NAICS 311512

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying U.S. business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of economic statistics. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The current U.S. vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 311512 — Creamery Butter Manufacturing — covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing creamery butter from milk and/or processed milk products. Census classifies related activities elsewhere: margarine or margarine–butter blends under NAICS 311225; fluid milk under NAICS 311511; cheese under NAICS 311513; and dry/condensed/evaporated dairy under NAICS 311514. Agencies use NAICS to organize federal economic statistics and to underpin size standards for small business programs. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 311512
• G2X — NAICS 311513
• G2X — PSC 8915

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing creamery butter as the primary output of dairy processing operations. ²
• Using milk and/or processed milk products (e.g., cream) as inputs for butter production. ²
• Establishments are classified here when creamery butter manufacturing is the principal activity. ²
• Packaging and preparing creamery butter for distribution—Not specified by official sources. ²
• Product alignment includes “Creamery butter” within the 2022 North American Product Classification System (NAPCS). ³
• Placement within NAICS Industry Group 31151 (Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	311511	Fluid Milk Manufacturing
NAICS	311513	Cheese Manufacturing
NAICS	311514	Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing
PSC	8915	Dairy Foods and Eggs

Official cross‑references and boundaries

• Margarine or margarine–butter blends are classified in NAICS 311225, not 311512. ²
• Fluid milk products are classified in NAICS 311511; cheese products in NAICS 311513; dry/condensed/evaporated dairy in NAICS 311514. ²

Products mapped under NAPCS 2022

• NAPCS Section 11 (Food, beverage, and tobacco) lists “Creamery butter” as a product, aligning to NAICS dairy product manufacturing industries, including 311512. ³

Small business size standard (SBA)

• SBA applies employee-based size standards to manufacturing industries; the current threshold for NAICS 311512 is provided in SBA’s Table of Size Standards. Consult the latest table for the effective employee count. ⁵

Frequently asked questions

• What activities define NAICS 311512?
  Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing creamery butter from milk and/or processed milk products are classified in NAICS 311512. Classification is based on the primary activity of the establishment. ²

• What activities are specifically excluded from NAICS 311512?
  Margarine or margarine–butter blends fall under NAICS 311225; fluid milk under NAICS 311511; cheese under NAICS 311513; and dry, condensed, or evaporated dairy under NAICS 311514. ²

• Which product examples correspond to this industry?
  “Creamery butter” is explicitly identified in the 2022 NAPCS structure within the dairy products category, aligning with NAICS dairy manufacturing industries such as 311512. ³

• Where can federal statistical data for NAICS 311512 be found?
  Manufacturing sector statistics by NAICS code, including 6-digit industries, are published through the 2022 Economic Census and related releases for NAICS Sector 31–33. ⁴

• What is the small business size standard for NAICS 311512?
  SBA maintains the official, current size standards. For NAICS 311512, refer to SBA’s Table of Size Standards; manufacturing sectors generally use employee-based thresholds. ⁵

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 311512
• U.S. Census Bureau NAICS — Industry description and cross‑references for NAICS 311512. ²
• 2022 NAPCS Section 11 — Food, beverage, and tobacco products; includes “Creamery butter.” ³
• 2022 Economic Census — Manufacturing (NAICS 31–33) data access page. ⁴
• SBA Table of Size Standards — current small business thresholds. ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS: Introduction, current resources, and 2022 NAICS search. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 311512: 2022 industry definition and cross‑references. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311512&year=2022&details=311512
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAPCS structure, Section 11 (includes “Creamery butter”). https://www.census.gov/naics/napcs/sections/section11.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census, NAICS Sector 31–33 Manufacturing. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-31-33.html
5. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Size Standards. https://www.sba.gov/document/support/table-size-standards