Heard in the Channel: Allied names new president

Allied Electronics announced January 16 that Scott McLendon will replace Lee Davidson as president of the electronics distribution company effective April 1. Davidson will take on a new role with Allied’s parent company, London-based Electrocomponents plc.

“My role as president of Allied Electronics has been the highlight of my career,” said Davidson, who joined the company in 2002 as vice president of product management and was named president in 2005. “Over the past 10 years, it has been very exciting being at the helm while the company experienced great milestones. From sales growth and our corporate headquarters and warehouse move to the recent implementation of a new ERP system, working with the great people at Allied has been a real joy.”

Allied grew from a $180 million to a $440 million business during Davidson’s tenure. He has been promoted to vice president of strategic projects for Electrocomponents, a role that will include assisting and developing global strategies for the business.

McLendon joined Allied in 2007 as vice president of product management and marketing, helping build a broad portfolio of products from more than 300 suppliers.

“Lee and I have worked together for years and share a common vision for the direction of the company,” said McLendon. “Delivering a great customer experience, growing the company, and providing a safe and fulfilling place for our employees to advance their careers will remain our company focus. I am excited to assume this new position with such a great company and great employees.”

In other industry headlines, TTI, Inc. launched a new and improved Web site and also announced the activation of its warehouse locations in Fort Worth, Texas, as Foreign Trade Zones.

TTI’s new site offers users a consolidated view of the global electronics distributor, providing easier access to the company’s regional properties and affiliates while serving as a single source for information on the company’s growing global presence, according to company officials.

In an effort to further protect its global supply chain, TTI achieved Free Trade Zone status at its connector and passives warehouse locations in Fort Worth; as of late December, all of TTI’s on-hand inventories reside in a secure, access-restricted area under the supervision of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Gary Walsh, TTI’s director of trade compliance, said the new program cements the distributor’s commitment to global supply chain security, especially when combined with its Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) certification.

"… FTZ also provides economic benefits, such as the ability to ship to a customer's FTZ duty-free, as well as enhanced supply chain efficiency and performance,” said Walsh. “We see this adding up as a big win for our customers."

In other news:

TTI received two new supplier awards and announced improvements to its Apple app. TTI Asia was recognized for outstanding sales performance by TE Connectivity and received a Distributor of the Year Award from Molex. The distributor also enhanced its Apple iOS mobile application to include functionality that allows customers to scan part number barcodes.
Registration is open the Spring Virtual Avnet Tech Games, a nationwide technology competition for college students; the events help students prepare for real-world business opportunities and compete for a chance to win scholarships. This year’s games include developing Android app and a green video competition.
Avnet’s Avnet Embedded business announced the launch of its Open Compute Project Innovation Labs, which will serve as technology showcases and development labs for users, developers and partners to design, deliver and integrate cost-effective, power-efficient compute, storage and networking solutions.
Connector brands RIA Connect and BTR Netcom are now Metz Connect USA, according to company officials.
Manufacturer Alpha Wire added to its environmentally friendly product offering with EcoCable and Eco Flex, both of which use the 100% recyclable MPPE insulation found in its EcoWire product.
Electronics manufacturing services provider SMTC Corporation achieved the environmental certification ISO 14001 from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Smart Data Works launched a new website for its DistiStock product, offering user-friendly features, streamlined navigation and enhanced user experience.

Still others made headlines recently with new distribution agreements:

Future Electronics signed a global distribution agreement with CUI Inc. to stock its power supplies and board-level components.
Avnet Express announced it is the first distributor to stock Pulse Electronics’ near-field communications antennas.
Peerless Electronics signed an agreement to distribute the complete line of Carling Technologies products.
Mouser Electronics announced the availability of Murata’s new DMF series of EDLCs, measuring an ultra-thin 2.5 mm.
Distributor BTC Electronic Components signed a new distribution agreement with Meritec, which makes high-performance electrical and electronics interconnect embedded systems and connectors.