Exertis-owner DCC PLC has agreed to offload its Info Tech business arm in the UK and Ireland, otherwise known as Exertis, to international private equity firm Aurelius, in a deal worth around £100m.
That doesn’t sound that much for a leading distributor, considering that Exertis contributed around £2 billion in annual sales to DCC’s group accounts in the financial year that ended on 31 March, 2025.
But margins in technology distribution are tight, and DCC has bigger fish to fry in the energy market. That aforementioned £2 billion only contributed around 1% of DCC’s total continuing operating profit.
DCC confirmed Exertis was up for sale last November, and it has been searching for a suitable buyer since.
The Dublin-based group said that remaining parts of its DCC Technology division, including its Pro Tech business largely based in North America, would be retained.
The deal values the Info Tech business at a total enterprise value of £100m, on a cash-free, debt-free and normalised working capital basis, said DCC.
The group has retained the freehold title of the Exertis UK national distribution centre in Burnley, England. It is expected the deal will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approval.
“The divestment of Info Tech in the UK and Ireland is a further material step in simplifying our group and focusing on our high growth, high return, energy business. It follows the sale of DCC Healthcare announced in April 2025. We have made huge strategic progress this year,” said DCC chief executive Donal Murphy.
“After implementation of targeted growth and core operational improvement measures,” Aurelius says it sees “significant earnings growth potential” for the business, with “infrastructure and processes already in place to deliver it”.
Aurelius maintains it expects its growth and profitability improvements to be enhanced by a recovery in market demand, which is forecast based on a “shifting technology ecosystem that drives positive longer-term tailwinds”. The buyer has not talked about jobs at Exertis, and has not drilled down into what is covered by the previously mentioned “core operational improvement measures”.
Andrzej Cebrat, managing director of the Aurelius IV and V investment platforms, said: “Exertis in the UK and Ireland ticks all of our boxes: with £2 billion in annual revenues it is an attractive size, and it offers significant operational improvement potential. It will allow us to play to its strengths by deploying our WaterRise team of specialists, to support a return to operational excellence and growth.”
To confirm, the businesses covered in the £100m deal, include: Exertis UK | Business and Consumer, Hypertec, Exertis Supplies, Exertis Ireland, Macro EV, Exertis Supply Chain Services, MTR and Ztorm.
The JAM and Almo businesses in North America, Exertis Enterprise, and Exertis Nordics, amongst others in Europe, remain part of the DCC Technology group.
Tim Griffin, CEO at Exertis IT, and current head honcho of the spun-off businesses, said: “We are delighted to have found new owners who are committed to accelerating our growth, and that of our partners through dedicated focus and investment.
“I firmly believe this sale positions Exertis IT for long-term success and provides greater opportunities for our vendors, customers and our people. It’s business as usual for us providing an exceptional portfolio and industry-leading operations.”
