Exertis strikes distribution deal with StorageCraft
The Basingstoke-based distributor will offer StorageCraft’s full range of backup and recovery products
Distributors
June 21, 2016
Owner Peter Jones is understood to have made unsuccessful attempts to sell the business in recent years
Data Select has scotched industry rumours that it is in talks with potential suitors over a possible trade sale.
The distributor was responding to reports in the channel that owner Peter Jones, who founded the firm in 1998, had expressed a desire to sell the business.
Rival distributor Tech Data has been strongly linked, with industry sources claiming talks had been ongoing for several months. Daisy Group were also named amongst the speculation last week – which was also immediately quashed.
A spokesperson for Data Select told Mobile News “Data Select receives regular interest; at this time Data Select is not engaged in any active negotiations in relation to any sale.”
Jones is understood to have made a number of unsuccessful attempts to sell off the distribution arm in recent years, including to Brightstar in 2011 and was linked to a management buyout in the same year, neither of which materialised.
According to figures on CreditSafe, turnover and profits at the business (Data Select Ltd) have fallen over recent times.
Annual figures show turnover for the 12 months ending April 30 2015, was £120.7 million, down from £137.4 million on the previous year. Profits fell 33 per cent during the same period to £1.5 million.
The distributor has partnerships with more than 47 vendors in the UK, including direct distribution agreements with HTC, Samsung, BlackBerry, Alcatel, Huawei, Honor, Acer, Wileyfox and Kazam.