| Ingram Micro, Inc. |
1600 E. St. Andrew Place,
Santa Ana,
CA
92799-5125 |
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www.ingrammicro.com
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(714) 566-1000
Fax: (714) 566-7900
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Ingram Micro is the largest wholesale distributor of microcomputer products in the world. The company is a subsidiary of Ingram Industries, and offers more than 36,000 products (printers, monitors, CD-ROM drives, desktop and laptop PCs, and software) to over 175,000 reseller customers in 120 countries. Almost all of its sales are generated from Microsoft, Compaq, IBM, NEC, and Apple products, and a third of its business comes from its international sales. When software distributor Micro D and Ingram Computer (Ingram Industries' computer distributor) merged, Ingram Micro was the product.
On the Fortune 500 list for 1999, Ingram ranked No. 41. That prestigious spot was garnered by the over $28 billion in sales earned by Ingram that year. Ingram's rise to first place in distributing was by no means a smooth ride. Micro D was founded in 1979 by Geza Csige and Lorraine Mecca, a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team. In an effort to merge the distribution company with one that could take over its daily operations, Mecca sold her 51 percent share of the company to Ingram Distribution Group and relinquished control of the company to Linwood "Chip" Lacy in 1986. Financial hardship at Micro D distracted Lacy from Ingram Industries' acquisition of Ingram Software Distribution, which made the company one of the nation's largest wholesale software distributors. By 1988 the firm expanded outside the U.S. and signed an exclusive deal to distribute Claris software for Apple. In 1989 Micro D, after holding out for a year, merged with Ingram and became Ingram Micro D. Despite tensions within the company's management, Ingram Micro D became the industry leader in the 1990s and shortened its name to Ingram Micro in 1991. Lacy left in 1996, citing irreconcilable differences, and was replaced by Jerre Stead, former CEO of software maker Legent. Legent, who joined several high-ranking executives in leaving Ingram, was replaced in 2000 by Kent Foster.
The future of distributing
Ingram has branched out beyond just providing IT products to resellers. While emphasizing Ingram's commitment to b2b distribution, the company has moved into direct distribution to end users. Through agreements with companies such as Buy.com and ValueAmerica Inc., Ingram has significantly increased its b2c volume. Ingram, long known as a software and computer-product provider, also began delivering electronics such as clock radios and radar detectors in 2000. The 1999 holiday season was a boon for the company, as customer demands on e-tailers were not met by other distributors. Ingram, on the other hand, had a 95 percent on-time fulfillment rate during that season.
Ingram is moving onto the net, having improved its web site which now features e-commerce tools to make ordering and reselling easier. In 1999 Ingram signed a deal with NetSales, an online software company. Now customers can buy and download software over the internet, a move which Ingram believes will change the way most consumers buy software. VentureTech Network, launched by Ingram in 1998, remains a powerful affiliation of over 500 IT resellers, who recently got a boost from partnership with CyberSource Corporation. The deal lets VentureTech members safely and easily sell products and services online.
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To view current job openings and descriptions, visit the Ingram Micro web site at www.ingrammicro.com and mail (don't fax) your resume to Human Resources. Specify the job area for which you are applying in the mailing envelope and cover sheet. Send all inquiries via regular mail; the company does not respond to phone inquiries.
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Ingram Micro "dotes" on its employees. Fringe benefits include "free lunches - we're not talking pizza." Salaries are "healthy," even by "industry standards," and the corporate culture, though "it is conservative," rewards its employees by "allowing them to work at their own pace." Their parties are "not what you'd expect," with "calypso bands and 'Doc' from The Love Boat showing up to sign autographs." With regard to diversity, the group of employees was dubbed "multinational." Management clearly "does not take itself seriously" at the same time that it "treats its employees like adults, with dignity and respect." One employee actually goes to work "with a smile" on his face because he is "so glad to be working for an awesome company."
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