Avnet Ranks 7th in Computerworld Magazine's "100 Best Places to Work in IT".

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2001

Global distributor Avnet Inc. has garnered 7th place among Computerworld magazine's annual listing of the "100 Best Places to Work in IT."

Companies were measured on benefits, training and diversity, salary increases, percentage of staff promoted, turnover rates and the percentage of women and minority on staff and in IT management positions. In addition, information was collected on a company's hot projects, mentoring programs and benefits ranging from elder/childcare to flextime and stock options.

Approximately 225 companies vied for a place on the 2001 list.

With a decade-long, aggressive global acquisition strategy which has added 40 companies to the Avnet fold, the almost constant need to integrate disparate systems ensures that hot projects are always on the front burner for the IT team.

Integrations are merely one aspect of Avnet's best-in-class IT infrastructure.

The company's strategy means all IT staff are constantly challenged with a variety of projects: creating a global platform with the deployment of the multi-lingual, multi-currency SAP system; Web-enabling the company via internal and external processes and tools like intranets, extranets, a WAN infrastructure and data warehouses/stores; and establishing innovative businesses and collaborative Internet alliances.

Certainly, Avnet has in common with other top firms its insistence on IT as an integral part of the company's success.

According to Computerworld, the best companies also have no walls between business and IT, and management takes an active interest in employees' careers from the day they arrive, continuing that interest throughout employees' time with the company. The result: greater job satisfaction, a more exciting career path and a greater sense of purpose.

"Creating a successful, useful IT tool for Avnet's customers means our people must have access to the training they need to provide cutting-edge solutions, and it requires the teamwork of people from all walks of the business," said Tony DeLuca, Avnet's chief information officer. For example, when customers of Avnet Applied Computing voiced a need for 24x7 visibility into the development of their designs, order status and product information, the IT team was instrumental in envisioning, creating and launching FasTrac, the operating group's secure, password-protected site.

"Cross-functional teams and clear communication smooth out the process and ensure we deliver the best IT solution," he said.

"I am very proud of Avnet's consistent programs to attract, develop and retain employees," said Avnet Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roy Vallee. "Our top 10 ranking validates Avnet's commitment to be a top employer by investing heavily in a diverse culture that promotes challenging assignments and allows people to develop their full potential."

Avnet was the sole honoree among its industry peers and ranked ahead of such business titans as IBM (ranked No. 12), AT&T Corp. (25) and FedEx Corp. (32). Retail home improvement behemoth The Home Depot Inc. topped the list. Avnet has been honored by the magazine numerous times in the eight years it has been publishing its ranking.

Phoenix-based Avnet Inc., a Fortune 500 company with annual sales exceeding $12.3 billion, is one of the world's largest distributors of semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components, computer products and embedded systems from leading manufacturers.

Serving customers in 63 countries, Avnet markets, inventories and adds value to these products and provides world-class supply-chain management, engineering services and solution integration.