Ingram to Acquire Intelligent Electronics

Computer parts and software wholesaling giant Ingram Micro Inc. got even bigger Wednesday with an agreement to acquire the $3-billion-a-year computer distribution business of Intelligent Electronics Inc. Santa Ana-based Ingram Micro, the computer industry’s largest wholesale distributor with $12 billion a year in sales, said it will pay up to $78 million for Pennsylvania-based Intelligent Electronics’ Reseller Network division. The purchase price includes $50 million to $60 million in debt that Ingram Micro will assume when the deal closes, said Jeff Rodek, Ingram Micro president and chief operating officer. Analysts said the acquisition removes a competitor that had been cutting prices, and bolsters Ingram Micro’s already strong position in the fast-growing custom computer market. The reseller unit distributes computers that it configures to retail customers’ specifications. The custom configuration business is relatively new, but is growing as more computer companies are moving away from building the various configurations themselves.