Company Ranks Among Top 10 of All North American Distributors

April 7, 2004
Company Ranks Among Top 10 of All North American Distributors

Houston, Texas - Smith & Associates, the leading global semiconductor services company, has been ranked the No. 1 independent North American electronic component distributor by Electronic Business magazine. The company also ranked No. 9 among all North American distributors and is the only independent distributor among the top 10.

The magazine's April issue ranks the top 25 distributors based on North American revenue for calendar year 2003. With $319.2 million in revenues, Smith & Associates topped the list of independent distributors.

"Our rank at the top of the independent distributor list is evidence of our continued leadership of this group," said Leland Ackerley, executive vice president and co-founder of Smith & Associates. "More significantly, our presence among the top 10 distributors – independent or franchised – confirms that customers increasingly understand and appreciate the unique advantages of Smith's global reach, stringent quality control, 24-7 availability, and agility. We are competing on a level never before achieved by a nonfranchised distributor.

"Our unique business model that focuses on the customer – not the chip manufacturer – gives us flexibility and agility in both sourcing product and liquidating inventory that is unmatched by even the best franchised distributors," said Ackerley

About Smith & Associates
Founded in 1984, Smith & Associates (www.smithweb.com) is the No. 1-ranked independent distributor of semiconductors and electronic components to manufacturers and resellers of high-technology and computer equipment (source: EBN). Smith is a leader in just-in-time replenishment and has the ability to deliver large quantities of components anywhere in the world with very short lead times. Smith's ISO 9001:2000-certified worldwide headquarters and information hub in Houston is supported by sales, logistics, and warehousing hubs in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Silicon Valley, in addition to sales and purchasing offices in Barcelona, Guadalajara, New York, Shanghai, and Seoul. For more information or to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call SmithDirect at 1.800.HOUSTON or +1.713.430.3000.