BUSINESS
BEEFING UP BUSINESS
16 TCBusiness.com
ROBERT ADAMS
Adams Ranch purchased a specialized van in order to branch out and offer direct sales and delivery of its natural beef. Adams Ranch scion and driver Caleb Adams
also delivers fresh beef to the downtown Farmers Market in Fort Pierce.
Adams Ranch reinvents itself by offering direct delivery service
Since Alto Adams Sr. first purchased
ranch land on western Orange Avenue
in St. Lucie County in 1937, the place has
been a constant hive of innovation.
Judge Adams insisted on breeding
his cattle the old-fashioned, natural way
— using little to no chemicals. His son,
Alto Jr. Bud expanded that approach
exponentially, putting Adams Ranch on
the map for ultrasustainable farming and
breeding methods.
Bud Adams’ main claim to worldwide
acclaim lay in his cattle breeding exploits.
He developed the Braford breed by crossing
Brahmin and Hereford cattle. This
produced an animal able to withstand
Florida’s high temperatures while also supplying
the highest quality meat.
Later, he refined his technique even
further with ABEEF cattle, whose meat is
said to be superior in marbling, tenderness
and taste.
Now, since his death in 2017, a new generation
has taken the reins at the ranch.
EXPANDING THE BUSINESS
Sons Mike, Lee and Robbie have
handled day-to-day operations since 1985.
Now the next generation of Adamses is
in the saddle. LeeAnn Simmons, 39, Lee
Adams’ daughter, is corporate secretary
and runs the newest side of the business,
Adams Ranch Natural Beef.
Simmons and her father and uncles decided
to expand the availability of natural
beef by selling direct to local restaurants
and upscale grocery store chains a few
years ago. And even more recently, the
company has branched out to offer direct
sales of beef to retail customers on the
Treasure Coast.
While Adams Ranch still plays its historical
role of cattle breeding and the wholesale
sale of beef, the natural beef side of
the business accounts for an eye-popping
30% of total ranch revenue.
“We still supply 26 Whole Foods stores
in Florida and some restaurants, such as
the Gafford in Stuart, as we have the meat,”
Simmons said.
Another big customer for Adams beef
hamburger patties is the Bokampers chain
of sports bars in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale
area and on the west coast of Florida. >>
BY ANTHONY WESTBURY
/TCBusiness.com