Midwich continues down M&A path

Distributors acquires £19m-revenue Germany outfit

Print and AV distributor Midwich has made a move on the professional video and broadcast space in Germany through acquiring New Media.

The Nuremberg-based distributor - which is named Bauer und Trummer but trades under New Media - claims to be a specialist distributor of products including cameras, recording hardware, editing software and accessories. It counts Vitec, Livestream and Blackmagic Design as its key vendors.

New Media - which turned over €21m (£18.95m) in 2017 - trades across the DACH region as well as a "select number" of other European countries.

The acquisition complements a previous 2016 buyout in the UK of Glossop-based firm Holdan. New Media will add to Midwich's existing AV business in Germany, which is largely based on its 2013 acquisition of Kern & Stelly Medientechnik.

New Media's joint founders and managing directors Johannes Bauer and Tobias Trummer will stay on at the firm after the acquisition.

"I am delighted to welcome Johannes, Tobias and the rest of the New Media team to the Midwich Group. As one of the largest AV markets in Europe, expanding our technology offering in the DACH region was a strategic priority. We will look to continue strengthening the company's position in the broadcast market, and work with the business to build an exciting proposition for both the Group's new and existing customers in the region," said Lutz Kern, DACH director for Midwich Group.

Joint Managing Director of New Media Bauer added: "The New Media team is very excited at the prospect of working with the Midwich team - and particularly our new colleagues at Holdan and Kern & Stelly. With additional resources, support and market access, we expect to be able to provide even stronger product and service support to our customers, and deeper market penetration to our vendors".

Its acquisition of New Media marks Midwich's first of the year. CEO Stephen Fenby told Channelnomics Europe in March that he hoped to at least match the distributor's 2017 tally this year.

Last year, Midwich entered the Iberian market through acquiring €21m-turnover AV player Earpro, landed in the Netherlands by buying up a Gebroeders van Domburg, before swooping on UK-based audio player Sound Technology towards the end of 2017.

2017 revenues ballooned 27.5 per cent to £471.94m (€524.01m), while adjusted operating profits surged by 35 per cent to £25m.