VAD CMS Distribution Acquires French Distributor Avesta

VAD CMS Distribution Ltd has acquired Avesta SAS, a French distributor based in the outskirts of Paris.

Avesta is a distributor of hardware technologies specialising in mobile solutions and high-tech products, is focused on the French market and employs 32 people.

This acquisition strengthens CMS Distribution’s position as one of Europe’s IT specialist distributor.

Founder and CEO of CMS Distribution, Frank Salmon, commented on the acquisition: “We are delighted to welcome Avesta to the group, they have a great reputation for excellent customer service and product knowledge which perfectly complements CMS’ values. Going forward our French customers will gain access to an increased product portfolio, additional sales and marketing resources and more competitive offerings. We are very excited to offer our vendor partners new routes to market, allowing them to explore new business opportunities.”

Following the acquisition, CMS will now employ over 400 people across the group with a strong foothold in Europe covering the UK, Ireland, France, Benelux and Scandinavia, in addition to its locations in China and USA, which was established in 2018.

It will continue to run the business under Avesta’s brand for the foreseeable future. Its leadership and management team will remain, focusing on the growth of the business throughout Europe.

Jean-Luc Delaunay, directeur général, Avesta said: “We are excited to be part of a large global distribution business and CMS has certainly demonstrated their growth plans in recent years. It will be great to be able to leverage their systems, resources and some of their vendor partners going forward, so we can embark on this journey of growth together.”

In addition to this news today, on September 1, 2019, CMS relocated its warehouse and integration facility to a new 150,000 sq. ft. logistics centre in Castleford, Yorkshire, UK. The new centre will provide scope for CMS to increase their integration capability and continue their customised warehousing services, to support their growth plans. The firm is also offering vendors and customers additional storage capacity for Brexit contingency planning.

CMS records 2018 revenue of £434 million.