Heard in the Channel: Top Distributors Report due out this spring

There is still time for electronics distributors to nominate their companies for Penton Media’s Top 50 Electronics Distributors Report, which will be published in the May 2 issue of Electronic Design and online at Globalpurchasing.com. The report lists the largest distributors serving the North American marketplace by sales volume, and includes an overview story highlighting key trends and issues in the electronics supply chain along with additional stories analyzing data from the top 50 companies.

The 2012 Top 50 report included interviews with executives from Avnet, Mouser and Future Electronics, and offered a glimpse at new trends in customer training and education as well as key events such as the Electronics Distribution Show (EDS), also held each May. Nomination forms are online at Globalpurchasing.com.

In other industry news, the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) and the Electronic Representatives Association (ERA) announced this month that they will co-sponsor an all-industry breakfast program on the re-shoring of electronics manufacturing during EDS in Las Vegas in May. The meeting will take place Wednesday morning, May 8, and will feature a speaker from electronics manufacturing service provider Sanmina, which has operations in 25 countries on six continents. EDS organizers say the session will address what the return of production will mean to North America and the steps necessary to make re-shoring a reality.

EDS will be held at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, May 6-9; visit the EDS Web site for more information.

In other industry news:

Avnet Electronics Marketing was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies. For the fifth straight year, Avnet ranked No. 1 in the magazine’s Wholesalers: Electronics and Office Equipment category. Avnet EM also announced the availability of ARM embedded development tools on the companies’ Embedded Software Store (ESS). The offering will include the ARM Development Studio 5 tool chain, DSTREAM debug and trace unit, MDK-ARM microcontroller development kit and ULINK family of debug adapters.
Avnet, Inc. announced the promotion of Erin Lewin to senior vice president and general counsel. Lewin will report to Avnet CEO Rick Hamada and serve as a member of the Avnet executive board and global executive council. She is responsible for leading Avnet’s global legal team and providing advice and guidance to the company’s business leaders.
Mouser Electronicsreceived the Neutrik USA Outstanding Performance Gold Award for 2012 and was also named the company’s 2012 Distributor of the Year—Top Revenue.
Sager Electronicsannounced its recertification to the military and aerospace standard AS9120:2009 Revision A, and to the latest ISO 9000 standard, 9001:2008. Massachusetts-based Sager also announced the expansion of its Field Applications Engineering (FAE) program with the addition of Victor Tu, who will support power and thermal design activities in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
TTI, Inc. recently received an Outstanding Supplier Award from Federal Defense Industries, Inc., recognizing its outstanding performance and accomplishments serving the defense industry. TTI also announced its 2012 Supplier Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding performance by TTI’s supplier partners. The winners are: Bourns, FCI, KEMET Electronics, KOA Speer Electronics, Littlefuse, Murata, Nichicon, Phoenix Contact, TDK andVishay.