ALPS and Avnet Time Expand Distribution Agreement Throughout Europe

ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPA GmbH and Avnet Time announced the expansion of their distribution agreement. IP&E (interconnect, passive and electromechanical) and Power device distributor Avnet Time is now marketing and selling ALPS’ full range of switches, potentiometers, encoders, and connectors throughout Europe. The agreement extends the existing successful relationship between the two companies that serve together customers in Benelux and Eastern Europe for more than ten years. Avnet Time’s European logistical platform based in Tongeren is currently capable of delivering several hundred ALPS part-numbers ex Stock. Frank Steinruecken, Senior Manager Sales & Marketing Alps Europe, said, “We are delighted to combine the outstanding quality performance of our products, with the excellent European logistics of Avnet Time.” Andreas Bregler, VP European Product Marketing of Avnet Time, added; “ALPS is one of the world’s best-regarded names in electronic components. Since long time we have an excellent relationship with them, and we are excited to expand our line card with further ALPS product. Now we can offer to our industrial customers the market’s largest and most reliable range of electromechanical components.” About Avnet Time Avnet Time, a business unit of Avnet Electronics Marketing EMEA, is a highly focused electronic component distributor, serving original equipment manufacturers and specialising in interconnect, passive, electromechanical and power supply products. Avnet Time is served internally by a common integrated Pan-European logistical backbone and industry leading supply-chain services, while leveraging the global logistical reach of Avnet Electronics Marketing and its world-class supply-chain management capabilities. Specialization benefits customers and suppliers by empowering the organization to make swift decisions and increase speed of execution, thereby addressing time-to-market issues that are driving the market for electronic products. Avnet Time combines the agility of a smaller, focused company with the considerable global resources of Avnet, Inc., to serve the widely varying requirements of customers.

ALPS Electric Co., Ltd. Since its establishment in 1948 ALPS has grown as a comprehensive manufacturer of electronic components. At present ALPS is creating innovative high-value-added products in its main business segments – Components, Magnetic Devices, Communications, Peripheral Products, and Automotive Electronics – which are contributing to the advance of a digital society. ALPS is a global company that carries out its operations with 22 production bases in 9 countries as well as 57 sales bases in 14 countries. Consolidated net sales in the year ended March 31, 2005 amounted to YEN 644 billion. ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPA GmbH, a subsidiary of ALPS Electric Co., Ltd., was established in 1979. Since 1989, the European Head Office has been located in Düsseldorf, where a team of specialists works in Sales, Marketing, and Product Engineering. The activities of our branch offices in Munich, Paris and Milton Keynes, our sales office in Milan and our European distribution work are co-ordinated from Düsseldorf. ALPS Nordic AB, a 100 percent subsidiary of ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPA GmbH, is based in Sweden and services the Scandinavian market.