11/29/2025
Happy Small Business Saturday! We thought you might enjoy knowing more about one of our small businesses - here’s the story behind the +J brand and the logo:
The +J brand is registered with the livestock commission in Nebraska and Florida. It’s a recognized brand by the brand inspectors in both states for cattle, horses, and other livestock.
My grandma’s grandparents immigrated from Germany in the 1800s and settled the family homestead in north central Nebraska. Initially, my grandma’s parents lived in a sod house on the ranch before building a home where my grandma and her two older sisters were born. The + and J were assigned as the ranch’s brand - there’s no specific meaning, it’s just symbols to create a mark to clearly identify that family’s animals.
I grew up on the ranch helping my parents raise cattle and horses. It was 23 miles from town with not much in between - certainly no stoplights and only a few stop signs. There was still a party line phone when I was a baby. Time was slower there and it seemed we got a lot more done in a day - well, except for the neighbor ladies that were listening in on all the party line gossip!
I graduated high school and moved to Lincoln for college, lived in Texas two different times, and then landed in Florida in 2007. In 2022, I talked into not one, but TWO horse purchases, which then turned into acquiring the property they lived at and establishing the +J Ranch in early 2023. Oh, and a third horse purchase - technically I didn’t ask him about that one because Big Handsome was supposed to be his horse!
CB commissioned my childhood friend and amazing graphic designer, , to create a logo for the +J Ranch. The + sign, curly letter J, and R form the logo, giving the brand an artistic twist.
For over 150 years, the +J has been the brand of 5 generations of small businesses. When you see the +J brand or logo, it’s more than just a symbol - it’s a rich history built on decades of tradition, true grit, and an unrivaled tenacity.
Cheers to small business!