Midwich finds new partners after buy-out

The new management team at Norfolk-based distributor Midwich will announce a number of additional vendor partners in the coming months.

The new management team at Norfolk-based distributor Midwich will announce a number of additional vendor partners in the coming months.

The company, which supplies printers, digital imaging products, flat panel screens and projectors, and reported sales of £80m last year, was the subject of a management buy-out earlier this month.

Product marketing director Nick Culley, who was part of the buy-out team, said the company has a "number of new vendor partnerships to announce" in the future and is also actively recruiting new staff. Midwich currently employs about 125 people.

"A benefit of being based in East Anglia is the low turnover of staff, which provides customers and vendors, and of course our staff, with continuity," said Culley.

He added that the response to the buy-out by Midwich channel partners was very positive. "Everybody has been supportive. All the staff and management have been delighted," he said. "This is the first time that Midwich has been an independently owned and operated distributor, and it is a very exciting time for us."

But with market conditions as they are, Midwich cannot afford to be complacent, he added.

Most distributors which have suffered have been components-based with "thin margins and less to value add", said Culley.

He insisted that Midwich cannot ignore the recent failures of a number of distributors and resellers. "Our focus is on digital imaging and audio-visual products, which give us the opportunity to make better margins and give better opportunities," he said.