In a press release, December 15, 2021, DCC Technology, which trades as Exertis and is one of the world’s leading technology distribution and services businesses, has announced its acquisition of Almo Corporation in North America. The acquisition is the biggest yet in the history of parent company DCC plc.
The move signals an ambitious strategy for Exertis, extending its international scale in the Pro AV sector and ramping up its expansion in the North American market. The addition of Almo Corporation builds on other acquisitions in North America such as Stampede, Jam Industries, The Music People and JB&A, adding depth to its consumer portfolio. It expands Exertis’ Pro AV capability to form the largest specialist Pro AV business in North America.
Alongside its Pro AV business, Almo Corporation is the largest distributor of mainstream appliances, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of products including full kitchen packages with essential appliances to small and medium-sized retailers throughout the U.S. In addition, it is the leading distributor of premium appliances, serving retailers and builders designing luxury residential installations for refrigeration, ventilation and cooking in both indoor and outdoor settings. Almo’s thriving business in consumer appliances and lifestyle products will add scale to Exertis North America’s business in the consumer channel.
Almo’s 75-year-old, third-generation, family-owned business brings 660 employees, nine distribution centers and more than 2.5 million square feet of warehousing space across North America. Almo Corporation will benefit from leveraging Exertis’ financial resources and supply-chain logistics, delivering to its vendors and partners a host of improved business opportunities, efficiencies and potential for profit. The acquisition will provide Exertis North America with increased back-end economies of scale allied to the front-end specialization that will add multiple benefits for all its vendors and partners.
Almo will continue to be operated by the Chaiken Family, with Warren Chaiken as President and CEO and Gene Chaiken as Chairman. The combined Exertis and Almo Pro AV divisions will in due course be led by Sam Taylor, current Executive Vice President & COO of Almo Pro AV. Shortly after the completion of the integration, the combined business will be rebranded as Exertis Almo Pro AV.
Executive Summary
- Acquisition is biggest in Exertis (DCC Technology) and parent company DCC plc’s history
- Move demonstrates Exertis’ determination to expand its North American business and become a global leader in Pro AV
- Almo business and customers to benefit from enhanced supply chain access and new profit opportunities
- Executive team led by Warren Chaiken to continue running Almo operation
- Move also expands Exertis’ U.S. portfolio in consumer appliances, consumer electronics and lifestyle products
- Smooth transition planned for customers and vendors of both Almo and Exertis North America
John Dunne, a long-time senior executive with Exertis, currently leading the Exertis Pro AV team in North America, will join the Almo executive team and help lead the integration. The Premium Appliances and Mainstream Appliances divisions will continue to be led by Steve Terry and Jack Halperin respectively – both industry veterans in those markets.
Exertis’ expanded North American operation becomes a $2.4 billion business overseen by Martin Szpiro, Managing Director of Exertis North America. It forms part of the international expansion strategy of Exertis International, under Managing Director Clive Fitzharris.
Tim Griffin, DCC Technology & Exertis Managing Director says, “The acquisition of Almo Corporation is the largest in DCC’s history and signals our confident and ambitious intent to expand DCC Technology. By integrating Almo with our North American Business, we will form the largest specialist Pro AV business in North America. Almo’s 75-year history of growth and success, combined with its longstanding relationships with industry partners and its ability to continually innovate and expand will be great assets to Exertis. In turn, we will bring significant economies of scale, global supply chain access and other benefits to the customers of Almo Corporation.”
Warren Chaiken, Almo Corporation President & CEO says, “Having just completed a year-long celebration of 75 years of growth and business success, the time is right to give our manufacturer and channel partners a truly global distribution stage so they can operate their businesses at a greater capacity, leverage more buying power and the ability to compete for a more comprehensive position in the global supply chain. We are committed to growing with our partners by remaining their value-added distributor with larger scale and access to more products, more services and more financial support. For them, this transition will be seamless in that we will operate business as usual.”
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[ Related: Executive Q&A: Almo Celebrates 75 Years by Giving Back ]
[ Related: Almo Celebrates 75 Years at InfoComm 2021 ]
About Exertis
Exertis is one of the world’s leading technology distributors of consumer, business and enterprise products from pioneering technology brands, playing an integral role in supplying the world with cutting-edge tech. For forty years Exertis has distributed the technology that transforms societies and facilitates the world’s transition to digital. These days Exertis distributes everything from AV solutions to AI-powered smart-tech.
Exertis is powered by the mantra 'our people, our customers, our business' and its reach is global. A wholly owned subsidiary of parent company DCC plc, a FTSE 100 company, it has offices in Europe, North America, Middle East and China, representing 2,400 brands. In 2021 it had a turnover of £4.483 billion. As technology evolves, so does Exertis.
Since 1946, Almo Corporation has served as the largest independent distributor of appliances, consumer electronics, professional Audio/Video equipment, furniture and housewares in the United States. Meeting the needs of retailers across the country, Almo operates nine regional distribution facilities with over 2.5 million square feet of warehousing. Almo focuses on four major business segments: Major Appliance and Electronics, Premium Appliances, Professional AV and e-Commerce Fulfillment.
About DCC plc
DCC is a leading international sales, marketing and support services group with a clear focus on performance and growth. DCC is an ambitious and entrepreneurial business operating in 21 countries, supplying products and services used by millions of people every day. Headquartered in Dublin, the Group operates across three markets: energy, healthcare and technology, employing approximately 15,000 people. DCC plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100. In its financial year ended 31 March 2021, DCC generated revenue of £13.4 billion and operating profit of £530.2 million.
