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MESA, WBF to merging, expanding operations, B2MML focus

05/23/2012

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (www.MESA.org) International and WBF, the Organization for Production Technology (www.wbf.org), announced May 22 that they’ve agreed to merge.

The boards of directors of both organizations have already agreed to the merger, and MESA and WBF announced it at the Automation Technology in Process Manufacturing (ATPM) conference in the Woodlands, Texas. In conjunction with their announcement, MESA and WBF have called for a vote of their membership. They anticipated passage and finalization of the merger on May 31, 2012.

"Our mission at WBF is to support the process automation and operations needs of the technical and management professions in process manufacturing," says Bill Wray, WBF's chairman. "We believe 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're 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."

Dennis Brandl, WBF's secretary, adds, "WBF's expanded focus to include development of the B2MML standard was a critical factor in our organizations' decision to merge. MESA's focus is Plant to Enterprise (P2E), and 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're able to link enterprise goals with plant-floor realities. That's a powerful proposition for our organizations and our member community."

John Southcott, MESA's chairman, says, "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. By merging with WBF, we'll extend our penetration into the process industries. At the same time, the merger provides WBF members access to MESA's world-class content, global education programs and an expansive network of solution providers and system integrators. It's a winning solution for both organizations, with our combined capabilities and resources making us stronger and more valuable for our member population."