Digi-Key Expands Global Footprint into EMEA, Recruits Sales Leaders, Opens European Customer Support Center

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Digi-Key Corporation, the industry leader in component selection, availability, and delivery, is expanding its global footprint with new sales and customer support resources covering the EMEA region. The company today announced its regional sales leadership team and the opening of a new European sales and support office in Munich.

“By recruiting experienced sales leaders, we can more quickly build the Digi-Key brand, increase our traditional business, and support larger production business accounts with one-on-one support.”

“Digi-Key is continually modifying its ‘hybrid’ distribution model based on the feedback we hear from our customers,” said Mark Larson, president, Digi-Key. “Across the EMEA region, we’re experiencing an increased demand for high-mix, low-volume electronic component orders with local support, so we are aligning new resources to meet this need. We’ve carefully selected a team of industry professionals that will help us grow upon our success and continue to grow our European customer base.”

EMEA Sales Leadership Team

Offering regional support to its EMEA customer base, Digi-Key appointed a team of experienced sales leaders, charged with supporting an existing roster of over 41,000 EMEA customers while expanding awareness of Digi-Key to both the design engineer and the higher volume Production Business buyer.

The sales leadership team includes:

Kris Haggstrom - Vice President of Strategic Customer Development, EMEA and Asia Pacific
David Mahal – Sales Director, Israel and Russia
Ian Wallace – Sales Director, United Kingdom and Ireland
Hermann Reiter – Sales Director, Central Europe

Additional resources covering the Nordics, the Baltics, and Eastern and Southern Europe will be announced within the next 90 days.

“We’re responding to customer demand for a distribution model that supports today’s changing global business climate,” said Chris Beeson, vice president, global sales and business development for Digi-Key. “By recruiting experienced sales leaders, we can more quickly build the Digi-Key brand, increase our traditional business, and support larger production business accounts with one-on-one support.”

New European Sales and Support Office – Munich

The new Digi-Key sales and service team will be centrally located in Munich, initially serving Central European customers. Today, the team includes one application engineer and six sales and service professionals, representing four different languages and several years of electronic component industry experience. Based on anticipated growth within Central Europe and the surrounding areas, Digi-Key plans to continue to expand the team to meet the needs of a growing and evolving customer base.

“Because of our recognized brand and commitment to service, Digi-Key has been able to recruit some of the top electronic components experts in this region,” said Hermann Reiter, sales director, Central Europe, Digi-Key. “Every team member brings a wealth of experience to the table, with a common goal of helping our business and our customers succeed.”

Additional EMEA Resources

Digi-Key also has a customer support center in the Netherlands with 31 agents who support customers based within the EMEA region. In addition, the company has dedicated international resources working out of its headquarters in Thief River Falls, MN, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Digi-Key also maintains a customer support center in Israel with eight dedicated sales and customer service representatives.

About Digi-Key Corporation

Digi-Key Corporation, based in Thief River Falls, Minn., is a global, full-service provider of both prototype/design and production quantities of electronic components, offering more than two million products from over 650 quality name-brand manufacturers at www.digikey.com.

With over 800,000 products in stock, an impressive selection of online resources, and the logistical advantage of more than 800,000 square feet of expandable distribution space, Digi-Key continues to move forward, affirming its commitment to stocking the broadest range of electronic components in the industry and providing the best service possible to its customers.

Digi-Key’s totally integrated, Internet-engaged business model, coupled with its industry-leading breadth of components available for immediate shipment anywhere in the world from a single location, clearly differentiates Digi-Key from all other distributors. Digi-Key offers customers a unique approach to a high-mix, low volume production business strategy by transferring much inventory risk and carrying costs from the customer to Digi-Key. From Prototype to Production^®, Digi-Key has the components and resources necessary to grow your business to the next level.

Digi-Key’s online offerings and resources include: PTM^® product training modules; TechZone^SMtechnology zones; Another Geek Moment videos; Digi-Key toolbar; SupplyChainHQ^SM for electronics buyers; TechXchange^SM; a Mobile and Social Center; the Scheme-it^® online schematic design tool; a Reference Design Library; and the Dynamic Catalog^®.