Ingram Micro is upping its consumer electronics business with the purchase of US distie DBL Distributing Inc.

Ingram is paying $96m for DBL, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It said the buy was evidence of two trends; convergence of business and consumer technologies and the increasing importance of retailers.

DBL claims 30,000 US retail customers and carries 17,000 products. It employs 350 people and turned over almost $300m in 2006. It runs on an operating margin twice as good as Ingram's core distie business.

Ingram expects the deal to add slightly to profits for the year.

Full press release is here.®