1908: Early Beginnings

The American Specialty Manufacturers Association was created when 60 manufacturers representing 45 of the most respected food and branded product manufacturers met in New York City to discuss ways to bring their fledgling industry in accordance with new laws and to build better industry relations.

1917: Feeding the Troops

President Woodrow Wilson tasked the association with creating a war committee to coordinate food production efforts to feed the troops and Allies. The efforts paid off — between 1917 and 1918, food companies tripled their peacetime production.

1924: First Woman Serves on Association Board

Rose M. Knox took over a troubled new business, Knox Gelatin, in 1908 when her husband died, becoming one of the first women to head a large U.S. company. She began an innovative program of marketing to women and became one of the first to introduce the then-revolutionary five-day work week, paid vacations and sick leave. Knox survived the Depression without laying off a single employee. She remained president of the company until her 90th birthday, retaining her chairmanship until her death in 1950 at age 93. She joined the association’s board of directors in 1924, becoming the first woman to ever serve on a major national board. At age 85 she was honored at the association’s executive conference with a standing ovation that lasted four minutes.

1938: Founding FDA

The association pushed hard for the passage of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, the landmark legislation that gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration its regulatory authority, replacing the 1906 bill that created the agency. The association’s legal counsel, Charles Wesley Dunn, collaborated closely with lawmakers on the bill and participated in a series of national radio debates with the sponsoring senator.

1941-1945: World War II

President Franklin D. Roosevelt tasked association official Clare Francis of General Foods to ensure that all U.S. factories were contributing to the war effort, serving more than 12 million soldiers at their posts around the globe. FDR also tapped numerous association officials to help coordinate the nation’s food supply at home and abroad.

1942: GMA

The association changed its name to Grocery Manufacturers of America.

1948-1949: Berlin Blockade

Association members were the primary donors of food airlifted to 2.5 million residents of Berlin during the 328-day Soviet blockade of the city.

1950s-1960s: Industry Innovates

Laundry detergent hit the American market, quickly surpassing sales of soap on its way to becoming a household staple.

Modern toothpastes were developed to help prevent or treat specific diseases and conditions such as tooth sensitivity.

“1958 Crest Toothpaste Advertisement Readers Digest October 1958” is licensed under CC BY 2.0

1962: Aiding During Crisis

The association provided $12 million worth of food and products — contributed by members Gerber, Heinz, General Mills and others — to the U.S. government, which used it as ransom for Bay of Pigs prisoners held in Cuban jails.

1970s: The Bar Code

The association, led by Chairman Burt Gookin of H.J. Heinz, played a pivotal role in developing the Universal Product Code, also known as the bar code.

Late 1970s: Consumer Goods

The association expanded its membership to represent more of the consumer products industry. The Clorox Company and Procter & Gamble joined the organization, along with other companies manufacturing personal care and household products.

1990s: Going Green

The number of sustainable products in America more than doubled, representing more than 10 percent of all new household products.

2000s: Millennial Merger

The Grocery Manufacturers of America began merger talks with the Food Products Association. They merged in Jan. 2007 under a new name: Grocery Manufacturers Association.

2015: SmartLabel

The association partnered to develop SmartLabel®, a digital disclosure tool that gives consumers a way to access more detailed product information than can fit on a label. It offers real-time data for a wide range of food, beverage, household, pet care, personal care and over-the-counter products.

2020: Consumer Brands Association

Building on and learning from the best of its past, the association started a new chapter in its 112-year-old history by becoming the Consumer Brands Association, adopting a proactive agenda that aligns with the values of the brands it represents and the consumers they serve.