Exertis snaps up Computers Unlimited for £24m

Distie claims acquisition will bring it new product sets to take to partners

Exertis has acquired fellow distie Computers Unlimited for £24m in a move it claims bolsters its growth ambitions.

Computers Unlimited, which has annual revenues of about £140m, has offices in London, Paris and Barcelona and more than 2,000 partners and 200 staff on its books.

The company will continue to operate as a separate brand as part of the deal, which was closed for an undisclosed amount.

Exertis said the buy will bolster its presence in the UK and France and provide it with new opportunities in the Spanish market in which Computers Unlimited operates.

"The Computers Unlimited business model aligns well with Exertis' commercial structure and is an excellent strategic fit, bringing new product categories and specialisms to the Exertis portfolio," Exertis said.

"Computers Unlimited has a best-of-breed range of products sourced from more than 70 leading manufacturers, including Adobe, Epson, Griffin, Incipio, LocknCharge, Microsoft, Nemetschek, Parrot, Sonos, Wacom, and Western Digital."

Niall Ennis, group managing director of Exertis, said the acquisition will be good for its European expansion plans.

"We are excited at the prospect of extending the reach of Computers Unlimited to the multiple retail channels that Exertis supports both in the UK and in France," he said.

"This acquisition also extends the Exertis footprint into the Spanish retail sector, where Computers Unlimited has a growing presence.

"Likewise, we see significant opportunities to expand the reach of the brands currently working with Computers Unlimited into the Exertis operations in the Nordics and the Middle East."

James Sanson, chief executive of Computers Unlimited, said:

"The opportunity to combine Computers Unlimited's brand and channel-building talents with Exertis' retail, logistics and geographic strengths is very compelling. I'm confident the new combined business can offer a fantastic proposition and strong growth for our current and future brands."