KANSAS CITY. Mo. – Rancho Markets, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was named the Certified Hereford Beef® (CHB) Retailer of the Year Oct. 25, in Kansas City, Mo., during the 2025 World Hereford Conference and American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting.

Eli Madrigal, Rancho Markets founder and co-owner, built her business from the ground-up. She cut her teeth in the grocery business as a 15-year-old emigrant from Mexico. She started out bagging groceries and gathering shopping carts and then worked her way up through management positions over the course of 11 years.

Eli knew the grocery business inside-out when she established the first Rancho Markets store in 2006, as a young single mother. Today, she and her husband, Roberto, own nine Rancho Market stores, all in the Salt Lake City area.

“Our objective as a company has always been and will continue to be to offer our valued customers fresh and quality products at the best market prices available,” Eli says. “Rancho Markets is not only about being a leader in the supermarket industry; it’s also about giving back to the community and being there for them.”

Eli built the stores around providing the Salt Lake City area with quality products at the best value possible. 

This commitment to offering customers value and quality are reasons Eli added Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) to Rancho Markets in March of 2023.

“We chose CHB for its quality and reputation. Both the service and quality are exceptional, and we are honored to have Hereford beef in our stores,” she says. “We have had an increase in our volumes and customers that are returning with new friends to buy Hereford beef.” 

Rancho Markets is the largest individual CHB retail partner in terms of volume. The company grew its beef sales by 27% in 2023 and has expanded its customer base since adding Certified Hereford Beef. Rancho Markets was also recently named Utah’s Hispanic Business of the Year.

“Rancho Markets are a true partner with us,” explains Ty Ragsdale, CHB brand manager. “They are a big believer in quality and serving their community. They do an excellent job of merchandising CHB across all of their stores and are always open to new ideas and promotions.” 

Eli, her family and Rancho Markets team are proud to be named Certified Hereford Beef Retailer of the Year.

“The introduction of the Certified Hereford Beef program was the best thing to happen to Rancho Markets. We are so thankful for the quality of the program and how it has strengthened our meat department,” Eli says. “We are proud of our strong partnership with Certified Hereford Beef and National Beef. Together, we will grow the program and continue to provide high-quality beef to Rancho Market’s customers.”  

The 19th annual World Hereford Conference, Oct. 22-26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo., features an educational forum, a celebration of high-achieving and influential Hereford breeders of all ages, an international sale and National Hereford Show. 

The World Hereford Conference takes place every four years when delegates of the World Hereford Council meet to conduct official business aimed at breed improvement and opportunity development. It is a time for Hereford breeders from around the world to network and learn from one another — the U.S. is hosting for the first time since 1996.

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The American Hereford Association hosts the World Hereford Conference (WHC), presented by Merck Animal Health, in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 22-26, and the Young Breeders Competition at Kansas State University and in Kansas City Oct. 19-25. The World Hereford Council convenes every four years at the WHC — in different council-member countries — where delegates conduct official business aimed at breed improvement and opportunity development.