Widget joins CMS Distribution

Widget, an award winning distributor of emerging technology based in the UK, Netherlands and Sweden has been acquired by value-added distributor CMS Distribution, strengthening CMS’s position in the European market.

Commenting on the acquisition, Frank Salmon, founder and managing director of CMS Distribution said: “we are delighted to have teamed up with Widget Group, they are experts in emerging consumer technologies with an impressive portfolio of vendors in the UK and Europe. They have a large and loyal customer base and, like CMS, they are an award winning distributor in their field.” The decision to buy Widget Group was based on several inherent synergies between the two organisations, including growth plans, leverage, scale and a track record of success.

Following the acquisition, CMS Distribution will target combined revenues of £300m+ for FY’16 and now employs 250 people across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. CMS will continue to run the business under Widget Group’s brands for the foreseeable future and Widget’s leadership and management team will remain and continue to focus on the growth of the business.

Mark Needham, founder and chairman of Widget Group, commented: “It’s a great move for Widget as well as the vendors and customers we represent and the staff we employ. Being part of a larger, value-add distribution business brings tremendous opportunities for the future and we are excited by the next stage in the joint CMS-Widget journey.”

Frank Salmon concluded: “We are changing the game in IT Distribution. We are combining scale and specialisation for our vendors and customers both in the UK and Ireland and now across Europe. We are on track with our vision to become the leading specialist distributor in Europe.”

About CMS Distribution

Established in 1988, CMS Distribution is the largest independent value-added distributor of data storage, networking and IT infrastructure solutions in the UK and Ireland, servicing over 50 manufacturers and 2,800 resellers. The company employs over 210 people across four UK and Ireland locations: Castleford, Harrogate, London and Ireland.

About Widget

Widget's group of companies distributes a tightly focussed range of products from manufacturers such as TomTom, Fitbit, Pebble, Sphero, Tile and others. It sells only to trade, and not directly to the public. Its customers are European retailers and resellers, across the UK, Benelux and Scandinavia.