The Board of Directors for the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) and the National Cosmetology Association (NCA) are pleased to announce that the membership of PBA and the delegates of NCA have agreed to the merger of NCA with PBA as its fourth section of membership. This merger represents another progressive step towards industry unification and furthers the strategic plan to be universally recognized as the catalyst for driving consumer loyalty, member success and the advancement of the professional beauty industry.
The merger will be official on January 1, 2010. Until then, NCA will continue to be managed by PBA. In 2010, NCA will officially join PBA as the fourth membership section, joining the current membership sections for Manufacturers, Distributors and Salon and Spa owners.
'By forming this strategic alliance, all facets of the beauty industry will now be represented by a more unified and efficient trade association capable of maximizing member value and better able to serve the professional beauty industry as a whole,' says Steve Sleeper, Executive Director of PBA. 'On behalf of PBA, we welcome the addition of licensed professionals to our membership and feel in the long term, all membership sections will benefit.'
By merging, PBA and NCA will be able to serve their members and deliver upon their respective missions more effectively. By realizing multiple synergies, benefits such as more comprehensive research into the industry's best practices, a wider array of continuing education, advanced trainings, charitable outreach and networking across multiple channels are expected. Government relations and lobbying efforts benefiting the entire industry will also be combined and will remain a core focus. In addition, members of each association will share in the benefits of the other as appropriate, including free admission to major industry events such as the International Salon & Spa Expo (ISSE) beginning in 2011 and the International Beauty Shows, as well as special pricing to events such as Cosmoprof North America, PBA Symposium and the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA).
'We're excited about this opportunity for the entire professional salon industry to be represented by one unified association,' says Mark Goodman, NCA President. 'This merger will allow salon professionals to have access to more advanced education and an opportunity to build their career with integrity, as has long been the NCA mission.
For additional information on PBA and NCA, please visit probeauty.org and ncacares.org.
The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is made up of salons and spas, distributors and manufacturers dedicated to improving their individual businesses and the industry as a whole. Led by industry volunteers, the association offers: business tools • education • government advocacy • networking • and more. Visit probeauty.org or call 800.468.2274 (480.281.0424) to learn more.
The National Cosmetology Association (NCA) is the largest organization of salon professionals in the world. Its mission, since its inception in 1921, has been and continues to be to ensure that working salon professionals have the tools and resources available to create career success with integrity. Visit ncacares.org or call 866.871.0656.