Setting The Standard - D CEO Cover Story
Setting the standard and making headlines — we are proud to share that the Standard Meat Company co-presidents, Ashli Blumenfeld and Ben Rosenthal, were featured as the cover story for D CEO Magazine’s March issue!
Our incredible leaders sat down with the magazine’s senior editor, Will Maddox, to reflect on the enduring history of their family in Cowtown and on the evolution of SMC over the years. From a beloved local establishment to a national industry leader, SMC has proudly grown hand in hand with the North Texas community. Ashli and Ben also provided insights into their vision for the future and how their passion for technology and innovation will shape the landscape of the protein processing space.
Thank you, D CEO, for the fantastic feature story!
Ashli and Ben Rosenthal grew up literally surrounded by the family business. Their home was stockpiled with goods from their dad’s Standard Meat Co.—a teenager’s dream. Weekends were spent raiding the pantry for soups, queso, and spinach and artichoke dips. Steaks were easy to come by, and pool time was interrupted by snacks of giant slices of pepperoni.
If the Rosenthal kitchen shelves resembled the stockroom of a restaurant distribution center, that’s because it wasn’t too far removed from one. Ashli and Ben’s father, William (known by most as Billy), was the third-generation leader at Standard Meat. It was founded in 1935 by Billy’s grandfather, Ben H. Rosenthal, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who launched the company to serve hotels and restaurants in Fort Worth. Today, it has nearly 1,000 employees and works with the biggest brands in the business.
But the story of Standard Meat is far from a traditional succession tale. At one point in its 89-year history, it was absorbed by a conglomerate. The family later regained control of the brand, only to face their most formidable challenge yet—the pandemic. Today, Ashli and Ben are the fourth-generation leaders, guiding the company as it breathes new life into the industry that gave Fort Worth its Cowtown nickname...
Keep reading here.