M4 RANCH GROUP
A Brand of Excellence W R I T T E N BY L OR I E A . WO ODWA R D OF L A N D M AGA Z I N E
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rothers Dan and Michael Murphy, owners of M4 Ranch Group based in Lake City, Colorado, are leaving their mark—well, actually their brand—on Mountain West ranch real estate. “The Rocking M4 brand is way more than just a logo—it’s our family ranch brand,” Dan said. “It says a lot about who we are and what we do.” It is a Murphy family tradition that when the children turn 18, they receive a belt buckle emblazoned with the Rocking M4 brand. “When my dad handed my son Jake his family belt buckle on his 18th birthday, it was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Dan said. “It was a symbolic statement of the honor and pride associated with our western history—and the responsibility to honor and uphold it as the next generation.” An expectation of excellence that results from hard work is part of the family inheritance—and it’s not lost on the next generation. Jake, in a recent paper for a class at Western State University, where he, as a student athlete, is pursuing a double major in business and Marketing degree while earning his real estate license, quoted his grandfather, “Work half a day—do whatever you want with the other 12 hours.” “I got a kick out of the paper because it proves the family brand goes far beyond an identifying mark,” Dan said. “It is a statement of trust and excellence.”
