The world of cleaning supplies just got a bit simpler.

Earlier this month, ISSA, formerly known as the International Sanitary Supply Association, announced it would merge with the National Cleaning Suppliers Association, an Australian group that will now be run as a charter of the larger ISSA.

The move was agreed upon unanimously by all attendees at NCSA’s annual meeting.

NCSA President Stuart Nicol said the move will expand the reach of the association, so its members can take advantage of global resources.

“This will allow NCSA members to truly become part of the global cleaning industry, and it will deliver real value to our members by providing them with access to ISSA’s education programs, tradeshows, networking, certification guidelines, regulatory information, and much more,” Nicol said in a news release. “NCSA board members are committed to working closely with ISSA staff and see this as a great opportunity to contribute to a positive change in our industry.”

ISSA Executive Director John Barrett noted that the merger “represents an exciting development in fulfilling ISSA’s mission to change the way the world views cleaning.”

The groups released an FAQ [PDF] noting some of the reasons for the merger—particularly NCSA’s limited resources and reliance on volunteer leadership to manage its benefits, annual meeting, and networking events.

“With its current resources, NCSA is not able to support these initiatives as fully as it would like to,” the FAQ says, adding that ISSA’s wide resources, existing member benefits, and 7,000 members help to offset the problem.

Despite the merger, the NCSA will continue to offer its own events and market-based benefits.

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