The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) and the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM) today announced that their Boards have given unanimous approval to merge the two organizations, which together represent print and online directory companies, certified marketing representatives (CMRs), advertisers, and suppliers around the world.

The merger proposal will now move to a vote by their memberships.

“Our industry is amidst a dramatic and exciting transformation,” said YPA President Neg Norton. “For 130 years, we have changed and adapted to advertiser and consumer trends. Today, our members are evolving from single-product to multi-platform advertising companies that help local and national businesses generate relevant sales leads across print, digital, mobile, social and other mediums. With the changes in our industry, it only makes sense for us to also transform the associations that represent them.”

“Our mutual interest is to serve the needs of our members and this combination will create substantial value for them,” said Nancy Augustine, Senior Vice President, ADM. “Our impact will be greater working together. The objectives of our organizations are aligned, and given the rapid change in local search, we can be much more effective operating as a single unit.”

The two associations have a history of collaboration and a shared objective of serving the people who provide local search solutions to local and national businesses. Chris Cummings, CEO Marquette Group, currently serves as the chairman of both associations and there is significant overlap in the memberships of YPA and ADM.

If the merger is approved by their memberships, the new association will become the largest local search trade organization in the world, representing 90 percent of the United States and Canadian Yellow Pages industry as well as key players in 29 countries worldwide.