Earl Scheib Inc. said that its stockholders on Thursday approved its $8 million merger with Kelly Capital LLC.

More than 91 percent of the company’s shares outstanding were cast in favor of the merger, said Earl Scheib, a Sherman Oaks chain of automotive paint and collision repair shops.

The company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kelly Capital, a San Diego private equity fund founded in 1993 that has completed more $3 billion in transactions. The deal, announced in February, is expected to close no later than April 30.

“I believe that after the merger is completed the company will not only be strengthened but be in a better position for future growth,” Chef Executive Christian K. Bement said in a statement.

Earl Scheib is considered the oldest and largest non-franchised operator in the automotive painting industry, with 85 stores in 77 cities. The company last March hired Wedbush Morgan Securities as a financial advisor to begin exploring strategic alternatives.