Two equipment dealer trade associations announced on Sept. 24, 2026, they are merging. The North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) and Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) plan to merge, effective January 2027, and operate as Associated Equipment Dealers (AED), serving equipment dealers and distributors across the U.S. and Canada.
Members and staff from the organizations were briefed online on Oct. 13, 2026, where current leaders of the organizations shared more details about the upcoming change.
Kyle Fulcher, chairman, NAEDA Board of Directors said the idea of merging the two associations has been discussed for years. In the end, what mattered was doing what was best for all dealers in North America.
“We are doing what is best for all dealers in North America, combining the strengths of both organizations into a unified dealer organization to represent all dealers” Fulcher said.
When membership rosters were compared, there wasn’t much duplication between the two groups. Brian McGuire, president & CEO of AED said they found 50-55 overlapping dealer members.
“That means we are bringing together distinct groups of dealer peers across North America into a truly unified organization,” McGuire said.
Benefits of Merging
Marshall Anderson, chairman, AED Board of Directors, and executive vice president of RDO Equipment Co., said unification will give all dealers a “loud voice” and “more power” in their respective industries.
“As I look forward, I've talked a lot during my chairmanship about the 3 pillars of AED, and I think we’re adding a fourth with this unification,” Anderson said.
The pillars he described were:
Advocacy: At the state, federal and provincial levels. Bringing NAEDA and all members into this group gives it a much stronger voice with legislators and policymakers.
Workforce Development & Foundations: Recruiting talent into the industry, bringing service technicians into dealer businesses and supporting the lifeblood of departments and management across all organizations.
Education & Networking: Operating as a combined, stronger group enhancing what the 2 associations are already doing.
Dealer Advocacy & Industry Relations: Carrying on and continuing the legacy of dealer advocacy and industry relations NAEDA excelled at.
Timeline for Merger
Brett Davis, NAEDA executive, said due diligence has begun.
“We drafted bylaws. We also have some additional documentation to finalize,” Davis said. “From the NAEDA side, we must have a member vote, which will be open for 30 days.”
Once the notice periods on both sides are complete, Davis said a vote could take place before the end of October and be completed by November 26, 2026.
Following the vote, a ratification process is required by AED for the new bylaws. Davis said the new association could then become official on February 1, 2027.
Membership Changes
There is no plan for member benefits to change, Fulcher said.
“The plan is to bring the best of both organizations together and improve our member benefits,” he said. “There is no discussion of cutting benefits. It is about finding ways that we can strengthen what we offer.”
Membership Dues
In the upcoming cycle, NAEDA dealer members will receive an invoice of $0, according to Davis. AED typically bills on a revenue basis, whereas NAEDA had billed on a rooftop (the number of dealer locations) basis, but he said that is changing.
“The rooftop model has run its course,” Davis said. “Billing by revenue is a more logical, equitable and sustainable way to invoice dealers. While there will be adjustments, we don't anticipate material or disruptive spikes. Dealers will start seeing that transition reflected in invoices sent at the end of 2027 for 2028.”
“The revenue model creates a sustainable association framework, and NAEDA was already headed in that direction out of necessity,” McGuire added.
Leadership Changes
From a board standpoint, Fulcher said there will be a transition board for the next full year, consisting of the full NAEDA board and current AED board.
“AED already has some ag dealer representation, and it makes sense to allow for natural attrition as we move toward the permanent combined board,” Fulcher said.
Following the one-year transition board, the group said there will be equal representation between ag dealers and construction dealers, with continued representation for Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) dealers.
“It's exciting to share that a NAEDA board member is already on the AED board with Kevin Clark's (current At-Large Director and CEO of AKRS Equipment Solutions) recent appointment,” McGuire said. “In addition, former NAEDA board member Eric Mason (Mason Machinery) will be joining the AED board. That representation will be strong and vocal, complemented by the fact all current NAEDA board members will be represented on the transition board.”
Merger Voting
All NAEDA dealer members will be able to vote on the merger, Davis said.
“You must be a dealer member,” he said. “We need a quorum of 5% of dealer members. With over 1,000 NAEDA dealer members, that indicates the quorum requirement. Ratification takes place through balloting based on rooftops.”
Associate members and manufacturer members do not vote as voting is only for dealer members.
Under Missouri nonprofit corporation law and NAEDA's bylaws, NAEDA requires a full membership vote. In Canada, NAEDA entities fall under the federal Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. Illinois nonprofit law and AED's bylaws stipulate AED's Board of Directors has the legal authority to vote and approve the unification on behalf of AED membership. Therefore, only NAEDA dealer members will participate in a full membership ballot.
Canadian Government Relations
AED currently engages a government affairs firm in Ottawa that works on its behalf, McGuire said.
“We will continue to engage that firm,” he said. “In addition, Nancy Malone (current senior vice president at NAEDA) will be coming into the new organization, and Jalen Price (current regional manager for Eastern Canada AED) on our team will also represent dealers. Members will see a very active provincial program as well as an active federal program.”
Historically, NAEDA and its predecessors have enjoyed a strong presence in Western Canada and were based in Calgary. Davis said that will continue, further strengthening representation for Canada dealers.
“We have the Calgary office, legal entities and the Canadian Foundation, all of which will continue onward as successors. Nancy Malone will be based in Calgary,” Davis said. “One of the bylaw changes puts forward adding 2 seats from Western Canada to the AED board, bringing total Canadian representation to 4 seats.”
Member Benefits
McGuire said one important addition is AED's aggressive field force.
“Our regional manager team personally calls on 50% of our members every year to ensure they are getting maximum value from their membership,” he said. “Unifying training programs will produce much stronger offerings because the organizations will combine efforts rather than competing.”
There will be stronger industry relations and a more aggressive state and provincial advocacy program, too, McGuire said.
“Both associations have been doing a lot with limited resources in state and provincial government affairs,” McGuire said. “This merger gives us the resources to increase dedicated staff in those critical areas.”
Through the foundations and the Dealer Institute training programs, the group said its in-house research and knowledge base will expand significantly. Combining 2 financially healthy organizations also provides more resource capacity, Davis said.
By combining PACs and combining the U.S. foundations while utilizing the Canadian Foundation for Canada, Davis said it should help drive expanded benefits and services.
“Federal, state and provincial governments are becoming increasingly involved in our business,” Marshall said. “We need a loud, unified voice to ensure lawmakers understand what we do. Unification doubles our reach and influence.”
OPE to Continue
The Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) Council will continue, Davis said.
“OPE has been a massive growth engine. A press release is going out soon, highlighting our continued expansion into OPE. Their voices will be heard, they will have board representation, and the council will continue supporting their needs.”
Impact on 2027 AED Summit
For the 2027 Summit there will be slight changes according to McGuire, including additional breakout sessions.
“Dealership operational classes, financials, leadership, service department management, all apply universally across dealership operations regardless of equipment type,” McGuire said. “We anticipate introducing a dedicated OPE track at the 2028 Summit. We will not have separate conferences. Summit will expand.”
In January, the 2027 Summit takes place in Orlando. Then, then it moves to Las Vegas in 2028, Dallas in 2029, then back to Orlando and Las Vegas.
Full Steam Ahead
Overall, Anderson said dealer advocacy and manufacturer relations are foundational to NAEDA and will remain central to the unified association.
“Maintaining collaborative relationships with OEMs allows us to resolve issues constructively, but holding manufacturers accountable when necessary is essential,” he said.
Fulcher said building strong relationships with OEM is also key.
“We aren't driving an adversarial stake in the ground,” Fulcher said. “We want healthy relationships with OEMs so we can resolve disputes effectively when dealers need advocacy.”
Related Content:
[Video] A Closer Look at the Planned AED-NAEDA Unification
Dealer Associations Plan to Unify
The Next Evolution of Dealer Representation: Why the NAEDA-AED Merger Is Good for Dealers
