Industry Service Award Winner

Todd Pugh

instrumental in bringing out the BEST in OCA’s youth program

By Amy Beth Graves

While watching his daughter compete in the Ohio Cattlemen’s BEST program, Todd Pugh took in his surroundings, making mental notes of how the program was run and how it could improve. He tracked down Elizabeth Harsh, OCA’s executive director, and shared his thoughts. Next thing he knew, he was on the BEST committee, which is appointed by the Ohio Cattlemen’s board of directors. Shortly after that, he was named chairman and has held that position for the last 10 years. “The BEST program was good for my kids, and I believe in giving back and being involved. I’m going to be active and not just sit there. I want to make a difference,” said Pugh, who lives in northeastern Ohio and is the founder and CEO of Enviroscapes, one of the largest landscaping businesses in Ohio. Being involved and giving back has long been Pugh’s mantra. He currently sits on about a dozen committees, including a community foundation that manages several millions of dollars, economic development board, bank advisory board and Pro Football Hall of Fame board. His approach to the BEST committee is the same with his company and the Stark County boards he is involved with – identify problems, seek out the best experts to solve issues or improve things and find ways to be sustainable. “The BEST program is great – it was just a matter of fine-tuning it. I’m a small hometown kid and am around a lot of successful people and I’ve learned from them how to make decisions,” he said. Started in 1999, BEST (Beef Exhibitor Show Total) recognizes Ohio’s junior beef exhibitors for participation and placings through a series of cattle shows that have consistent and ethical regulations. Over the years, Todd has been pleased to watch as the BEST program has not only become sustainable but grown exponentially. The 2020-2021 program had more than 800 industry youth and 675 head of cattle. “The BEST program is known nationwide. People are calling all the time asking how we do it and continue to get sponsors. When you have nearly 800 people show up at a banquet and the young people are excited to be there, that’s a sign you’re doing something right. We are blessed,” Todd said. As chairman of the BEST program, Todd has helped oversee a wide variety of changes to make it run more efficiently. He tapped into his decision making skills and advocated for cutting some rules that he described as unenforceable, investing in software to make registration and payment easier and having a dedicated person run the program. “When you have a program that large, you need to have someone to coordinate it all instead of having OCA staff do it after work hours,” he said. “I highly respect Elizabeth Harsh and the OCA board for making tough but right decisions for the kids. It’s really a kids program, and we’ve always tried to do what’s best for the kids. Other states have struggled to grow because they’ve wavered in their decisions.” Todd said OCA’s investment in software was a key component in the program’s growth. Exhibitors are now able to register and pay online instead of standing in line at the shows, waiting to pay in cash. Because registration was a few days in advance, it made it easier for OCA to prepare for how to break up the different class groups. “The software investment took the program to new levels. It was like a business in a box and made it easier for volunteers and exhibitors,” he said. “Exhibitors are our customers and you need to treat them that way.” A few years ago, the BEST committee was looking for ways to showcase Ohio bred cattle when it came up with the idea of the Buckeye Breeders

Series. The program recognizes the top Ohio bred, born and raised steers and heifers and the breeders in each breed division at the Ohio Beef Expo and a BEST show. This year it was expanded to allow out-ofstate juniors to participate if they purchased Ohio Buckeye Breeders cattle. The BEST program also recently started a stockmanship division as a way to enhance youths’ knowledge of cattle and allow them to showcase their talent outside the show ring. Having a large and diverse number of sponsors for the BEST program also has been key to its success, Todd said. “At one point we only had a couple of sponsors and it can be very volatile if one doesn’t come back. Sustainability is key and today we have a diverse group of 8-10 sponsors, which helps eliminate risk in the program,” he said. “I’m not afraid to ask for money because it’s an investment in our industry and our youth. Kids are the future and there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing non-ag kids making agricultural decisions. The BEST program is our opportunity to grow future leaders.” Todd’s no-nonsense, common sense approach about the BEST program is the same as for the company that he started in high school. Growing up on a 40-acre hobby farm, he was more into mowing grass than showing cattle. His dad encouraged him to stick with landscaping but said he needed the skillset to run a business and work with people and sent him to Ohio State University where he got a degree in horticulture. While in college, Todd kept his lawn care business going by staying home spring quarter and his younger brother running it fall quarter. The proceeds helped pay for their education. It was at Ohio State that Todd started networking with people and building a customer and expertise base. One of his favorite stories is thetime he struck up a conversation with a 50-year-old college student who became director of grounds maintenance at nearby Riverside hospital. Todd got members of his agricultural fraternity to join him in taking on the job of removing snow on the hospital grounds. “These were farm kids and when I got the job, they came back to college with snow plows on their broncos and farm tractors. We had $250,000 in snow removal and I paid those guys well,” he said. College degree in hand, Todd returned home and built his business from six employees to more than 200 with locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He said Enviroscapes is in the top 1% of landscape companies in the nation. It wasn’t until his children started showing cattle for 4-H that he became interested in having animals. They started off with Shorthorn steers but then shifted to Angus and Hereford genetics, saying those bloodlines were solid in predicting breeding outcomes. He and his wife, Anna, went from building a barn for their three children’s show cattle to starting Pugh Central Station, a registered Angus and Hereford cow-calf operation with about 80 head near Louisville. They’ve

had success at national shows, including reserve champion polled Hereford heifer at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. “We call our cattle operation Pugh Central Station because our place is the hub or central station for our kids and friends. The cattle are a way to connect with other people and I invite them to walk with us among the animals,” he said. “I’m always looking for ways to advocate for agriculture in the many circles I travel in and promote agriculEach year, OCA teams up with EBY to provide one lucky BEST participant a year’s use of a livestock trailer. Pugh (right) is pictured here with the 2021 winner. ture in a positive light.” The Pughs are big supporters of their local fair, buying several show animals each year and sharing the meat with employees and customers at cookouts. “I’ve started dragging some of my vendors to the fairs so they can see the hard work that goes into raising animals. It’s resulted in more meat buyers at the fair,” he said. “I like hiring employees who have participated in the BEST program, 4-H or some other ag program because that’s where they learn responsibility, marketing, presentation and so many other skills that translate well for a business.” Todd was recently honored with OCA’s Industry Service Award for his leadership in the BEST program and his advocacy for the cattle industry. “I was caught off guard and wasn’t expecting this. I’m humbled for being honored and it’s nice to say I’ve been a small part of helping the BEST program grow. It’s all about teamwork and we have a great board,” he said. Saying he’s accomplished the goals he set for improving the BEST program, Todd said he’s ready for the next leader to step in. “There will be someone who has fresh ideas and guidance and we’ll know when it’s time for me to step aside,” he said. “Cattle is a hobby and a release for me because I’m dealing with Fortune 500 companies during the week and on projects. It’s nice to come home and relax and see the cattle.”