ABS Global, formerly the American Breeders Service, is an artificial insemination company that sells frozen bovine semen. It headquarters are in DeForest, Wisconsin.

ABS Global Inc
Company typesubsidiary
IndustryFrozen bovine semen
Founded1941
FounderJohn Rockefeller Prentice
HeadquartersDeForest, Wisconsin
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsFrozen bovine semen, technical services
ParentGenus plc
Websitewww.absglobal.com

American Breeders Service was founded in 1941 by John Rockefeller Prentice.[1][2][3] It was originally called the American Dairy Guernsey Associates of Northern Illinois and changed its name to American Breeders Service in 1950.[4]

As of 1962, the company was headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Its facilities reportedly stored over 1.5 million ampules of frozen bull semen. The semen was kept frozen with liquid nitrogen.[5]

American Breeders Service began selling its products in the Soviet Union in 1983, after conducting negotiations there for six years previous.[6] That year, the company cloned two bulls, named Divide and Duplicate, from one embryo.[7]

As of 1983, American Breeders Service was owned by W. R. Grace and Company.[7] Its name was changed to ABS Global in 1994, after the company was bought by an investment bank.[8] On November 15, 1999, Genus plc bought ABS Global from Protein Genetics, a New York–based firm.[9] When the sale closed, ABS had around 340 employees, 150 of which were in DeForest.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "ABS Global Celebrates 70th Anniversary". Hoard's Dairyman. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Jones, Meg (March 26, 2014). "It's all bull: ABS Global needs new puns — but keep it clean". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  3. ^ Radin, Joanna (March 27, 2017). Life on Ice: A History of New Uses for Cold Blood. University of Chicago Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-226-44824-4.
  4. ^ Spahr, Sidney L.; Opperman, George E. (1995). The Dairy Cow Today: U.S. Trends, Breeding, and Progress Since 1980. Hoard's Dairyman Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-932147-26-4.
  5. ^ "Calf Born 9 Years After Sire Died Emphasizes Work of Madison Firm". The Capital Times. November 30, 1962. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Shepel, Jan (March 21, 1990). "Good cattle, good will bridge people in Madison, Russia". The Country Today. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Livestock breeders try embryo splitting". Stevens Point Journal. Associated Press. May 18, 1983. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Ivey, Mike (September 7, 1995). "ABS Global to sell 400 acres". The Capital Times. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Barrett, Rick (December 5, 1999). "Merger joins big players". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
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