The American Butter Institute (ABI) is an Arlington, VA-based trade association for manufacturers, processors, marketers, and distributors of butter and butter products. Originally established as the National Association of Creamery Butter Manufacturers in 1908, ABI's mission is to promote and protect the interest and welfare of the butter industry. There are currently 23 active member companies that market approximately 95% of all the butter manufactured in the U.S.

Latest News

May 13, 2013: Butter Industry Annual Meeting Draws Record Crowd

The 15th Joint Annual Conference of the American Butter Institute (ABI) and the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) was held April 28-30, 2013 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown. This year’s meeting drew over 850 industry executives, government officials, academia, and media. The two-and-a-half-day meeting addressed the manufactured dairy product industry’s latest challenges and opportunities, featuring presentations from a wide range of speakers.

April 4, 2013: Joint ABI/ADPI Annual Meeting to be held April 28 – 30, 2013 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown

The 2013 Annual Conference of the American Butter Institute (ABI) and the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) will be held April 28 – 30, 2013, at the Chicago Marriott Downtown. The 2013 Conference promises to be educational and informative and will feature two days of speakers and programs on various industry topics. As in the past few years, record attendance is expected.

Visit the ADPI website for meeting information.

October 19, 2012: ABI Elects New President and Officers at 2012 Fall Board Meeting

At the fall 2012 board meeting of the American Butter Institute (ABI) held last week in Las Vegas, David Riemersma of Butterball Farms, Inc. was elected President of ABI, and two new officers were seated. Irv Holmes of Challenge Dairy Products, Inc. was elected to serve as First Vice President, and Dean Van Tuinen of Darigold, Inc. was elected Second Vice President. Each officer will serve a two-year term. The ABI board also welcomed new member High Desert Milk, which officially joined the organization at the fall meeting.

July 13, 2012: Social Media Campaign Picks up Momentum

ABI’s social media campaign “Go Bold With Butter” was launched on March 19th, just before the Easter holiday. Overall the campaign is continuing to drive momentum and results so far shows that the campaign, which focuses on maintaining levels of positive consumer awareness of butter and fostering increased butter usage, is continuing to improve as content on the blog continues to build. Repeat visitors have increased, reflecting that the site is considered a good resource for recipes and information about butter.

Membership Structure

Active Member - Any individual, firm, corporation, cooperative association, or other organized group manufacturing, processing, packaging, or distributing butter or butter products is eligible for membership in the American Butter Institute. Each active member company is entitled to one seat on the ABI Board of Directors, which is the governing body of the American Butter Institute. (ABI Active Members)

Associate Member - Any individual, firm, corporation, or other legal entity which supplies goods and services to the butter industry can become an associate member. Associate members are not entitled to a board seat. (ABI Associate Members)

Officers

President - David Riemersma, Butterball Farms (Grand Rapids, MI)

1st Vice President - Irv Holmes, Challenge Dairy Products (Dublin, CA)

2nd Vice President - Dean Van Tuinen, Darigold (Seattle, WA)

ABI Staff

Anuja Miner - Executive Director

Contact ABI

American Butter Institute

2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400

Arlington, VA 22201

Phone: (703) 243-5630

Fax: (703) 841-9328