North American distributors have cast covetous eyes at the European electronics market place since the 70s. Here's a top 10 of those who made it, stuck around and have enjoyed success.
1. Cramer Electronics. It went the start-up route in the 70s. It hired some bright executives led by David Griffin, top man at Motorola Semiconductors in the UK and quickly made headway. Unfortunately through no fault of Griffin and his mates, there were financial problems in the US which, shall we say, ended messily. Griffin and company had however forged good relations and business opportunities with their suppliers. They extricated themselves from Cramer and continued under a new name, Hawke Components.
2 Arrow Electronics. CEO Steve Kaufman was relatively new to the company then. A first meeting made it clear this guy had ambitions for the company which were limitless. His start in the UK market was via the acquisition of a company called Axiom Electronics, itself a relatively new company which boasted the blue chip Motorola franchise. As far as I can recall Kaufman and Arrow went on to better things.
3.Avnet This too was an acquisition entry. It bought Access Electronics, a UK start-up which had matured successfully. It was headed by experienced distribution veteran Keith Williams. Avnet soon assessed Williams stature and he laid the groundwork for Avnet's future successes in Europe.
4. Future Not a great start when they were on the wrong end of a sting probably devised by a competitor. Future regrouped and were soon up and running again in the the UK, then Germany in a quick expansion through Europe. As one time European boss Danny Miller explained, "Being a private company we can decide to expand and open an office within a month." And they did.
5. Digi-Key arrived on a blizzard of marketing activity - a strategy which pertains today. The campaign kicked off in Electronics Weekly in the UK, which as I was publisher at the time, I'm pleased to report delivered encouraging results. A juggernaut was on its way.
6. Nu Horizons. Took their time getting here and then acquired DT Electronics, the Coventry, UK-based distributor two years ago, and since then has moved into the German market, snapping up Data-Sud Elektronik and opened offices in Poland and Hungary.
7. TTI. The electromechanical and passive component company hired Pat Frizoni, fresh from establishing the Avnet Time brand, to get them cracking in Europe. In no time at all they were a power in Europe dripping top notch franchises.
8. Marshall Industries. Anyone remember these guys? Strictly speaking they came through the back door. They forged an alliance with Sonepar, the pan-European, Paris-based broadliner under which they would undertake business on each other's behalf in their two respective continents. I have to say I don't think this was a tremendous success.
9. America II Electronics. An independent distributor which means it buys manufacturers excess stock amongst other trading strategies. Franchised distributors are sniffy about such companies in public, and do business with them privately. Any company which spends $250,000 on a new clean, anti-static floor for its Florida warehouse looks none too shabby to me. Hired ex Avnet executive Andy Groom who has overseen expansion in the UK, Germany and Italy.
10. Mouser Electronics. Sister company of TTI in the Berkley Hathaway Group. Not officially here yet but soon will be, thus adding another competitor into the lively catalogue distribution sector.
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