On September 24, the North American Equipment Dealers Association and Associated Equipment Distributors announced plans to merge, effective January 2027.

The merged organization will operate as Associated Equipment Dealers, and will be headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the current home of AED. The Canadian headquarters will remain in Calgary, Alberta. 

Brian McGuire, current president and CEO of AED, will continue on in the same role for the merged Associated Equipment Dealers. Brett Davis, current CEO of NAEDA, will stay on with the new organization overseeing manufacturer relations. 

Dealer members of the two associations will vote to approve the merger and the amended bylaws on or about October 15-November 15. According to NAEDA, affiliate, associate, manufacturer and other non-dealer members do not have voting rights. 

In 2027, the new organization will operate under  a transition board that combines both the former AED and NAEDA boards. After that, the board moves to its permanent 27-member structure, designed for parity among industries. 

We’ll share more on what the change means for dealers and how the organization will operate as more information becomes available. 

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