New brands to put CCI back on growth track in 2011

Storage distributor looks to hit £40m sales this year with investment in IT systems

Seven new partnerships helped CCI Distribution close 2010 in fine form and the storage and peripherals player aims to get back on the growth track in a big way next year.

The Harrogate-based distributor posted full-year sales of £32.8m last year, down from almost £34m last year. But the firm claimed the last seven months of 2010 were fruitful, particularly quarter four when seven new brands were launched into the channel: Aiptek, CradlePoint, Dicota, Intellinet, Muc-Off, Crucial and Storex. CCI also claimed it was able to make hay during the Christmas demand for tablet PCs.

Growth is back on the agenda this year, with CCI gunning for a 20 per cent top-line expansion, which would take it back to around the £40m mark. This year, the distributor will invest in touching up its IT estate, including the implementation of a fully automated online ordering system.

CCI managing director, Paul Roughley, said: "The significant investments we made in our management team, IT infrastructure and e-commerce facilities over the past two years started to pay even greater dividends in the last six months.

"We focused our efforts as a business exceptionally well and enhanced our product portfolio with seven new vendor partnerships. After a difficult year for many in our market, we're pleased to be entering 2011 on the front foot."