Midwich expands into Canada with takeover of distributor SF Marketing

Following a positive year of growth on all fronts, Midwich is going all in with acquisition of Canadian VAD

AV distributor Midwich has acquired Canadian VAD SF Marketing (SFM) as its growth spur continues.

The news comes as the AV distribution giant hit big milestones in 2023, including joining the £1bn club and logging its strongest annual growth in its history.

Midwich's organic growth was 20.7 per cent last year, almost double that of the wider AV market.

Montreal-based SFM was founded in 1978 and has grown to become a big player amongst AV distributors in Canada.

With a heritage in the solution-driven professional audio market, the business operates with brands such as Shure, QSC, and Pioneer DJ.

In recent years the company has expanded its technology offering, and now provides brands such as Blackmagic Design, BirdDog, Visionary Solutions, Christie and Sony for the professional video and broadcast markets.

Founder and chairman, Sol Fleising remained active in the business since its inception and in 2014 handed over the reins of the day-to-day operations to Randal Tucker as president.

Tucker, along with the existing leadership team, will remain with the business to lead the company's ongoing development and Fleising will continue to consult on behalf of the group for a period following completion.

At the core of SFM's distribution offering is a focus on providing customer service and support, particularly through its Technical Application Group, it says.

"We are delighted to welcome the SFM team to the Midwich Group," said Midwich MD Stephen Fenby.

"The Canadian AV market is important globally, and so it was important that we found a high quality business to partner with.

"The time we have spent with Tucker and the rest of the team gives us great confidence that we can work together to build an even stronger business serving the Canadian market.

"Fleising should be rightly proud of the business he built and passed over to the team to manage and develop."

Fleising added: "After 45 years in the business, it's very gratifying for me to see the business to which I devoted myself for so many years in the hands of the current management team, supported by the Midwich Group.

"In Midwich, I'm confident that SFM has found the right partner to continue providing the extremely high level of service our suppliers and customers have come to expect, and to continue building on the outstanding reputation for service that we've established in the Canadian market.

"SFM's legacy could not be in better hands."