Arc Technology Distribution has completed a management buyout (MBO) of its majority shareholder Owen Dukes.

The company's senior management team, including sales director Stuart Reay and finance director Robin Draper, funded the MBO.

Dukes, now CEO of server-based software provider Propalms, was previously managing director of Arc. He said: "I have been dividing my time between the two businesses but it is now time to hand over the reins at Arc."

Stuart Reay will become the firm's new managing director.

Reay said: "We are currently working to further strengthen our current position and having watched the consolidation in the channel over the past few years, we are keen to bring the 'Arc Advantage' to a wider audience and will be investigating acquisitions over the coming year."

Speaking to The Reg, Reay was unable to elaborate on future acquisition plans, however, but agreed the MBO offers "an opportunity for consolidation". He said any City ambitions were "at least three years down the line."

UK-based Arc distributes IT products for the likes of Virtuozzo, Kaspersky Lab, and Perle, among others. ®

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