Butterball
| 100px | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Poultry |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Garner, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Key people | B. Keith Shoemaker, President |
| Products | Turkey |
| Revenue | $1,406.5M (2008) |
| Employees | 5500[1] |
| Website | Butterball |
Butterball is a brand of turkey and other poultry products produced by Butterball LLC, which manufactures food products in the United States and internationally — specializing in turkey, cured deli meats, raw roasts and specialty products such as soups and salads, sandwiches, and entrées.
Butterball LLC was a joint venture of Smithfield Foods and Maxwell Farms Inc.,[2] an affiliate of the Goldsboro Milling Co.[3] The company sells over one billion pounds of turkey a year, including one in every five turkeys sold in the United States and operates the world's largest turkey-processing plant (675,000 square feet) in Mount Olive, North Carolina[1] Though the Butterball brand has been formally recognized since 1940, Butterball LLC was formed in 1985.
Contents
Products
According to Butterball, the following products are sold under the Butterball name:[4]
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File:Butterball Turkey Bacon Package.jpg A package of Butterball turkey bacon |
Among numerous other brands, English-bred Butterball turkeys are sold in the United Kingdom during Christmas time for the Christmas feast.
History
The name Butterball was originally registered as trademark #378,438 on June 11, 1940, by Ada Walker of Wyoming, Ohio. Leo Peters purchased the trademark in February 1951. Leo Peters licensed the name to Swift and Co. for 10 years before selling it in the 60's. Peters sold the name "Butterball" to Swift, which was acquired by ConAgra in 1990.
Leo Peters retained rights to use the name Butterball Farms for his butter products[5] and the company operates today as Butterball Farms, Inc., producing and marketing shaped butter products.[6]
In October 2006, ConAgra's Butterball branded turkey business was sold to North Carolina based Carolina Turkeys, — making Carolina Turkey the largest turkey producer in the United States.[7] The company, located southeast of Raleigh, NC in Mount Olive, North Carolina on the Wayne and Duplin county line, subsequently renamed itself Butterball LLC.[8]
In 2008, the company moved its headquarters to a new $12 million building in Greenfield North off Interstate 40 in Garner, North Carolina. The headquarters has a "customer experience center" with a special kitchen for promotional demonstrations.[9]
Smithfield offered $200 million to Maxwell Farms for the portion of Butterball that Smithfield did not own. Chief executive C. Larry Pope said at that time that he hoped Maxwell Farms would spend more on the company's facilities and marketing. A decision had to be made whether to buy Maxwell's share or sell Smithfield's. On September 10, 2010, Smithfield announced the sale of its 49 percent share of Butterball for an estimated $175 million. Maxwell Farms will sell 50 percent of Butterball to Seaboard Corp.[1]
Corporate
B. Keith Shoemaker is the President and CEO of Butterball. Walter “Gator” Pelletier, past chairman of the National Turkey Federation, is Butterball LLC's corporate secretary — managing all operating activities from turkey production and directing Maxwell Farms, the managing partner of Butterball. Pelletier is also president of Maxwell Farms, Inc., vice president of Goldsboro Milling Company, and secretary-treasurer of Maxwell Foods, Inc. Pelletier had joined Goldsboro Milling Company in 1981.[9]
Turkey Talk-Line
Beginning in late 1981, Butterball has maintained a toll-free telephone line called the Turkey Talk-Line to help customers with cooking and preparation questions. Eleven thousand people called in 1981, and in recent years the number has grown to over 200,000 each holiday season. Each of the operators holds a degree in either dietetics or home economics, roughly half of which are Masters-level.[citation needed] The most frequent question asked is how long a turkey takes to defrost.
In The West Wing episode "The Indians in the Lobby", President Josiah Bartlet calls the number (referred to as the "Butterball Hotline" in the script) to discuss stuffing and cooking his Thanksgiving turkey.
See also
- Taylor, Rod - "Backward Glance: Talking Turkey", PROMO Magazine, November 2004
References
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- Butterball, LLC - Turkey Purveyor
- Butterball Farms, Inc. - Butter Purveyor
