BACKGROUND
Out of its home office in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain, Ga., USAPEEC's reach is far ranging. Through its network of international offices and consultants in key markets around the globe, USAPEEC keeps current on issues that have a direct impact on U.S. poultry and egg exports.
USAPEEC has good working relationships with other industry and agricultural trade associations, both foreign and domestic, such as the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Association, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council, and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Although USAPEEC's mission is to promote exports of U.S. poultry and eggs around the world, the Council had evolved into an association that is an advocate for the industry on trade policy issues. Because of its status as a not-for-profit entity, USAPEEC does not lobby, but the organization can and does act as intermediary with USDA, both in Washington and at embassies and Agricultural Trade Offices around the world.
USAPEEC has good working relationships with other industry and agricultural trade associations, both foreign and domestic, such as the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Association, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council, and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Although USAPEEC's mission is to promote exports of U.S. poultry and eggs around the world, the Council had evolved into an association that is an advocate for the industry on trade policy issues. Because of its status as a not-for-profit entity, USAPEEC does not lobby, but the organization can and does act as intermediary with USDA, both in Washington and at embassies and Agricultural Trade Offices around the world.
History of USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
In 1956, three years after USDA organized the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as an arm of government with a goal of helping U.S. agriculture establish its presence in a global marketplace, USAPEEC's predecessor organization, the Poultry & Egg Institute of America (PEIA), entered into a marketing arrangement with FAS. As a result, PEIA became an FAS cooperator organization, and was charged with the responsibility of administering export promotion funds allocated annually by USDA as part of the Farm Bill. For years, PEIA operated independently as an export trade association. In the late 1970s, PEIA fell on hard times.
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association – then known as the Southeastern Poultry & Egg Association (SPEA) – stepped in and salvaged the organization, making it a division of SPEA, and changed its name to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council as of March 15, 1984. During the period that USAPEEC operated as a division of SPEA (March 15, 1984 – September 30, 1985), SPEA provided $154,000 in funding for USPEEC’s operations.
In September of 1985, USAPEEC became a separate corporation, but continued to share office space with SPEA through February 1986. In March 1986, USAPEEC moved to its first office in Tucker, Georgia. During that first fiscal year of USAPEEC’s existence as a separate entity, SPEA contributed $125,000 to USAPEEC’s operations. Jim Sumner was named president in 1990, and in 1992, USAPEEC moved to expanded quarters in Stone Mountain, Ga., where it has been since.
In the intervening years, USAPEEC has evolved from an association whose major purpose was promotion of U.S. poultry and egg products through its network of 11 international offices and consultants, to an organization that is an advocate for the industry on trade policy issues. Despite this, USAPEEC has never strayed from its roots as a promotional organization. Throughout the world, USAPEEC touts the high quality of American poultry and egg products.
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association – then known as the Southeastern Poultry & Egg Association (SPEA) – stepped in and salvaged the organization, making it a division of SPEA, and changed its name to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council as of March 15, 1984. During the period that USAPEEC operated as a division of SPEA (March 15, 1984 – September 30, 1985), SPEA provided $154,000 in funding for USPEEC’s operations.
In September of 1985, USAPEEC became a separate corporation, but continued to share office space with SPEA through February 1986. In March 1986, USAPEEC moved to its first office in Tucker, Georgia. During that first fiscal year of USAPEEC’s existence as a separate entity, SPEA contributed $125,000 to USAPEEC’s operations. Jim Sumner was named president in 1990, and in 1992, USAPEEC moved to expanded quarters in Stone Mountain, Ga., where it has been since.
In the intervening years, USAPEEC has evolved from an association whose major purpose was promotion of U.S. poultry and egg products through its network of 11 international offices and consultants, to an organization that is an advocate for the industry on trade policy issues. Despite this, USAPEEC has never strayed from its roots as a promotional organization. Throughout the world, USAPEEC touts the high quality of American poultry and egg products.
