HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- D&H Distributing, the leading provider of SMB and consumer technologies to the North American channel, announces it has experienced an impressive 20% growth in its SMB business during 2019, including double-digit gains in areas such as security and surveillance, cloud, PCs, print and imaging, server/storage, and networking/wireless. The CE and retail side of D&H’s business has also seen strong momentum in categories such as PC gaming, streaming media entertainment devices, connected home, and TVs, due to trends such as a renewed emphasis on the custom install market.
Despite that overall performance in the distribution market has been mixed in 2019, D&H experienced a notable increase of its customer base, its sales revenues, its services, and its associate (co-owner) headcount, due largely in part to the company’s expanded offerings in Cloud, managed services, ProAV/collaboration, home networking, and Esports/PC gaming.
This fall, D&H Distributing moved more than 700 of its associates (called ESOP “co-owners”) to an expanded, two-building headquarters in Harrisburg, PA. This new campus boasts a professional-class Multimedia Production Studio, Innovation Center, and Technology Hub training theater, where subject matter experts from D&H’s manufacturer partners will deliver specialized trainings. The distributor will produce “D&H TV,” a series of live streaming presentations, increasing the schedule of webcasts through its newly-expanded Solutions Lab capabilities. This will result in a range of original, compelling content on www.dandh.com.
The company also attributes its success to its exemplary in-country service, not only to its largest partners, but also to its base of emerging VARs. D&H’s emerging VAR team added to its customer breadth and new customer activations, and has realized double-digit growth in most product categories. In 2019, D&H added in excess of 200 customers per month.
Pursuing Emerging IT Focus Areas
The distributor will focus on several core areas of opportunity for 2020: Cloud, ProAV/collaboration, Esports, and infrastructure/security and compute.
Cloud/MSP Services: D&H added ConnectWise, Axcient, SkyKick, CloudCheckr, Nerdio, ReadyNetworks, and RingCentral to its portfolio. The team has created a series of “XaaS bundles,” or predesigned solutions consisting of hardware, cloud, and managed and professional services, which address specific categories and are financed through a monthly subscription model.
ProAV/Collaboration: D&H will launch initiatives focused on high-growth opportunities such as classroom technology and huddle spaces, offering partner resources such as electronic solutions guides, training, consultation, and special pricing. In addition, large-footprint installations such as video walls are gaining momentum in verticals including hospitality, transportation, and education.
Esports: D&H continues to pioneer areas such as Esports, noted as a multi-billion-dollar global market. The distributor has created a program that matches reseller partners with educational institutions looking to invest in Esports products, solutions, and services.
Infrastructure/Security/Power: Technology infrastructures rely on wired or wireless network connections to enable them, from on-premise solutions such as surveillance, VoIP, and digital signage, to applications in the cloud. D&H’s networking, security, and power sales team, and its team of certified sales engineers, are available to help partners design the infrastructures required for modern environments.
Compute: D&H will also focus on BTO (built-to-order) compute/storage solutions. With Windows Server 2008 end of support pending, D&H is assisting partners with the most secure server solutions on the market, regardless of customer size or vertical market.
Throughout 2020, the distributor will launch valuable online tools and an improved web and digital experience to continue to offer best-in-class options for SMB partners. The distributor will also offer a new Solutions Architect program, wherein experts from different business units (e.g., a Cisco specialist, multiple Cloud and Azure specialists, a security specialist, etc.) will help assemble comprehensive multi-vendor solutions across a range of environments. The D&H Solutions Enablement Team will build and validate solutions, applying a consultative approach for its partners.
Driving Retail/Consumer Growth with New Protocols
On the consumer electronics and retail side of D&H’s business, categories such as commercial computing, ProAV/collaboration, streaming media entertainment devices, and home office networking showed high gains. Some new focuses and investments for 2020 include:
WiFi 6/Smart Home: The connected home category will gain critical momentum from the new WiFi 6 protocol. This standard will support home-based PCs, laptops and networking technologies, including routers and switches. Smart home devices will function more rapidly and seamlessly, addressing the expectations of today’s tech-savvy consumer.
Custom Install: D&H is expanding its efforts in this market, which similarly will be propelled by developments like WiFi 6-enabled home devices.
“ProSumer”: D&H is a leading supplier for this growing “ProSumer” phenomenon, working with manufacturers to help these companies introduce powerful versions of their enterprise solutions, scaled for use in small office environments.
D&H’s New Retail Conference Track: The distributor introduced a specialized “Retail Track” at its Chicago-area event in 2019, including a roundtable session and face-to-face “round robin” meetings with manufacturer representatives.
Continuing its support of its growing retail categories, D&H is also proud to have added a new Senior Retail Marketing Manager, Susan Bakalarczyk, formerly a marketing director with L’Oréal products. Susan will spearhead D&H’s growth strategies among its retail accounts, including addressing an emerging trend wherein small businesses are sourcing commercial computing from large brick-and-mortar retailers or online eCommerce sites.
Delivering Exemplary Partner Training
D&H’s 2020 Technology Conferences will feature a growing schedule of industry-leading keynote presenters addressing vital SMB IT market trends. Sessions will be live-streamed on the distributors social platforms, as well as available on-demand through www.dandh.com post-event. D&H will also unveil a series of Partner Marketing Workshops at its 2020 technology events, bringing together third-party experts on topics such as branding, content and storytelling, digital and integrated marketing strategy, and more.
“This has been a stand-out year for D&H, fueled by transformation and a partner-centric vision,” began D&H’s Co-president Dan Schwab. “The past few years, we’ve been fortunate enough—and strategic enough—to build significant assets and achieve major milestones as an organization. As each new year unfolds, we brainstorm ways to enhance our partners’ business experiences and engender their success, rallying our team of talented and motivated employee co-owners each time. We’re excited about meeting the future in our new headquarters, developing outstanding categories such as Esports, Cloud, security, smart home, and ProAV/collaboration. We’ll approach these markets with a renewed ability to deliver compelling go-to-market strategies, innovative solutions and services, and best-in-class training and support.”
D&H partners can contact their representatives at (800) 877-1200 or visit www.dandh.com to learn more. There’s no cost to apply to become a D&H customer.
About D&H Distributing
D&H Distributing believes the most important element of doing business is developing relationships for mutual success, delivering superior engagement experiences to its community of partners and employee co-owners. The company continues to build upon its 100-year-old culture, providing a wealth of partner enablement resources, multi-market expertise, and consultative services. D&H maintains a focus on independent VAR and MSP partners, expanding their competencies in areas such as cloud services, ProAV, collaboration, UCC, mobility, and server networks across a range of markets. Its value proposition includes highly-lauded training opportunities and partner engagement events, dedicated Solutions Specialists, certifications, professional marketing resources, and an expanding digital Cloud Marketplace.
The distributor is headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, in the U.S. and Brampton, Ontario, in Canada with warehouses in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Fresno, CA; and Vancouver, BC, Canada. Call D&H at (800) 877-1200, visit www.dandh.com, or follow the distributor’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter feeds, respectively: https://www.facebook.com/DandHDistributing/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/dandhdistributing and @dandh.
Contact:
Suzanne Mattaboni
Suzanne Mattaboni Communications, Inc.
For D&H Distributing
(610) 261-4560