MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) International and WBF (The Organization for Production Technology) entered into a definitive agreement to merge their two organizations. Agreed upon by both boards of directors, the announcement was made at the ATPM (Automation Technology in Process Manufacturing) Conference in The Woodlands, TX.

“Our mission at WBF is to support the process automation and operations needs of the technical and management professions in process manufacturing,” says WBF Chairman Bill Wray. “We believe that merging with MESA positions us to continue to fulfill that mission, while adding even greater value for our members through broadened resources and reach in operations management. We are delighted to combine our organizations at a time when our members are making unprecedented investments in improving their production operations, knowing that our combined resources can truly add differentiated value for their organizations.”

“WBF’s expanded focus to include development of the B2MML standard is a critical factor in our organizations’ decision to merge,” says Dennis Brandl, WBF secretary. B2MML (Business 2 Manufacturing Markup Language) is an XML implementation of the ISA-95 standard.

“MESA’s focus is P2E (Plant to Enterprise); B2MML is the standard that makes that happen. In essence, MESA brings the what and why of operations management; WBF provides the how. Together, we are able to link enterprise goals with plant floor realities. That is a powerful proposition for our organizations and our member community,” adds Brandl.

“MESA is a community of manufacturers, producers, industry leaders and solution providers who are focused on improving operations management capabilities through the effective application of technology solutions and best practices,” says John Southcott, MESA chairman. “By merging with WBF, we will extend our penetration into the process industries. At the same time, the merger provides WBF members access to MESA’s Global Education Programs, and an expansive network of solution providers and system integrators.”

In conjunction with this announcement, MESA International and WBF have called for a vote of their membership, anticipating passage and finalization of the merger on May 31, 2012.

For more information, visit the WBF website or MESA International.