201305.pdf 43279KB May 08 2013 11:07:04 PM

Special SectionA Letter from the editorShuTTErSTockThe wheel’sturningBy Brian Fuller, Editor-in-Chief, EBNHello, and welcome back to another installment in the longrunningTop 25 Distributors list, brought to you by EBN andhosted this year by our colleagues at EDN.As you’ll see from the annual list (page S-18), not toomuch changed amid the electronic components distributionlandscape in 2012. Some companies lost revenue ground,and some gained—some significantly—but overall it was a flat year.But the business itself—its internal challenges and opportunities—is wilderthan ever, from shifting market and technology priorities, to regulatory andcompliance challenges, to counterfeiting, to risk management, to crisis preparednessand management.The stories inside this year’s issue help illuminate that and more.Our overview story (page S-4), which recalls Ulysses and the Sirens, delvesinto one of distribution’s biggest challenges today: how much to embrace thehigh-volume, low-margin, and highly volatile consumer electronics business.Tam Harbert wonders whether any lessons from the Japan earthquake andtsunami and Thailand floods sunk in at all (page S-8).Longtime supply-chain editor and observer Barbara Jorgensen ties a neatthread between the two crucial halves of our world: the design chain and thesupply chain (page S-12). What are the conflicts between the two, and how dowe resolve them?And Jennifer Baljko pens an in-depth look (page S-22) at the latest legislation,regulation, and strategy around anti-counterfeiting of components.You can find these and more excellent supply-chain insights in this annualsurvey. And, every day, you can stay on top of the latest supply- and designchainnews and trends at EBNOnline.com.Enjoy.•May 2013 Top 25 Global Distributors S-3