ALSO latest name linked with Westcon sale process

Swiss-German broadliner thought to be in the mix to buy Westcon and Comstor, but both parties refuse to comment

Swiss-German distributor ALSO is the latest name being linked with the ongoing sale process at Westcon-Comstor.

Earlier this month, Westcon-Comstor's parent Datatec lifted the lid on the mystery M&A negotiations it has been locked in since the start of the year.

It said it is in discussions to sell a "major share" of Westcon-Comstor's operations for around $800m (£625m). Since then, rumours have been flying about who might be the potential buyer, with Arrow and Synnex both once considered to be in the frame.

But according to multiple sources, ALSO has joined the hunt to buy Westcon-Comstor, with some sources believing a deal has been agreed, and that meetings were held yesterday to finalise it. But they say a formal announcement will not happen until next month, when its results are due to come out.

Datatec said it had nothing to add and that everything it can say has been communicated publicly, and ALSO said it does not comment on rumours as a matter of company policy.

Price has been a sticking point during the negotiations, sources have said, especially since an ERP rollout completed in November disrupted business and took the shine off the distributor's performance. However, having a global infrastructure in place will potentially add value to the firm in the long term, onlookers added.

In 2016, ALSO posted net sales of €7.98bn (£6.67bn), and net profits of €83.2m. The Swiss-headquartered broadliner operates in 15 countries, including central Europe, the Nordics, parts of eastern Europe and France.

Datatec's most recent results are for the six months ending 31 August 2016, during which time, group revenue hit $3.04bn, with most of that (74 per cent) coming from Westcon-Comstor.