Thursday, March 29, 2012

Visit from Logan West, TAMU COALS

We were very honored today to get a visit from Logan West, Assistant director of development for the TAMU College of Ag. Logan stopped by to give Rachel, Joelynn and Tricia their gifts for being named to the Aggie 100 for the 4th consecutive year.


Monday, March 12, 2012

Rachel Cutrer Featured in The Showbox Magazine

Our president and founder Rachel Cutrer was featured in the March 2012 issue of "The Showbox" Magazine as a former TJLA member spotlight. Here is a copy of the article, written by Cody Trimble.

"A Star Is Born"
Former TJLA Member Spotlight Rachel Cutrer


With a click and a couple punches of keys, anybody can access a website of somebody who sells show stock. In that same amount of time a person can become bored with a website and go to another. This is why businesses strive to have the best site in the livestock industry and that means calling Rachel Cutrer.



Cutrer owns, operates, and started Ranch House Designs (RHD), a web and graphic design firm. Just over a decade ago Cutrer had a dream and the talent and drive to turn it into one of the most respected businesses in the livestock industry.

Cutrer grew up on V8 ranch and at age eight started showing Brahman heifers. She joined the TCCA, started showing every weekend, and from that point on was hooked. She went on to be extremely successful in the TCCA, (TJLA), and at major shows across Texas. During this time she developed the characteristics that have led to her immense success. Being involved in showing was the single most important contributor to her success, Cutrer says.

She also began to develop many relationships with future clients and a few that would mean much more than that. One of those vital relationships was with Dr. Larry Boleman and his family. They first met when Cutrer started showing in the TCCA, Boleman says. At an early age Cutrer’s outgoing personality and work ethic impressed Boleman. Boleman continued to follow Cutrer and her show career for the next 10 years. He could recognize she was a gifted young lady that was “extremely well disciplined and humble in her winnings.”

Cutrer would rise as a leader in her time through showing. She was a TJLA director for four years and president her senior year. While serving she met many professors and extension agents from Texas A&M University. This, coupled with the fact her dad was an A&M alum, contributed to the fact that she grew up an
Aggie convinced her to go to A&M, Cutrer says.

As a State Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Boleman was always looking for potential students to be help with  projects he had in the A&M Animal Science Department. With Cutrer at A&M, she was at the top of Boleman’s list.

“She very quickly distinguished herself in our work and became one of the very best workers in our section that we have ever had at A&M,” Boleman recalls.



It was not only Cutrer making an impression on people, but she was also learning from many mentors herself, like Boleman and Dr. John McNeill. “They gave me the drive to be where I am today,” Cutrer says.

During her time working for beef cattle extension her vision and creativity would shine. She was entrusted with
being part of developing some of the first power points for them, Boleman observes.

After A&M she went to Michigan State University where she majored in Agricultural Communications. She would go back and work at A&M after MSU. She was also working for The Showbox at night and further developing her trade, Cutrer says.

While in college Cutrer was slowly developing her business. In 1998 her family was having a big production

sale and she thought it would be great to have pictures online forinternational customers. She put up a basic site and the response was great, Cutrer recalls. Friends started asking her to make sites for them and the business was born. One of her friends from showing, Ingrid Tusa, would become one of the first clients in
2001 and is still a client to this day, Tusa adds.

“Because of this longtime relationship, Rachel and her staff know what we expect and what we are looking for,” Tusa says.  “They continue to impress us with their amazing and creative work and this is why we continue to be a client.”

In 2003 Cutrer started the business full time and in 2005 would move back to the ranch and open her first office in Wharton, Texas. The business has seen steady growth since then, up to 500 website customers now, Cutrer says.

Lessons learned in the show ring have led to this success for Cutrer. From the start she has strived to accomplish her biggest goal, help her customers succeed,Cutrer points out.

“My goal is to be as helpful and thoughtful to others as I can,” Cutrer says.

She certainly has not forgotten her roots. She offers scholarships at A&M, MSU, and through the TJLA.
She also supports numerous TJLA events.

“The TJLA is a place to build leadership,” Cutrer observes. “It is a strong venue to build families and develop relationships with many different people.” Cutrer and her husband, Brandon, anxiously anticipate the day their one year old daughter can join.
Publish Post
Cutrer is also an inspiration to her employees. Joelynn Donough was originally attracted to RHD at a young age, ripping the advertisements they made out of livestock magazines and keeping them in a binder because she was so impressed with them. Now working for RHD she is still blown away by Rachel.

“It is tough, even nowadays for women to be considered powerful, but she really is one of the most powerful business women, not just in our industry but, overall,” Donough passionately expresses. “I hope one day to be half the business leader she is and maybe have young females look up to me like I always have looked up to her.”

Cutrer has taken full advantage of opportunities to better herself through the TJLA, her time at A&M, and many other things. This is why RHD has been in the Aggie 100 (top 100 Aggie owned businesses) four times and recognized by the A&M Mays Business School.

“Rachel with her outgoing personality, pursuit of excellence, hard work, focus, vision, creativity, passion, and
love for agriculture and service was destined to be a success, and she is just that,” Boleman emphatically says. “I attribute a lot of those virtues and characteristics to working on the ranch and showing cattle.”



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Haun Family Livestock

Here's one of our most recent logo designs, this one is for a great livestock family in Idaho who show Red Angus and goats. We love the look of this and hope you do to!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Brahman Review Under New Ownership

Three years ago, Ranch House Designs envisioned the need for a fresh new Brahman publication to properly highlight the importance of this outstanding beef breed in the United States. Ask anyone who has attempted to start up a new publication from scratch in recent years -- Drive, Showtimes, etc. -- it's not easy! It first takes a lot of courage to jump into the competitive marketplace in which many publications are established with years of experience. Second, it takes a lot of long hours, hustle, and effort to create ideas that are new, innovative, and different. And that's exactly what we did when we created The American Brahman Review. Over the course of the three years we published the magazine, we started with a circulation of ZERO and build the magazine up to a circulation of around 3,500 mailed subscribers and 18,000 electronic subscribers worldwide, in addition to the many thousands of viewers who look at the magazine online. Our online issue was a new approach to an international distribution, and one that we found was welcomed by our foreign subscribers. Many of our foreign Brahman breeders indicated that they hate waiting to get a magazine in the mail. For most, they ship their magazine to a PO box that they have in the United States, then all of their mail is shipped together to their international addresses. This creates a wait of several weeks. So we tried something new - we offered a free electronic copy to anyone who signed up on our website. They are emailed a copy of the magazine when it is posted online. It saves the subscriber money and time. They love it! 

 In the fall of last year, we began negotiations with Kyle & Crystal Devoll of Cattle Solutions to acquire The American Brahman Review, and the deal was finalized at the end of 2011. We are very excited to welcome the Devolls to the Brahman family. They have a tremendous amount of talent and expertise in the cattle business. So, as we pass the torch to the Devolls, we are excited to now be READERS of The American Brahman Review! Thank you to the Devolls and watch for more exciting developments as they take over management and ownership of the magazine!

Brandi and Matt are getting hitched!

With only 38 days until Brandi becomes a Karisch, we can no longer contain our excitement for the April 14th!! As many of you may know, Matt Karisch was the herdsman at V8 for many years. He has always been nothing short of wonderful to everyone and anyone he came into contact with, so it's no surprise that when he met a great gal like Brandi, the two hit it off immediately! To know these two is to know one of the most joyful, loving and fun couples in the cattle industry. Now that Brandi - oh, I mean Dr. Bourg - has taken a job as a professor and beef specialist at Mississippi State University, we do not get to see them all that much. However, this has only added to our excitement for the big day! When they asked RHD to design their wedding save the dates and invites, we were even more excited!!! Check them out....




We are so excited to watch two of our wonderful friends start their lives together! There is certainly no other couple more deserving of happily ever after than Brandi and Matt! Best of luck you two!! See you on April 14th!

Monday, March 5, 2012

New RHD Site: Gana Trucking and Excavating!

Gana Trucking and Excavating Inc. is a locally owned and operated full service trucking and excavating company serving the Nebraska community and surrounding states since 1995. They offer several services including trucking, excavating contractor services, landscaping services and snow removal.
The crew can handle a wide range of services and projects and pledges to give every customer professional, courteous service that you can count on. They are confident in their work, and truly guarantee satisfaction.
Because they are committed to upholding the standards of the industry, they are proud members of the following organizations:
·         Better Business Bureau, with an A+ rating
·         AGC Associated General Contractors
·         ABC Associated builders and Contractors
·         NTA Nebraska Trucking Association
·         NCAA Nebraska Concrete and Aggregate of Nebraska
If you would like to set up a consultation or have any questions about Gana Trucking’s services, please give them a call at 402-794-5000 during their normal business hours. Also, be sure to visit their website!