It appears ARN editorial staff aren’t the only ones with long memories when it comes to distributors and their leaders.
Emails have been flooding in from all sides of the country from avid readers contributing more names to add to our Decade of Distribution: Where are they now list.
Here are some additional distribution players that exited the market in the past 10 years, courtesy of our readers. ARN has added in some background information – where possible – to help jog your memory about these notables:
- Digiland – After several attempts at merging with the likes of eXeed and Dicker Data, and a failed attempt to resurrect the business into a niche player by two-time boss, Laurie Carmichael, Digiland ebbed away and by 2008, had disappeared from the Australian distribution market.
- NatComp – Run by Fabio Grassia, NatComp continued to operate throughout the noughties, bringing out its own brand of products, Vivo, in 2008. The company is still run by Grassia and currently operates as Vivo International.
- eSys – This Asia-based distributor was established in Australia in 2003 and run for several years by industry notable, George Skaf, who resigned in 2007. The company floundered following his resignation and the loss of its significant vendor partner, Seagate, in November 2006. Skaf has recently joined Logitech after a stint with Synnex.
- Protac International Computers - Despite repeated denials by Gary Jeng that business was closing, Protac disappeared from the Australian distribution landscape in mid-2009. In June, ARN reported Protac’s warehouse had been put up for sale.
- Hallmark Computer – Despite reader claims that Hallmark disappeared from the distributor books, the company is in fact still operating – albeit as a new outfit. In October 2009, ARN reported the former PC assembler and distribution house was acquired by Ashok Alexander from founder, Edward Ho, as a niche Darwin-based distributor.
- Tecksel - This boutique NSW distributor closed in doors in July 2007. At the time, ARN reported a major fallout between Tecksel and its key vendor, Netgear, was the major contributor to its demise.
- Omega Technology - The spectacular crash of Omega Technology in December 2005 was well documented by ARN. The company started in 1985 and announced a merger with Hallmark in early 2005, only to find itself in the hands of administrators.
- Integrity Data Systems - This niche wireless distributor, owned by Ross Chiswell, went into administration in 2005 and was sold to TR Corporation. It was renamed TR Telecom and sold it to Lan 1 in September 2009.
- Merisel – Although it technically doesn’t fit into the past decade, readers nevertheless wanted to highlight Merisel, a major distributor from the 1980s and 1990s. Merisel was in fact acquired by Tech Pacific in 1996.
- Dataflow - Dataflow just makes it into 2000 – the software distributor was was liquidated in June 2000 after 17 years in operation.
- CHA (Computer Hardware Of Australia - CHA was significant back in the late 1990s with lots of acquisitions. But, according to one ARN reader, the failed purchase by USA-based international distributor, CHS Electronics, of the company, followed by ongoing management departures, finally saw to its demise under Roger Bushell and partner, Steve Sampson.
We welcome more of your suggestions on channel players who have made an impression on the Australian market, and information on some of their leaders are today.
And stay tuned for our next instalment of channel organisations and leaders from yesteryear.
