Strategic alliance EWG – consisting of ALSO Holding AG (CH), Copaco N.V. (NL) and Esprinet S.p.A. (I) – pushed up consolidated net sales by 24% to EUR 5.7 billion in 2006 compared with the previous year (2005: EUR 4.8 billion). Organic year-on-year growth on a proforma basis reached 8% with the remainder of the increase being due to acquisitions. In 2007 EWG will reach consolidated net sales of around EUR 6.5 billion, closing in on the number two spot in European ICE distribution.

The European Wholesale Group (EWG) – the number three European ICE-distribution organization – increased its consolidated net sales in 2006 by 24% to EUR 5.7 billion (2005: EUR 4.8 billion). While a substantial part of the increase is due to various acquisitions of EWG-Partners in 2006, organic growth still reached 8% on a comparable basis. For the 4th quarter 2006 EWG recorded net revenues of EUR 1.8 billion, an outstanding up 32% from last year’s comparable period. On proforma basis organic growth reached 9% in the same period.

“EWG has had another successful year”, says Alex Sozonoff, Chairman and President of EWG. ”After 31% for the 1st quarter, 9% for the 2nd quarter, 22% for the 3rd quarter and 32% for the 4th quarter we had an outstanding double-digit growth in 2006”, he adds. “In a market which since 2002 has grown in value around 10-15%, EWG is tripling in size due to a mix of organic growth, new partners and acquisitions”, he explains. “In 2006 EWG has played an active part in the consolidation process of the European distribution industry and is now market leader in seven of the fourteen countries in which it operates. ALSO, who acquired EWG partner GNT in August 2006, is market leader in five of the nine countries in which it has operations. The UMD acquisition in Spain and the acquisition of Actebis Computer Italia made EWG partner Esprinet the number one distributor in Spain and strengthened its leading position in Italy. Copaco, who acquired Belgian distributor WestCase, considerably strengthened its position within Benelux”, he continues. “With these acquisitions EWG will have revenue of around EUR 6.5 billion in 2007. EWG continues to grow rapidly as it sees and seizes opportunities to expand along its 3-axes strategy products, partners and geographies and thus to deliver profitable growth to its strategic vendor partners”, he concludes.

EWG was founded in 2002. It offers leading ICT vendors a best-in-class platform to reach more than 60’000 resellers in 14 European countries. Since its foundation it has concluded cooperation agreements with strategic vendors such as Canon, Fujitsu Siemens and HP. Together, the EWG partners employ a staff of over 2’700 employees and represent more than 500 vendors.

Further information:
Alex Sozonoff, Chairman and President of European Wholesale Group
Tel. +41 41 266 18 02
ALSO: Maya von Krannichfeldt, Corporate Communications
Tel. +41 41 266 18 07