Company History

Tech Data Corporation was founded in 1974 by Edward C. Raymund, father of the company's current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven A. Raymund. When Steve joined the company in 1981, Tech Data was essentially a reseller of small supplies such as printer ribbons, cables and computer diskettes. Employing about a dozen people, the company operated out of a small office/warehouse building not far from Tech Data's current headquarters campus in Clearwater, Florida.

In 1983, Tech Data began making the transition from reseller to full-line national distributor of personal computer products. The company's annual sales had just topped $2 million, and the PC marketplace was still in its infancy. Through an initial public stock offering in 1986, Tech Data raised needed investor capital to expand operations.

In 1989, the company acquired a Canadian distributor and increased geographic coverage to all of North America. Sales meanwhile soared to a record $246.7 million, and the growth rate showed no signs of abating. Tech Data began serving Latin America in 1993 and entered the European marketplace in 1994 through the acquisition of France's largest distributor of personal computer products.

We continue to reach out to new markets throughout the world. In 1997 the company started operations in Brazil through TD Brasil. In 1998, Tech Data acquired a new subsidiary, Computer 2000, based in Munich. And in 1999 Tech Data established subsidiaries in Argentina, Chile, Perú and Uruguay.

In its most recent fiscal year, which ended January 31, 2001, Tech Data generated sales of $20.4 billion. As one of the fastest growing corporations in the United States, Tech Data's future is now more exciting than ever.