TUCSON, Ariz. – During the general session of the National Meat Association’s Annual Convention, Phil Kimball, executive director of the North American Meat Processors Association, provided details of the recently announced merger of the NMA with NAMP.

“It’s official,” he announced to a crowded room of attendees who collectively responded with enthusiastic applause. Over the past 10 months, the staffs and board members of each organization have worked together to address the logistics of combining forces, said Kimball, en route to establishing “a bigger, better association for everyone.”


Effective July 1, 2012, the new, yet-to-be-named trade organization will represent 700 company members, including 400 meat processors. The group’s first official industry event will be at the NAMP Summer Outlook Conference Oct. 24-27.

Kimball thanked his NMA counterpart, Barry Carpenter, for the cooperation and dedication of his staff in putting together the merger. He also introduced the NAMP staff of Sabrina Moore, Ann Wells and Jim Goldberg, stating the Barry Carpenter would be making similar introductions of his staff at NAMP’s upcoming Meat Industry Management Conference March 16-18 at The Drake Hotel in Chicago.