LONDON — Avnet Time has acquired interconnect, passive and electromechanical (IP&E) distributor, Flint Distribution Ltd. (Coalville, England).

Flint will be combined with the Avnet Time organization whose European headquarters is in Munich, Germany and which has a U.K. office in Stevenage. The newly formed business will have annual revenues of €31 million (about $43 million).

Carl Barton, managing director and co-founder of Flint, will lead the new, larger Avnet Time business in the U.K. and Ireland. Vince Clark, Avnet Time's U.K. manager, will head up the sales organization. Avnet Time and Flint customers will have access to the expanded line card.

Flint has 55 employees and around 1600 customers across a range of industry sectors, including EMS, security, instrumentation, automation and industrial controls.

"Too often, our operational excellence and superior customer service get lost in vendor reduction programmes. Therefore, all of the Flint board members believe that the combined strengths of Avnet and Flint provides the best option for customers, suppliers and staff alike," said Barton. "Flint has been my life for over 20 years and my overriding objective was to ensure that Ômy baby' went to the best possible home."

Avnet Time is a business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA and Avnet, Inc. (Phoenix). Patrick Zammit, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA staid, "We have very exciting growth plans for Avnet Time across Europe and the acquisition of Flint is a great example of our commitment to grow IP&E in the region."

Klaus Emme, president of Avnet Time, added, "Flint has an unequalled reputation for service excellence and process & operational innovation. Therefore, our intent is to fully merge best people and best practices into Avnet Time's organization. Coalville will become the centre of U.K. and Ireland operations for Avnet Time. Furthermore, Avnet Time's Stevenage location will remain a critical sales branch with refined geographical responsibilities, to continuously expand our service offerings to customers."

"By leaving both the Coalville operation and the Stevenage sales office intact, customers will enjoy the stronger market presence of Avnet Time and Flint combined, as well as the benefit of Flint's unrivalled customer service," said Clark.