Interview


and developed a major e-commerce system which is currently in its test phase. America II has also significantly increased the number of global franchise and direct manufacturer lines it offers to over 400. The company has successfully field- tested this range of services on a number of customers over the last two years, which means they offer a portfolio that is credible but also well-proven. The company believes itself to be unique in the market as the only distributor to offer such a broad portfolio of services at a price suited to all customer sizes, in particular the mid-tier customers. Pecchioli added, “We need to find out exactly what the customer needs and then we can cater to those needs through this new portfolio. It’s like a menu at a restaurant; we offer so many services that customers can pick and choose what they need from us.”


vote earlier this year could affect its growth in Europe but this turned out to not to be the case. “There was so much uncertainty


surrounding the EU Referendum that everyone is waiting while they are unsure of what is happening,” explained Pecchioli. “At the end of the day, people still have to do business regardless, so we’re not just waiting to see what will happen. We are attacking!”


Asked if the aggressive growth is expected to continue, Pecchioli explained, “The key is finding the right people. We have the right processes and a host of different solutions and now we need more people to get out in front of the customers and educate them about what we do.


“Myself and the majority of my executive team come from a franchise distribution background so we know the strengths and weaknesses of franchise distribution. This allows us to attack our competition with our areas of strength,” continued Pecchioli.


Last month, the company announced that it is launching a new portfolio of services, the second phase of its evolution. These new services will include product design, custom product manufacturing, factory level failure analysis, and PCB design and manufacturing.


Over the last two years, during this phase of development, it has opened a distribution centre in Hong Kong, expanded its presence in mainland Europe,


This expanded portfolio is divided into


six broad strands: Supply Chain Program Solutions, Sourcing Programs and Solutions, PPV (Material Cost Reduction Program) Solutions, Inventory Asset Recovery Management, Franchise Line Custom Solutions, and Extended Value Added Solutions. “We are different to other distributors because we are up-front with our customers and we educate them,” explains Pecchioli. “We can share our experiences and success stories with them and help them to find what they are looking for. It’s important to be very involved with your customers and spend time to get to know them so that we can take that personal approach.


www.americaii.com “And we have a great team of people;


we are sourcing people worldwide, and our team is growing larger and larger. Like other distributors, we have plenty of ‘tools in the tool belt’ with which to help our customers, but if you don’t have the right team of people then it will never work. You need to know what the customer needs and then you can provide them with the right tools.” The future for America II is looking bright with plans for continued growth and further expansion of its product lines. Pecchioli adds, “I don’t know what the


future will bring, but think where I see the company going is having strategy that is even more focused on the customer’s needs. Instead of trying to be everything to everybody, we want to meet with customers, get to know them and what they want. The main thing is driving focus to customers’ needs.”


www.cieonline.co.uk


Components in Electronics


November 2016 11


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