Merger trend continues as AeA, ECA look to join

The merger trend continues among industry associations as AeA and the Electronic Components Association have announced that they are talking about consolidation.AeA, formerly the American Electronics Association, also is in talks with the Information Technology Association of America.The combination with ECA is being touted as an opportunity to create an "organization with greater clout, enabling access to a larger market and expanding the scope of products and services currently available to members," AeA said in a statement.AeA and ECA have thousands of members. AeA represents all sectors of the high-tech industry. ECA represents manufacturers and suppliers of passive and electro-mechanical electronic components, connectors, wire, cable, component arrays, assemblies, materials, and support services.In the past year, the Professional Services Council and the Contract Services Association of America merged. ITAA also merged earlier this year with the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association.The merger trend among association is driven in part by consolidation of the technology industry as companies acquire one another. Industry officials are also looking to speak with more unified voice in their government lobbying efforts."This merger continues the trend started by ITAA and AeA to consolidate associations into a national voice for the technology industry. This partnership benefits the entire industry, whether large or small, electronics or software based," said AeA Chairman Peter Boni, president and chief executive officer of Safeguard Scientifics Inc.