European acquisitions drive strong H1 growth for Midwich

UK still biggest revenue driver, despite flat growth for the period

Midwich has posted a strong H1 bolstered by European acquisitions it made earlier in the year.

The print and AV specialist distributor saw overall revenue climb 19 per cent year on year to £314.8m for its six months ending 30 June 2019.

The UK-based distie went on an M&A spree earlier this year, snapping up a series of European counterparts as part of its strategy to enter new markets.

It acquired Italian Prase and Swiss MobilePro in January, followed by Oslo-based AV Partner in May.

Midwich attributed its growth to these additions, stating that they have contributed positively towards the group's gross and net profits, as well as expanding its presence in Europe and strengthening its capabilities in the broadcast and professional audio markets.

It also acquired Spanish VAD EES just after the reporting period closed. EES specialises in lighting and lighting infrastructure.

"The group has had another strong first half and I am pleased with our overall performance, particularly given political and economic uncertainties around the globe," stated Stephen Fenby, MD of Midwich.

"The increase in the group's gross margin percentage reflects strong performance from the core business and a positive contribution from the acquisitions made in 2018 and the first half of 2019.

"The more specialist nature of the acquired businesses ensures that our value-add to customers and vendors continues to increase."

The UK and Ireland was still the biggest region for the distie, with revenue of £154m - nearly half of the company's total turnover.

The distie stated that there was "good growth" in the core AV business in the UK, which was driven by demand for large displays, LED and broadcast technologies.

However, the UK's growth rate of 0.3 per cent was eclipsed by that of the European business, which grew 47.5 per cent to £138m, bolstered by the new acquisitions, along with strong trade in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

"We continue to have a healthy pipeline of strategic opportunities and have invested in the group's acquisition and integration teams in the first half," Fenby added.

"We will continue our disciplined approach to acquire businesses that add value while both strengthening and diversifying our product offering and geographical reach.

"The strong performance reported in the first half and contributions from recent acquisitions give the board confidence in the prospects for the group."