Answering: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17175570/how-to-create-reusable-build-configuration-in-maven Maven plugin merging example.

child.pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <parent>
        <artifactId>playground</artifactId>
        <groupId>playground</groupId>
        <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <artifactId>child-a</artifactId>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency><!-- to prove that class path prefix works -->
            <groupId>com.google.guava</groupId>
            <artifactId>guava</artifactId>
            <version>14.0.1</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
                <configuration>
                    <archive>
                        <manifest>
                            <mainClass>com.ceilfors.MainA</mainClass>
                        </manifest>
                    </archive>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

parent.pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>playground</groupId>
    <artifactId>playground</artifactId>
    <packaging>pom</packaging>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <modules>
        <module>child-a</module>
        <module>child-b</module>
    </modules>
    <build>
        <pluginManagement>
            <plugins>
                <plugin>
                    <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
                    <version>2.4</version>
                    <configuration>
                        <archive>
                            <manifest>
                                <addClasspath>true</addClasspath>
                                <classpathPrefix>lib/</classpathPrefix>
                            </manifest>
                        </archive>
                        <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/artifact</outputDirectory>
                    </configuration>
                </plugin>
                <plugin>
                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                    <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
                    <version>2.7</version>
                    <executions>
                        <execution>
                            <id>copy-dependencies</id>
                            <phase>package</phase>
                            <goals>
                                <goal>copy-dependencies</goal>
                            </goals>
                            <configuration>
                                <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/artifact/lib</outputDirectory>
                                <overWriteReleases>false</overWriteReleases>
                                <overWriteSnapshots>false</overWriteSnapshots>
                                <overWriteIfNewer>true</overWriteIfNewer>
                            </configuration>
                        </execution>
                    </executions>
                </plugin>
                <plugin>
                    <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
                    <version>1.7</version>
                    <executions>
                        <execution>
                            <phase>prepare-package</phase>
                            <configuration>
                                <target>
                                    <copy file="${project.basedir}/settings_production"
                                          tofile="${project.build.directory}/artifact/settings"/>
                                    <copy todir="${project.build.directory}/artifact/templates" >
                                        <fileset dir="${project.basedir}/templates"/>
                                    </copy>
                                </target>
                            </configuration>
                            <goals>
                                <goal>run</goal>
                            </goals>
                        </execution>
                    </executions>
                </plugin>
            </plugins>
        </pluginManagement>
    </build>
</project>