Swiss broadliner ALSO has signed an agreement with MCI Euroventures, the majority shareholder of the Polish company ABC Data SA, to make a joint tender offer for all publicly held shares of ABC Data SA, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The objective of the tender offer is to acquire 100% of ABC Data's shares, 60.7% of which are already indirectly held by MCI Euroventures. Subject to the completion of the offer and the approval of the regulatory authorities, ALSO Holding AG will take over and continue the entire business operations of ABC Data (including its iSource Mac distribution arm and its S4E VAD business). The tender offer is subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities.
The takeover of the business operations of ABC Data SA and the closing of ranks with the existing business in Poland will create the leader of IT equipment and consumer electronics distribution in the Polish market. In addition, the ALSO Group strengthens its existing business in Lithuania and will be present in Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. The Czech office of ABC Data is the only operation excluded of the offer, because of ongoing issues with local fiscal authorities. It has been sold separately to a bespoke organisation, with no right to work in IT business for two years, nor any right to use the ABC Data brand. Under the new organisation, Czechia will be managed from Slovakia. With the existing activities of ABC Data in the area of integrated IT solutions, ALSO aims to expand its higher-margin solutions business. With the ABC Data platform, the company will also be able to offer its customers consumption-based IT-as-a-service via the cloud through the ALSO Cloud Marketplace (ACMP).
Gustavo Möller-Hergt, CEO of ALSO Holding AG, commented: "part of ALSO's strategy is to strengthen its market position in markets where it does not have a dominant position. In addition, we have a clear intention to further develop the traditional transactional business, to increase the sales share of the Solutions business and to enable the highly attractive consumptional business with the ALSO Cloud Marketplace. The acquisition of ABC Data meets our strategical criteria. We will become the number one in Poland and a leading market player in five other Eastern European countries. The transaction is an important milestone in the implementation of our growth plans."