The EE Times feature “2010 Top 25 Global Distributors”, published May 10, 2010, ranked electronic-component distributors using a survey and company sales, primarily for 2009. It is a historical industry snapshot—not a 2026 ranking or a league table ordered solely by revenue. The accessible ranking pages verify positions 1 through 19; they do not establish the remaining six names.
What “global distributors” means in this ranking
The subject is electronics distribution, not film distribution or general wholesale. The companies supplied components and related technology products to manufacturers and other customers. Covered product categories included semiconductors, connectors and interconnects, passive components, electromechanical devices, and power devices. Some distributors also sold enterprise computing and storage products.
The list brought together different business models: broadline distributors such as Avnet and Arrow; catalog and online sellers such as Digi-Key and Mouser; and specialists in areas such as connectors, electromechanical products, or particular customer markets. Their work could extend beyond resale to design support, procurement, inventory management, kitting, programming, assembly, logistics, systems integration, and lifecycle management.
That range matters when reading the rankings: a specialist and a broadline company may occupy the same list while serving different purchasing and engineering needs. The original feature describes this changing role and the broader industry context at EE Times.
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How the 2010 ranking was produced
EE Times described an annual survey of North American engineering, supply-chain, procurement, and electronics professionals who bought, designed, or approved purchases of components, equipment, or services through distributors. The 2010 online survey ran from February 23 through April 2 and covered semiconductors, connectors and interconnects, passive components, electromechanical devices, and power devices. The methodology and ranking context are described in the EE Times methodology page.
“Global” describes the companies’ reach and operations; it does not mean the survey was a proportionate census of professionals in every world region. Nor should the ranking be read as a pure revenue sort. The article combines survey-based assessment with company information and reported sales. Its order does not always match the sales figures printed: for instance, A.E. Petsche appears at No. 16 with reported sales above the figure shown for No. 14 Advanced MP. Rank and sales are therefore distinct measures, and the article does not provide a formula that makes them interchangeable.
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Verified ranks and reported 2009 sales
The figures below are the sales amounts shown in the accessible company profiles. Some are explicitly marked as EE Times estimates; Excelpoint’s sales figure is not shown in the accessible excerpt. The article does not establish a common fiscal-year basis for every company, so the figures should not be treated as perfectly comparable audited totals.
| Rank | Distributor (2010 name) | Sales reported | Evidence note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avnet | $16.66 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 2 | Arrow Electronics | $14.68 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 3 | WPG Holdings | $5.96 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 4 | Future Electronics | $3.45 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 5 | Bell Microproducts | $3.02 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 6 | TTI/Mouser | $1.30 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 7 | Premier Farnell | $1.27 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 8 | Electrocomponents | $1.26 billion | Reported 2009 sales |
| 9 | Digi-Key | $926.9 million | Reported 2009 sales |
| 10 | Nu Horizons Electronics | $641 million | Reported 2009 sales |
| 11 | Richardson Electronics | $461.3 million | EE Times estimate |
| 12 | DAC Group | $387.5 million | Reported 2009 sales |
| 13 | Excelpoint | Not stated | Sales not shown in the accessible excerpt |
| 14 | Advanced MP | $218.9 million | EE Times estimate |
| 15 | Sager Electronics | $188.2 million | Reported 2009 sales |
| 16 | A.E. Petsche | $200 million | EE Times estimate |
| 17 | PEI-Genesis | $145.2 million | EE Times estimate |
| 18 | Jaco Electronics | $124.1 million | Reported 2009 sales |
| 19 | Dependable Component Supply | $120.1 million | EE Times estimate |
| 20–25 | Not verified | Not stated | Not established by the accessible ranking pages |
Ranks 1–12 and 13–19 are transcribed from the accessible EDN ranking and company profiles. Excelpoint’s No. 13 placement is also recorded on its awards and recognition page. The figures labeled as estimates are not presented as company-reported audited results.
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Avnet and Arrow: scale with services
Avnet ranked first, reporting $16.66 billion in 2009 sales. The profile describes a business spanning electronic components, computer products, software, and embedded subsystems, alongside engineering design, materials management, logistics, system integration, and supply-chain services. Arrow ranked second at $14.68 billion. Its profile includes electronic components and enterprise computing solutions, plus design services, programming, assembly, inventory management, and online supply-chain tools. The article reported Arrow operated in 53 countries with approximately 250 sales facilities. These profiles are in the EDN feature.
WPG and the growing weight of Asia-Pacific
WPG Holdings ranked third worldwide and first in Asia-Pacific, reporting $5.96 billion in 2009 sales. The feature noted that the acquisition of Yosun Industrial could potentially move the combined company into first place; that was a prospective possibility, not an achieved ranking. WPG’s own historical recognition page records its 2010 standing as “Worldwide No. 3, APAC No. 1.” The market context and the company’s recognition are described by EDN and WPG Holdings.
The feature’s wider theme was the movement of electronics manufacturing and customers toward Asia-Pacific, alongside consolidation and the expansion of distributors’ technical and supply-chain roles. WPG’s position illustrated the rising importance of Asian distribution, while the acquisition discussion showed how mergers could quickly alter the competitive picture.
Future Electronics and service breadth
Future Electronics ranked fourth with reported sales of $3.45 billion. The 2010 profile said it operated in 41 countries and emphasized technical support, inventory replenishment, kitting, programming, supply-chain solutions, and engineering assistance. The company profile is in the EE Times ranking coverage.
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Catalog and online channels
TTI/Mouser, Premier Farnell, Electrocomponents, and Digi-Key occupied positions 6 through 9. Their presence reflects the importance of catalog and online channels alongside field sales, local branches, and direct technical support. The ranking does not make those channels equivalent: buyers evaluating distributors would also consider product breadth, specialist expertise, geographic coverage, and the services available for their particular supply chain.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the list as an industry snapshot
The ranking is most useful as a record of how distribution was changing around 2010, not as a buying guide or a current measure of company size. It shows established large-scale firms alongside catalog businesses and narrower specialists, at a time when distribution was increasingly tied to design assistance and supply-chain execution.
- Scale: Revenue, geographic coverage, supplier reach, customer reach, and warehouse capacity can indicate purchasing leverage and availability, but the ranking does not provide a directly comparable set of all those measures.
- Product breadth: Broadline catalogs may simplify procurement across categories; a specialist may offer deeper expertise in a defined product area.
- Services: Design-in help, programming, assembly, kitting, inventory management, and lifecycle support can reduce work for manufacturers, while increasing their reliance on a distributor’s systems and processes.
- Geographic fit: A broad international network can coordinate cross-border supply, while a regional distributor may bring stronger local knowledge. The article’s survey geography should not be confused with this company-level footprint.
- Channel fit: Online catalogs, field sales, trade counters, local branches, and technical support suit different order sizes and support needs.
These are useful dimensions for understanding why companies with very different business models appeared together. They are not a substitute for current company, ownership, service, or availability information.
Why the list stops at rank 19
The feature is titled “Top 25,” but the accessible ranking pages verify only the first 19 positions. EDN identifies a downloadable “2010 Top 25 Global Franchised Distributors At A Glance” document, but that linked PDF is currently unavailable. Without an accessible record or another independently verified archival source, names and positions for ranks 20–25 cannot responsibly be supplied.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11For the same reason, the company names above are retained as they appeared in 2010. Many companies in a ranking this old may since have been acquired, renamed, reorganized, or absorbed, but the cited ranking pages do not establish their present status. The historical names should not be read as a current corporate directory.
Quick Recap
Sources
- EE Times: 2010 Top 25 Global Distributors
- EE Times: ranking methodology and survey details
- EDN: ranking and company profiles
- WPG Holdings: historical recognition
- Excelpoint: awards and recognition
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