NP's 125th Anniversary: Guest Column

Looking back ... with Barry Carpenter

In a business where the only constant is change, 125 years as a leading industry publication is a truly remarkable accomplishment. One might argue that keeping the same name over that period is near miraculous. During its history as The National Provisioner, the North American Meat Institute and its predecessors have existed under at least 16 different names which over the years came together to form the leading industry trade association today.

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Throughout our association’s history, our leaders have long looked to The National Provisioner as a go-to resource on the latest industry news, data, trends, technology and more. In its early history, the Provisioner was weekly, and the arrival of the newest print versions, complete with market data, were an anticipated event in office and plants around the country and an indispensable tool for business decisions. My initial realization of the value of The National Provisioner was growing up in the meat industry and seeing my father immediately reading the latest copy. He was especially dependent on the current market information. While the technology has changed in the format of how news is covered, The National Provisioner remains a leading resource for industry professionals both in print and online.

Perhaps the greatest testament to The National Provisioner’s long and valuable role is that even as a publication covering the industry, the news and information within your pages had great influence on industry decision making over the years. The industry’s progress from the long ago days of “The Jungle” to today’s modern practices, which are feeding the world safer and more efficiently than ever before, can be traced through the offices, pages and personalities of your publication. And our history remains carefully preserved in your back issues and in your extensive library photos, many of which I recall being shot on brownie cameras in black and white.

Congratulations again from all of us at the North American Meat Institute. Our strong working relationship with The National Provisioner to help keep members of the industry informed has maintained for more than a century and we look forward to continuing to work together for another 125 years. I am confident that future industry leaders will rely on The National Provisioner like I have for the past 50 plus years. NP