AV distributor Midwich has acquired Norwegian AV distributor AV Partner AS, entering its third new European territory this year through acquisitions. Previously only a UK distributor, the busienss now draws over £200m of its £570m revenue from continental Europe.
Based in Oslo, AV Partner was founded in 2010 by Tore Moe, with Arne Norum joining as chairman in 2014. Both will continue to lead the business as part of the group, alongside managing director Olav Frank Dallas.
AV Partner's key brands are Epson, Optoma, Casio and Hitachi. More recently, the company has built a growing displays business through exclusive distribution of Vestel products and has also moved into new enlarged premises with dedicated warehousing and demo facilities.
Midwich's capture marks the third new country of 2019 after the January acquisitions of Prase in Italy and MobilePro in Switzerland.
Stephen Fenby (pictured), Midwich Group managing director, said: “The acquisition of AV Partner represents Midwich’s first step into the Nordic region, enabling the group to access a large number of new customers in a significant AV market.
“We were impressed by the vision Arne, Tore and Olav share to grow the business as part of the Midwich Group and we look forward to beginning work with our new colleagues.”
AV Partner's Dallas said: “We believe Midwich is the ideal partner to help grow AV Partner. We believe its global relationships and our knowledge and experience in the local market will be a successful combination.”
