RESTON, Va. – It's official: The National Meat Association (NMA) and the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) have consolidated their memberships into one association, according to a joint statement issued on Feb. 10.

“Several new names are being discussed for the new association, but nothing has been decided at this point,” a NAMP spokesman told MEATPOULTRY.com.

In a special meeting held Feb. 10, the NAMP Board approved the consolidation agreement and by-laws of the new association. The NMA Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the NMA Board, approved the documents on Feb. 9. Members of both associations voted overwhelming for the consolidation in January.

This action sets in motion the process of establishing a new North American meat industry trade association consisting of member companies of both groups, and the termination of NMA and NAMP as separate entities. July 1 is the target date for the start of the new association. Including more than 700 member companies in the US, Canada, Mexico and other countries, the new association will be one of the larger trade groups in the global meat trade. Approximately 400 of them are meat processors.

NMA is the successor organization to the Western States Meat Association, which was formed by the mergers of Western States Meat Packers Association, Pacific Coast Meat Association and Mountain/Plains Meat Association. The organization became the National Meat Association in February 1995. NAMP was established in 1942 as the National Association of Hotel and Restaurant Purveyors. It changed its name several times, most recently in 1996. NAMP developed its Meat Buyer’s Guide in 1961, which the new association will continue.