Following the DCC plc (LSE: DCC) acquisition of Stampede (and indeed Kondor) back in July [1], we see that Stampede has now announced the integration of its UK and European operations into the DCC Exertis AV Solutions division to become Exertis Pro AV Solutions.
Kevin Kelly, president and CEO of Stampede, told us “This decision is all about leveraging the synergies that stem naturally from being an important component of a GBP 14.3 billion revenue, London Stock Exchange listed, international sales, marketing and support services group that employs 11,000 people in four divisions operating in 17 countries. Exertis has an infrastructure in place that already meets the needs of more than 700 brands and 45,000 retailers and resellers throughout the UK, Ireland, continental Europe and beyond. Integrating Stampede UK into this infrastructure is going to provide our customers with a huge lift throughout the region, providing them with more products, people and support on an unprecedented scale.”
Warren Lewis, EMEA head of Pro AV at Exertis, said: “Integrating the combined businesses of the Exertis and Stampede Pro AV divisions ensures we can offer greater value with an extended vendor portfolio and a comprehensive range of technical support that can provide resellers with AV solutions to meet any requirement in any vertical market. Importantly, we have a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable people who can also tap into other product categories within the Exertis Group, providing resellers with a complete end-to-end solution for their customers.”
The UK and European operations of Stampede will be rebranded as Exertis Pro AV Solutions, led by Warren Lewis and supported by Kevin Kelly.
Jody Hutchings, former Stampede director of European sales, will lead the UK sales operation reporting to Ian Aitken, Exertis UK Pro AV director. The Nordic Stampede business will also be integrated into Exertis Pro AV Solutions, led by Fredrik Tidemar, Exertis Nordic business director. The French operations of Just Lamps will be managed by Christophe Mathis, head of the Pro AV division at Exertis Connect.
Stampede’s current operational structure in North America, Latin America and the entire Asia Pacific region (APAC) will remain the same, so we can still expect to see cowboy hats, cowboy boots and the like on Stampede booths next year at #CES2019 and #Infocomm19.