Headquarters: Phoenix, Ariz.

2008 sales: $17.9 billion

Avnet is the world's largest distributor, based on sales, of electronic components, enterprise computer and storage products and embedded subsystems. The company creates a vital link in the technology supply chain that connects more than 300 of the world's leading electronic component and computer product manufacturers and software developers with a global customer base of more than 100,000 OEMs, electronic manufacturing services providers, original design manufacturers and value-added resellers. Avnet distributes electronic components, computer products and software as received from its suppliers or with assembly or other value added by Avnet. Additionally, Avnet provides engineering design, materials management and logistics services, system integration and configuration and supply-chain services.

Avnet has two primary operating groups--Electronics Marketing (EM) and Technology Solutions (TS). Both operating groups have operations in each of the three major economic regions of the world: the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and Asia-Pacific, consisting of Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The company said it has divisions within each operating group that serve primarily as sales and marketing units to further streamline the sales and marketing efforts within each operating group and enhance each operating group's ability to work with its customers and suppliers, generally along more specific product lines or geography.

Arrow

Headquarters: Melville, N.Y.

2008 sales: $16.8 billion

Arrow is a global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. The company in a filing said it serves approximately 800 suppliers and 130,000 OEMs, contract manufacturers and commercial customers worldwide.

Arrow offers both a wide spectrum of products and a broad range of services and solutions, including materials planning, design services, programming and assembly services, inventory management and a variety of online supply-chain tools. Customers include manufacturers of consumer and industrial equipment, (machine tools, factory automation and robotic equipment), telecommunications products, automotive and transportation, aircraft and aerospace equipment, scientific and medical devices and computer and office products. Customers also include value-added resellers of enterprise computing solutions.

Arrow has about 250 sales facilities and 21 distribution and value-added centers in 53 countries. Through this network, the company provides one of the broadest product offerings in the electronic components and enterprise computing solutions distribution industries and a wide range of value-added services to help customers reduce time-to-market, lower their total-cost-of-ownership, introduce innovative products through demand creation opportunities and enhance their overall competitiveness.

The company has two business segments. It distributes electronic components through its global components business segment and provides enterprise computing solutions to VARs through its global enterprise computing solutions (ECS) business segment. In 2008, approximately 68 percent of the company's sales were from the components business, and approximately 32 percent were from the ECS segment.

WPG Holdings

Headquarters: Taipei, Taiwan

2008 sales: $4.5 billion

WPG held onto its position as the world's third biggest electronic component distributor on the strength of its extensive operation in Asia. The company is the No. 1 distributor of components in Asia and has been growing through internal expansion and more recently via acquisitions. The company was founded in November 2005 and focused initially on serving the Asian market but has started expanding operations globally and especially in the United States. WPG operates five leading semiconductor distributors in Asia, including the WPI group, SAC, RichPower, Pernas and AIT. WPG serves as a franchise partner for over 200 semiconductor suppliers, including brands such as CSR, Hynix, Infineon, Intel, MediaTek, Micron, NXP, OmniVision, ON Semiconductor, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Skyworks, TI and Vishay. The company has more than 3,800 employees in over 30 sales offices around Greater China and the Asia Pacific region.

Future Electronics

Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

2008 sales: $4.1 billion

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada and operating in 41 countries around the world, Future Electronics is reputed for the strength of its commercial and technical competencies through all stages of the design-production cycle, and for developing efficient, comprehensive global supply-chain solutions. Future Electronics is globally integrated, with one worldwide IT infrastructure providing real-time inventory availability and access, while enabling full integration of operations, sales and marketing worldwide. In addition to its traditional distribution services, Future assists customers with automated materials acquisition and handling, inventory replenishment, kitting and programming. The company's business units include Future Lighting Solutions, a provider of LED lighting knowledge, resources, programs, partners, solutions and logistics support to promote the development of LED products and installations. Future's Advanced Engineering Group supports design engineers and acts as an extension of OEMs' and EMS providers' engineering team, providing insight into new product roadmaps, reference designs and a qualified connection to the latest design methodologies to manufacturers globally. The company also supports electronics manufacturers through its Supply Chain Solutions division, which offers inventory replenishment and other supply-chain management services.

Bell Microproducts

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

2008 sales: $3.7 billion

Bell Microproducts is a value-added distributor of a wide range of high-tech products, services and solutions, including storage systems, servers, software, computer components and peripherals, as well as maintenance and professional services. It is one of the world's largest storage-centric value-added distributors. The company serves a diverse set of customers, including OEMs, commercial and value-added resellers and system builders. Bell Micro markets and distributes more than 140 brand-name product lines, including its own Rorke Data, TotalTec and ProSys brands to customers in the Americas and Europe. In addition, the company's Hammer storage division offers a comprehensive branded line of storage solutions for both the consumer and small/medium business markets.

Bell Micro also offers component-level products that include disk, tape, and optical drives, processors, memory, motherboard and computer I/O products, flat panel displays and related products, and other data storage and custom-configured computer products. Its offerings also include value-added services such as system design, integration, installation, maintenance and other consulting services combined with a variety of data storage, server and other computer hardware and software products. Bell Micro also offers supply-chain services such as consignment, bonding and end-of-life management programs. At the system level, it offers a variety of data storage systems, including direct attached storage, network attached storage and storage area network systems, as well as servers and other computer platforms, tape drive systems, tape libraries and related software.