BETHESDA, Md. — Members of the Paint & Body Equipment Association (PBEA) approved a recommendation to consolidate association operations with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).

Months of negotiation between the two groups will be capped when PBEA members elect to participate in AAIA’s PBE segment. Under the terms of the agreement PBE will become known as Paint & Body Equipment Specialist (PBES) segment, representing the final action required to bring together the PBE industry’s two major associations.

“The time was right for PBEA to join forces with AAIA,” says PBEA president, Bud Beeler. “Our board feels strongly that the challenges and opportunities faced by our industry are best met through a unified association.”

For the first two years of consolidation, PBEA and PBE together will manage the new PBES segment. The committee will oversee the transition and provide input to AAIA’s staff and board of directors on matters related to PBE industry.