France-based electrical distributor Sonepar has agreed to acquire Routeco Group Holdings Ltd. 

This acquisition underlines the ongoing efforts of Sonepar to strengthen its position with entries into new countries as well as into the immense market of industrial automation.

Routeco is a distributor of industrial control and automation products and services in the UK and had revenues of €135 million (US$174.3 million) sales in FY2014. Routeco has been a Rockwell Automation authorized distributor since 1992 and serves its customers via 13 branches across the UK. Routeco also has operations in Austria and in the Netherlands.

Routeco will continue to operate as a separate Business Unit within Sonepar Northern Europe.  Ian Stewart, CEO, and the existing management team that has driven the development over the last 25 years will remain in charge.