Tech Data combines former Azlan and Avnet businesses into one northern base

Distributor merges three northern sites into one new hub in Warrington

Tech Data has brought together its former Azlan and Technology Solutions (TS) businesses into one hub as part of its integration of the two companies.

The combined business, now known as Tech Data Advanced Solutions, will operate from a 15,000 sq ft premises at Birchwood Park in Warrington, where over 100 employees will be based.

The rehousing sees the former Avnet TS team, previously based in Haslingden, integrated with the Azlan team which was based in two separate Warrington units.

Tech Data completed its acquisition Avnet's TS last year before merging it with its own Azlan division and rebranding the business to Tech Data Advanced Solutions, which sits under the main Tech Data brand.

Speaking to CRN Rob Tomlin (pictured), UK MD of the business, said: "It is just over two years since the acquisition of Avnet was announced and we're all done and dusted, and fully integrated.

"We now have one purpose-built facility that is all open plan and it's great. It's a big investment for Tech Data as an organisation in the north.

"It is a big upgrade on what we had before and it has a solution centre, linked to our Bracknell facility, that demonstrates everything that we sell, from the datacentre to the living room.

"It also has a lot of meeting rooms so that partners based in the north can come in and have customer meetings."

Last October Tech Data's EMEA VP Patrick Zammit told CRN's sister publication Channelnomics Europe that the UK's integration of the two businesses was close to completion, following similar moves in Belgium, Iberia and Italy. Around this time Tech Data also said that it would stop using the Azlan brand name.

Tomlin added that the new business now has the feel of a unified organisation.

"It does feel like one business," he said.

"All the sales team are one sales team and we have a really nice blend across all the businesses of the people who were previously on one of the two teams. They're all going to market as one organisation, but more importantly we are one Tech Data."