It is not often a company can celebrate a century of doing anything, so it is certainly worth honoring. This year, the American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI) is celebrating its centennial.

Since 1923, the Elmhurst, Ill.-base trade association and its predecessor organizations have served the dairy ingredients industry by providing technical and commercial support. ADPI’s vision is to be the go-to authority for dairy ingredients, and to increase the use of dairy ingredients worldwide through supporting its member organizations. 

ADPI’s predecessor, The Evaporated Milk Association, was organized by the Midwest Division of the Milk Section of the National Canners Association. Its Articles of Association were finalized on June 26, 1923. 

Shortly after, a group of 18 dry milk manufacturers came together with the purpose of establishing a national trade association to serve mutual needs and interests for the development and growth of the dry milk industry. The American Dry Milk Institute (ADMI) held its first gathering in October 1924 at the National Dairy Show in Milwaukee, Wis., which included dry milk manufacturers. 

On June 3, 1925, ADMI was formalized and hosted its first annual meeting. By 1929, annual meetings hosted by the ADMI focused on expanding the use of dry skim milk in baking and animal feeds, and increasing the quality of the product.

At the 1931 annual meeting, there was increased focus on the nutritional value of milk, which corresponded to improving the quality of powder on the market. In one of the first moves toward developing standards, ADMI conducted a grading service at a substantial savings for the industry.

The 1941 annual meeting focused on the nutritional consumption of milk by humans via an ADMI-funded study in Florida. The research found that the general population of Florida was malnourished by perhaps as much as 75%, specifically children, and that by adding dried milk solids to school lunches, nutrition in this population saw dramatic positive results.

In 1950, ADMI celebrated its 25th anniversary. “From 70 million pounds manufactured in 1925, the industry now produces over a billion pounds of product. This increase — over 14-fold in 25 years — demands reemphasized and continued industry effort to expand markets and develop new uses,” ADMI noted at the time.

In 1971, the Whey Products Institute was founded. Production of whey in 1969 was 1.4 million pounds, and demonstrated the need to establish a separate institute dedicated solely to whey. Fifty percent of whey went to animal and human uses, while the remaining 50% was used in fertilizer or was environmental waste. 

Fifteen years later, in 1986, the American Dry Milk Institute merged with the Whey Products Institute to create the current American Dairy Products Institute. In 1987, the Evaporated Milk Association merged with ADPI.

Fast forwarding to more current times, some ADPI milestones in the past three decades include the launch of its first website in the 1990s, as well as a change in corporate headquarters venues in 2002 from Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago to Elmhurst, Ill. 

In 2009, ADPI first awarded the Jim Page Memorial Scholarship to benefit students associated with ADPI member companies. Three years later, ADPI founded The Center of Excellence, whereby subject matter experts provide technical support to the industry.

Today, ADPI is celebrating 100 years of serving the dairy ingredients industry with a branding update it hopes will serve the market for an additional century and beyond.

“Over the past 100 years, ADPI has facilitated the bringing together of individuals and companies with the goal of growing the use and consumption of dairy products worldwide,” Mindy Berrey, senior director of sales for Global Dairy Ingredients at Land O’Lakes Inc. and ADPI’s first female chair in its history, tells Dairy Foods.

“Our organization has responded to numerous opportunities over the years, such as playing a key role in nutrition and product development research, increasing the use and value of traditional dairy byproducts, and most importantly, setting the technical standards for dairy ingredients globally,” Berrey concludes. “As we look to the next 100 years, ADPI is committed to serve as a leading technical resource and being the go-to authority for dairy ingredients information, building on a reputation a century in the making."