In 1963, Eugene "Gene" Ritchey founded the Ritchey Manufacturing Company in Brighton. He began as a small dairyman in Fort Lupton and is now credited with developing the flexible ear tag. The flexible, one-piece ear tag was established in 1964. It also contributed to the USDA's program for carcass information in the packing plant. Ritchey ear tags have been used by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Foundation for tagging and banding antelope, geese and other wildlife. Ritchey tags are sold in 60 countries, primarily in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Gene is the "idea man," who came up with an idea of a magnet to prevent cattle from getting hardware disease. He also did a lot of research on freeze-branding cattle. Ritchey's motto, "Give me a minute, I can make it better," has sparked more than two decades of innovation and refinement in livestock identification. In 1989, he was honored by the national beef industry for the contributions he has made to the animal industry.