DCC sells Exertis to private equity firm Aurelius

DCC has sold Exertis IT to private equity player Aurelius as part of its plans to exit the tech distribution space. Back in November 2024, DCC indicated it was reshaping its business to focus on the energy sector and was placing the IT distribution operation up for sale.

The transaction value has been put at a total enterprise value of £100m on a cash-free, debt-free and normalised working capital basis. In the year ending 31 March 2025, the business recorded revenue of £2bn.

The divestment, which is subject to approval, includes Exertis IT operations across UK&I, comprising of Exertis UK&I Business and Consumer, Hypertec, Exertis Supplies, Exertis Ireland, Macro EV, Exertis Supply Chain Services, MTR and Ztorm.

The JAM and Almo businesses in North America named Exertis Enterprise, along with Exertis Nordics and other European operations, remain in the DCC Technology group.

If everything goes smoothly, the deal should complete in the last quarter. In the meantime, it is business as usual with DCC supporting the Exertis business.

Tim Griffin, CEO at Exertis IT, welcomed the involvement of Aurelius and its plans for the business: “We are delighted to have found new owners who are committed to accelerating our growth and that of our partners through dedicated focus and investment. I firmly believe this sale positions Exertis IT for long-term success and provides greater opportunities for our vendors, customers and our people.”

Throughout the past eight months, the focus from Griffin and his team has been on maintaining a consistently high level of service to customers. “It’s business as usual for us, providing an exceptional portfolio and industry-leading operations,” he added.

Once the deal closes, the private equity firm indicated that it plans to help improve operations and work towards growth targets, and it is expecting the fortunes of the distie to benefit from improvements in market demand across the technology sector.

Andrzej Cebrat, managing director Aurelius IV and V, said the Exertis business offered lots of potential and there were plenty of growth opportunities for the business: “Exertis in the UK and Ireland ticks all of Aurelius’ boxes. With £2bn in annual revenues, it is an attractive size and it offers significant operational improvement potential. It will allow Aurelius to play to its strengths by deploying its WaterRise team of specialists to support a return to operational excellence and growth. We are pleased to have found agreement with DCC plc.”

With Exertis UK&I off the books, the bulk of DCC’s Technology operations, which focus on the AV sector, are in the US, with a smaller number of units generating business across Europe.

Donal Murphy, chief executive of DCC, said the divestment was all part of its strategic plan to reshape the business: “The divestment of Info Tech in the UK and Ireland is a further material step in simplifying our group and focusing on our high-growth, high-return energy business. It follows the sale of DCC Healthcare announced in April 2025. We have made huge strategic progress this year.”