DAVIS, CA — The Far West Equipment Dealers Association (FWEDA) Board of Directors met and ratified a membership vote to merge with Associated Equipment Distributors (AED). The merger is scheduled to be finalized by the end of August.

“We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and look forward to the future with AED,” FWEDA Chairman Russ Ball said.

AED is made up of construction, agriculture, mining, forestry, power generation, and municipal equipment dealers. The merger confirms AED’s continued commitment to grow its representation of agricultural equipment distributors, currently representing 22 percent of its membership.

FWEDA rejected a merger with another association last year, which led FWEDA to seek an opportunity with AED. “Far West board members took several things into consideration when choosing AED,” said Joani Woelfel, President & CEO of FWEDA. “AED provides optimal benefits and resources for our members and the brightest outlook for the future.”

“We look forward to assimilating FWEDA members into the AED family and helping them meet the challenges of operating successful businesses,” said AED Chairman Matt Di Iorio.

FWEDA members will gain access to the full range of AED resources and benefits including benchmarking reports, employee education, seminars, technical assessments, and legal call counsel. AED will continue to provide state lobbying efforts in the states served by FWEDA in addition to its advocacy at the national level.

Established in 1946, FWEDA is a not-for-profit trade association representing the business interests of agricultural, industrial, material handling, hardware, outdoor power, and rental equipment dealers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.