On September 17, 2014, distributor giant Anixter, Glenview, Ill., acquired Tri-Ed Distribution, Woodbury, N.Y., for $420 million. In announcing the acquisition at the time, Bob Eck, Anixter’s president and CEO, stated, “The acquisition of Tri-Ed is a strategic opportunity for Anixter and our security business, consistent with our vision to create a leading global security platform and to accelerate profitable revenue growth. Through expanding our offering into highly complementary product lines, our customers will benefit from a broader set of products and solutions in the areas of video, access control, fire/life safety, and intrusion detection. As well, the combination brings Anixter’s expertise in IP video surveillance to Tri-Ed’s customers.”
As the one-year anniversary of the acquisition approaches, Bill Galvin, executive vice president at Anixter, and Pat Comunale, president of Global Security Solutions at Tri-Ed, discuss with SDM how the integration between the merged businesses has progressed, their strategic plans for growth, and how systems integrators are better served by the combined entity with all of its resources and services.