22:06.720 --> 01:22:12.319
How is your um your one of your social media managers, one of your newer ones?
01:22:13.920 --> 01:22:14.239
Ms.
01:22:14.319 --> 01:22:14.640
Morgan?
01:22:14.800 --> 01:22:15.199
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:22:15.439 --> 01:22:18.239
Yeah, you've read I she's done a great job.
01:22:18.399 --> 01:22:18.880
We love her.
01:22:19.039 --> 01:22:27.680
Yeah, we I I honestly, and I even you know, she's sitting in the room, but uh Serena, Morgan, Jeff, uh, we've got a small but mighty team.
01:22:27.760 --> 01:22:30.640
They're doing some really cool, cool stuff for us.
01:22:30.800 --> 01:22:46.239
Like uh our our growth, uh, even in this uh industry where we have less and less cattle uh than when we started, um it's it's been it's been impressive, uh I I would argue in a business sense, and uh those three have a lot to do with it.
01:22:46.319 --> 01:22:48.079
So Morgan, officially, thank you.
01:22:48.319 --> 01:22:49.279
We appreciate you.
01:22:49.680 --> 01:22:50.880
Shout out, Morgan.
01:22:51.199 --> 01:23:00.720
Yeah, she uh was doing our social media, and then whenever they made this made their change, then left it with me, and everyone was like, Your social media change.
01:23:00.880 --> 01:23:03.199
I was like, Well, yeah, now it's not Morgan doing it.
01:23:03.600 --> 01:23:04.560
There's an art too.
01:23:05.119 --> 01:23:06.800
There is a talent and art to that stuff.
01:23:06.960 --> 01:23:13.039
I I tried to do a little of our own in the first two months and quickly realized that I am not user.
01:23:13.359 --> 01:23:15.279
Uh this is not my specialty in this world.
01:23:15.600 --> 01:23:15.920
No.
01:23:17.439 --> 01:23:18.560
It is it's tough.
01:23:18.800 --> 01:23:19.119
It is.
01:23:19.279 --> 01:23:20.079
Shout out, Morgan.
01:23:20.239 --> 01:23:20.560
Yeah.
01:23:22.079 --> 01:23:24.159
Anything else we need to add to that one?
01:23:24.479 --> 01:23:26.079
No, I I think I think we covered it.
01:23:26.159 --> 01:23:28.560
Uh, and we we talked about some of our challenges again.
01:23:28.640 --> 01:23:33.039
I I've had no problem talking about our challenges because that's how that's how we learn and get better.
01:23:33.199 --> 01:23:39.199
Um, you know, sometimes ranchers are they're a nice group of people, they're just a little afraid to raise their hand when something goes wrong.
01:23:39.279 --> 01:23:40.720
And I I encourage you not to do that.
01:23:40.800 --> 01:23:43.520
I encourage you to let us know because we don't run from our problems.
01:23:43.600 --> 01:23:45.279
We we want to know about them.
01:23:45.520 --> 01:23:50.000
Um more bullish than ever before on the on the visual idea itself.
01:23:50.079 --> 01:23:52.319
I like I'm really excited for the future.
01:23:52.479 --> 01:23:54.479
Uh excited for the future of ranching, too.
01:23:54.560 --> 01:23:55.279
So I can tell.
01:23:55.359 --> 01:23:56.720
Yeah, I really feel it.
01:23:56.800 --> 01:23:57.039
Yeah.
01:23:57.359 --> 01:23:58.239
I can feel it.
01:23:58.399 --> 01:24:10.319
Well, um, what is either um one of them or both the best advice you've ever received, and how has your faith played a role in your life?
01:24:11.359 --> 01:24:37.680
You you you warned me that uh advice question was coming, and and I've been trying to think about like a certain person uh and a face really hasn't come to mind uh that someone's given me some some really great advice, but I I know this has come from several people, and just the the act of being curious about things uh I think is uh is an incredible superpower, regardless of where technology goes.
01:24:37.840 --> 01:24:48.960
Uh so the more folks can develop their curiosity, ask smart questions, ask why, I think you know, it's it's it's only really gonna benefit them.
01:24:49.520 --> 01:24:55.039
Um you know, our our our faith, uh my my wife and I are pretty private about our faith.
01:24:55.119 --> 01:25:08.399
Uh but you know, the one thing I will say that you know we we kind of believe we're kind of these First Amendment people that uh believe in the separation and you know believe there's a a place in the day that uh which I have a hard time walking away from work.
01:25:08.880 --> 01:25:09.439
I really do.
01:25:09.840 --> 01:25:18.720
Uh my wife knows that about me, but something that we continue to work on and say, hey, you know, this is this is the day of rest, and uh we're supposed to be doing something other than working right now.
01:25:18.800 --> 01:25:23.039
So of course yeah, that's been a it's been a hard lesson for me to learn, especially as a CEO.
01:25:23.199 --> 01:25:27.920
But uh, you know, Morgan knows Francis and my my wife Frances is very good about it.
01:25:28.079 --> 01:25:31.039
Encourage me to get a little bit better in those parts of my life.
01:25:31.760 --> 01:25:36.239
Well, the the curious part I find so so true.
01:25:36.560 --> 01:25:45.439
Um because you I feel I feel like you learn so much more that way and not rather than being offended, yeah, being curious.
01:25:45.600 --> 01:25:45.920
Yep.
01:25:46.079 --> 01:25:57.279
I mean it's uh it's a lot like you saying, like, well, whenever they call and tell us lost a lot of tags, well, rather than being upset that you put them in wrong, it's like, well, wait, why did they why did they go in wrong?
01:25:57.439 --> 01:25:58.560
Or what is pulling them out?
01:25:58.880 --> 01:26:12.960
Yeah, and it's you know when you really and again we we continually train our customer success team and uh you know and and on our trade show team, but it's it's asking questions and it's a series of specific questions to really get at the root of that problem.
01:26:13.039 --> 01:26:18.640
And um, but that's you know, if it it's kind of how I approach uh business in general.
01:26:18.800 --> 01:26:32.560
You know, I I think making a tag, um, you can be a craftsman uh and just you know continue to get curious, continue to make micro little improvements, but I think you can be a craftsman, you know, building a business too.
01:26:32.640 --> 01:26:41.840
Uh so there's so many places in a general business to get curious around and about, and uh really that curiosity can help at least me uh move towards improvement.
01:26:42.319 --> 01:26:47.760
So someone wanting to there's gonna be so many people order richie tags after this podcast.
01:26:48.000 --> 01:26:48.560
So many.
01:26:48.720 --> 01:26:48.880
Okay.
01:26:49.119 --> 01:26:49.920
I mean, thank you.
01:26:50.079 --> 01:26:57.520
I I mean but if they were if somebody was wanting if somebody look at this hat by the way.
01:26:57.680 --> 01:26:58.640
Look at that thing.
01:26:58.880 --> 01:26:59.840
Carly's gonna love it.
01:27:00.000 --> 01:27:01.039
Yeah, I love that one.
01:27:01.520 --> 01:27:11.119
Um if if somebody's wanting to order Richie tags, and um what's the best way to get a hold of you, and how far out should they be thinking?
01:27:11.279 --> 01:27:16.479
If I'm prepping, if they need to be prepped and ready to go, how far out should they be ordering these?
01:27:16.800 --> 01:27:29.199
So we try to be uh anywhere a person wants to do business with us, so you certainly can go onto our website, Richie Tags R-I-T-C-H-E-Y-T-A-G-S.com.
01:27:29.359 --> 01:27:34.000
We have a full e-commerce site and you can uh you know custom your tags on that site as well.
01:27:34.079 --> 01:27:37.279
We've got this really cool 3D tag design tool.
01:27:37.359 --> 01:27:42.560
Uh, but we're still a company of people, uh, so you're welcome to call us at 1-800-air tags.
01:27:42.800 --> 01:27:46.319
You can also email us at sales at richy tags.com.
01:27:46.560 --> 01:27:52.079
Uh so we we try to whatever's most convenient uh for the producer, uh, we try to be there for them.
01:27:52.239 --> 01:27:59.279
Um, you know, I I generally like to say about four weeks, you know, if you can give us five or six, that's we're grateful for that.
01:27:59.439 --> 01:28:07.520
Uh we do our best for those that forget, and they always forget, um, you know, to try to make some changes for them.
01:28:07.760 --> 01:28:18.000
But with that said, and I've been very stern about this since I've taken over, um, I don't I try not to let big ranchers bully small ranchers.
01:28:18.079 --> 01:28:20.479
And what I mean by that is we have a first in, first out.
01:28:20.640 --> 01:28:22.239
There's a line of people at the door.
01:28:22.399 --> 01:28:26.399
I don't care who you are, get in line and you know, we'll get our tags out as quick as we can.
01:28:26.560 --> 01:28:32.319
So we, you know, we we try to live by that rule of I'm gonna call it fairness for lack of a better word.
01:28:32.479 --> 01:28:32.560
Yeah.
01:28:32.640 --> 01:28:36.800
Uh but I'd say four or five weeks if you could give us that, that would be greatly appreciated.
01:28:36.960 --> 01:28:39.119
And that's for a full custom tag, okay?
01:28:39.199 --> 01:28:44.800
So a blank tag, you know, if you're still doing the engraving yourself, three to five days, we should be able to shoot it out to you, no problem.
01:28:45.039 --> 01:28:45.520
Oh wow.
01:28:45.600 --> 01:28:46.000
Yep.
01:28:46.479 --> 01:28:48.000
So for those people who forgot.
01:28:48.319 --> 01:28:51.279
Yeah, you want to if you don't want to you're gonna be dremeling yourself.
01:28:51.359 --> 01:28:53.279
Yeah you don't want to wait those five or six weeks.
01:28:53.359 --> 01:28:58.319
I mean, and again, we still have a massive group of folks that uh they save themselves a little bit of money.
01:28:58.399 --> 01:29:02.720
Uh they don't they can order at the last second and dremel it and they'll be just fine.
01:29:02.960 --> 01:29:03.439
That's cool.
01:29:03.520 --> 01:29:05.680
Well, Bryce, thank you very much for coming today.
01:29:05.840 --> 01:29:09.199
It was really cool to have you at the ranch and have this conversation, learn more about it from you.
01:29:09.520 --> 01:29:16.159
Yeah, you know, at the end of the day, Tucker, you you do it regardless of how many customers we have, we we do business with people.
01:29:16.319 --> 01:29:27.840
And so it's uh a true honor and privilege of mine uh to be able to come out here face to face, shake your hand, shake your dad's hand, see your operation, get a deeper understanding where it comes from.
01:29:28.000 --> 01:29:31.840
Uh you know, that that makes my my job worthwhile, makes it worth getting up every day.
01:29:31.920 --> 01:29:32.720
So thank you, sir.
01:29:32.880 --> 01:29:41.199
Well, I know you'll have a booth at our bull sale and at WRCA final, bull sale on October 13th and 14th.
01:29:41.279 --> 01:29:42.239
Make sure you come out and see him.
01:29:42.399 --> 01:29:44.239
You can see, I don't know if Rox is gonna make it.
01:29:44.479 --> 01:29:45.439
Uh Morgan's better.
01:29:45.520 --> 01:29:46.399
So Morgan's better.
01:29:46.479 --> 01:29:46.640
Okay.
01:29:46.800 --> 01:29:47.520
Morgan will be there.
01:29:47.600 --> 01:29:48.000
Yeah, Morgan.
01:29:48.159 --> 01:29:50.000
You'll be able to see and touch the tags yourself.
01:29:50.159 --> 01:29:53.039
Uh, but Ricky's tags, we love them.
01:29:53.439 --> 01:29:54.640
Thanks for coming today, Rox.
01:29:54.880 --> 01:29:55.279
Good to have you on.
01:29:55.439 --> 01:29:56.000
Thank you so much.
01:29:56.239 --> 01:29:57.039
Thanks, Morgan.
01:29:57.600 --> 01:29:59.039
Thanks, Riley, in the back.
01:29:59.199 --> 01:30:01.199
You can listen to the Registered Grant and podcast.
01:30:01.279 --> 01:30:02.640
Check out the merch on the wine.
01:30:03.039 --> 01:30:04.800
Morgan is announced for the ends.
01:30:04.880 --> 01:30:05.359
We always love this.
