Broadliners break loose from stresses of training

Distribution Ingram Micro and CHS Electronics refocus efforts on 'core competencies'.

Broadline distributors have turned their back on training aftern 'core competencies'. Ingram Micro and CHS Electronics sold off their divisions this week, in a bid to remove a cumbersome part of the business and concentrate on support services.

Ingram's training unit went up for sale after managing director Sandy Scott commandeered its classrooms for a call centre. According to sources, it was bought by Holland's largest Microsoft accredited trainer, Compu'Train, as part of its efforts to establish a UK presence after setting up in the City.

Meanwhile, CHS sold its training division to Tower Education, which bought Computer 2000's training division in June 1996, after the distributor took the early decision to free itself from the concerns of running a training division.

Peter Rigby, CHS marketing director, said: 'It's quite a difficult business and not the core competency of a broadline distributor. The deal offloads a business that for us would require considerable investment to turn it around. It means we can focus particularly on support services.'

Rigby said the deal with Tower worked as a partnership, keeping training out of CHS but close enough to provide the service to resellers and users.

Ian Turner, managing director of Tower, said the firm had been talking to a number of distributors about taking on their training businesses, including Ingram, but pulled out because the distributor wanted to divorce itself from training, while Tower's strategy required a close partnership.

'Training is very competitive. There are a lot more players out there and it's not a channel business anymore,' Turner remarked.

He said other distributors with training arms either had to commit completely to training or 'get out' because it interfered with the 'core competency'.

'For most distributors, it's a difficult business because most distributors are comfortable with something in a box in a warehouse that they can sell and be paid for,' he added.

Julia Jones, Ilion's director of services, said: 'Training is big business now, very much a focused business. Ingram Micro has never focused on training as a core part of its business.'

Ingram and Compu'Train were unavailable to comment.