In April 1999, Arrow Electronics reorganized two acquired businesses and described a more coordinated way to serve customers and suppliers. Bell Industries’ Electronics Distribution Group became Arrow/Bell Components, while Richey Electronics was integrated into Arrow PEMCO, renamed Arrow/Richey. The changes distinguished broader component coverage for smaller accounts from specialist support for larger OEMs.
How Arrow reorganized the acquired businesses
EE Times reported on April 2, 1999, that Arrow placed Bell Industries’ Electronics Distribution Group in a new unit called Arrow/Bell Components. It integrated Richey Electronics into Arrow PEMCO and renamed the combined operation Arrow/Richey. Arrow/Richey sold passive, electromechanical, and connector products.
The report said the integration followed a major restructuring 15 months earlier and brought Arrow’s operating-group count to eight. The groups it named were:
- Arrow Alliance
- Arrow/Bell
- Arrow CMS (Contract Manufacturing Services)
- Arrow Industrial Computer Products
- Arrow/Richey
- Arrow Semiconductor
- Arrow Supplier Services
- Arrow/Zeus Electronics
How customer coverage was meant to work
Small and midsize accounts
Arrow/Bell was intended to raise Arrow’s visibility among small and midsize accounts and give OEMs seeking both active and passive components one contact. The aim was broader component coverage through a single customer interface.
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Larger OEMs
For larger OEMs with purchasing responsibilities divided by component type, Arrow said its specialty groups would continue calling on the relevant buyers. The model therefore paired a broader point of contact for some accounts with specialist coverage where customers organized purchasing by category.
Arrow chief operating officer Francis M. Scricco explained the rationale: “As customers get more complex, they typically break out their purchasing departments,” and “We feel the level of expertise required [by the customer] also requires specialization on our part.”
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How Arrow described supplier and multi-location coordination
Supplier coordination
Arrow proposed assigning suppliers a single product manager to coordinate marketplace work, including training and quarterly business reviews, rather than having them coordinate separately with different Arrow units.
Customers using Arrow services at multiple locations
Arrow Global separately coordinated communications, sales, design, and supply-chain efforts for customers using Arrow services at multiple locations. EE Times reported that roughly 25 customers were being coordinated this way at the time. Scricco described Arrow’s approach to continuity: “We’ve worked extraordinarily hard to maintain account continuity,” and, “That’s something we’ve never done with this rigor before, and it takes longer to do.”
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What the reported figures do—and do not—show
| Figure | What it referred to in the April 2, 1999 report | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| $8.3 billion | Arrow Electronics, discussed in connection with the earlier restructuring | Characterization in the EE Times report; not an independently attributed current company figure. |
| Eight operating groups | Arrow after the Bell unit was added | Group count reported by EE Times on April 2, 1999. |
| Roughly 25 customers | Customers receiving Arrow Global coordination for multi-location services | Approximate count reported by EE Times on April 2, 1999. |
Source and historical scope
This account reflects a period snapshot, not Arrow’s current organization, operating groups, or customer and supplier arrangements. It is based on Barbara Jorgensen’s April 2, 1999 EE Times report, “Arrow has new units, new interface.”
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