Arrow Electronics Acquires Interest in Marubun.

Business Editors

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 29, 2001

Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) announced that it has acquired 5.2% of the outstanding shares of Marubun Corporation from several financial institutions in a series of privately-negotiated transactions.

The investment represents a further strengthening of the strategic partnership between Arrow and Marubun. The two companies initiated their relationship almost three years ago, when they formed Marubun/Arrow, a joint venture serving Japanese customers who had established manufacturing facilities in North America and the Asia/Pacific region.

"We have been very pleased by the success of the Marubun/Arrow joint venture since its inception," said Francis M. Scricco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrow. "Working together, we have demonstrated our ability to combine Marubun's strong relationships with the Japanese customers and well-developed design capabilities with Arrow's global presence and strong systems and logistics infrastructure in a manner that has proved highly beneficial to Marubun, to Arrow, and to the Japanese customers the joint venture is dedicated to serving. This investment evidences the desire of both Marubun and Arrow to solidify our relationship and to strengthen the ties between our two companies, as we remain committed to providing the best service to Japanese customers wherever their manufacturing is located."

Marubun Corporation, with fiscal 2000 sales of approximately $1.5 billion, is the largest non-affiliated franchised distributor of electronic components and supply chain services in Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company has almost 1,000 employees and its stock is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Arrow Electronics is the world's largest distributor of electronic components and computer products, with 2000 sales of $13 billion. Headquartered in Melville, New York, Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for more than 600 suppliers and 200,000 original equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and commercial customers through more than 225 sales facilities and 23 distribution centers in 39 countries. Detailed information about Arrow's operations can be found at www.arrow.com.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons including, but are not limited to: industry conditions, changes in product supply, pricing, and customer demand, competition, other vagaries in the computer and electronic components markets, changes in relationships with key suppliers and the other risks described from time to time in the company's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K). Shareholders and other readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.