ALTON, England, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
- Creates UK's Premier Value-Added Distributor, Delivers on Pan-European Strategy
VADition, the value-added distributor of technologies for the 'social enterprise', today announced its acquisition by Exclusive Networks Group, the Pan-European value-added distributor of security, storage and networking technologies, for an undisclosed sum. Building on Exclusive's successful acquisition of Arc Technology in July 2009, the deal will add significant momentum to its business, creating the UK's foremost value-added distributor of innovative and disruptive technologies for resellers addressing SMEs, large enterprises and public sector organisations.
The acquisition sees VADition's senior management team assume responsibility for Exclusive's UK business operations, with co-founders Neil Ledger and Ian Morris taking up the posts of joint CEOs.
VADition's Hampshire based operations will now become the Group's 24/7 service and support centre for Europe, and when combined with Exclusive's existing Chesterfield business, will significantly increase the Company's national footprint and reach across the UK to better serve the needs of its VAR partners.
In a joint statement, VADition co-founders Neil Ledger and Ian Morris said, "The acquisition by Exclusive is a great fit for us. We share so much in common from company culture, to technology vision, to business strategy, and the synergies between the two organisations are very compelling. VADition has experienced tremendous growth over the last 4 years achieving annual revenues in excess of £30m, expanding into continental Europe with the launch of its Benelux operations and being acclaimed as the 3rd fastest growing private UK company in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 league table for 2010. The acquisition is testament to the fantastic job the entire team at VADition has done and is a clear validation of our strategy and vision of the social enterprise. We remain as ambitious as ever and are committed to helping Exclusive achieve its growth potential in the UK market."
"This is a strategic acquisition for us as we continue to bolster our UK presence and build out our European distribution network", commented Olivier Breittmayer, CEO of Exclusive Networks Group. "To find an organisation of the calibre of VADition that shared our ambition, drive and vision of value-added distribution was refreshing. There are many similarities between the two organisations, both started around the same time, both focus on innovative and disruptive technologies, and both share exclusive or preferred partner status with vendor organisations. This combined with strong leadership, a committed workforce and proven business performance made VADition an obvious target for us. We now look forward to continued growth and success together."
Chris Walsh, Sales Director at Exclusive Networks UK commented, "Although operating across similar market sectors, there is very little vendor cross over between the two organisations which represents tremendous opportunities for our vendor partners and reseller channels alike. We are looking forward to building upon the experience that VADition brings to the organisation as well as access to their corporate reseller base. In return we believe we can offer them a valuable insight into the SME channel. This breadth of offering is unrivalled in the UK and will give us a real competitive advantage in the marketplace."
The expanded UK business will now be on a par with that of Exclusive's other European operations. With 2011 revenues for the Group set to reach €180m and with over 200 staff across 11 countries, the deal reinforces Exclusive's ambitious growth plans and strategy to become the de-facto 'go-to-market' value-added distributor across Europe.
About VADition
VADition (http://www.vadition.com) is the social enterprise distributor, enabling channel partners to successfully confront the business and IT challenges faced by organisations that are embracing new IT delivery models and working practices.
The characteristics of VADition's chosen vendor partners must therefore demonstrate a belief and commitment to this evolution, and provide rapidly innovating technology that accelerates, automates, consolidates or secures the IT estate. VADition is an award winning distributor, recognised by respected industry publications and analysts for its value-adding approach, and by The Sunday Times for its sustained growth and profitability as one of the UK's best performing private companies.
About Exclusive Group
Exclusive Group is a European value added distributor specialising in critical security, infra-network and storage solutions. Exclusive Group is recognised for marketing highly innovative, forward-looking solutions that meet existing or emerging needs, such as unified information security threat management. The keys to Exclusive Group's success lie in its proven technical skills and its commitment to its operator, integrator, VAR and service provider partners (through consulting, training and support) and to its vendors and manufacturers, notably in defining their business plans and marketing actions. Headquartered in France, Exclusive Group is now present in 11 countries: France (Paris, Lyon and Montpellier), Spain, Portugal, Italy, Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Francophone Africa, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
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