Avnet completes Acal buy, increases European presence

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 12/17/2007

Electronics supply chain giant Avnet Inc. has completed its acquisition of the IT solutions division of Acal plc.

The acquired business, which has annual revenues of approximately $200 million, is a European value-added distributor for storage networking (SAN), networking, security, electronic document management, as well as managed and professional services. The division, which has operations in the U.K., the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Sweden, will be integrated into Avnet Technology Solutions’ EMEA business.

Avnet announced plans for the Acal acquisition in September.

“This acquisition extends our depth of expertise in the IT solutions and services arena by adding new competencies in high growth areas and expanding our ability to deliver multi-vendor solutions,” Dick Borsboom, president of Avnet Technology Solutions EMEA, said in a statement today. “The addition of 200 skilled employees and 2,000 Acal resellers broadens our solutions-selling portfolio and creates additional opportunities for cross selling.”

Following on the recently completed acquisition of the Magirus enterprise division, Avnet Technology Solutions is building its market presence in the areas of managed and professional services, SAN, Networking and Security solutions. The acquisition also opens new markets to Avnet Technology Solutions, such as electronic document management, today operating under the name Headway Technologies.

The acquisition is further one in a string of European-focused expansion made by the Phoenix-based distributor. In addition to the Acal and Germany-based Magirus moves, Avnet in September announced plans to buy Berlin, Germany-based passive components distributor Betronik GmbH. In July, Avnet acquired U.K.-based interconnect, passive and electromechanical distributor Flint Distribution Ltd. And in November 2006, Avnet bought ESCO Italiana, an Italy-based semiconductor and embedded systems specialist distribution company, and inked a pan-European distribution agreement with Germany-based company Weidmuller to add to its board level interconnect portfolio.