TEXTRON FINANCIAL RECOGNIZED AS "MOST ENGAGED SERVICE PROVIDER" AT
TECH DATA'S TECHSELECT CONFERENCE
North Wales, PA - January 15,
2003 - Textron Financial's Technology Finance Division
(TFD), a leading provider of distribution finance and supply
chain support services to the Information Technology and Telecom
industries, has been named "Most Engaged Service Provider" by
Tech Data Corporation.
"The working capital provided by Textron Financial
fosters business growth by allowing members to shift their energies
away from daily cash management challenges, and instead fulfill
incremental sales opportunities in the small & mid-sized business
market," said Stacy Nethercoat, Vice President of Inside Sales and
Service for Tech Data Corp. "It's exactly this sort of commitment
and engagement that our TechSelect members value most from Tech
Data and our business partners."
Tech Data presented the award to Textron Financial
at their recent TechSelect Conference held November 6-10, 2002,
in Orlando, Florida. Conference attendees, including SMB reseller
executives, selected Textron Financial for the Most Engaged Service
Provider award from among a prestigious group of conference participants.
Award criteria focused on Textron Financial's significant support
for the growth efforts of the TechSelect community; its ability
to offer creative solutions tailored to the reseller's financial
needs; and its Client Central () Web-based service and support
tools.
Ken Collins, Vice President of National Accounts
with Textron Financial states, "Tech Data, and specifically TechSelect,
are strategic partners for us. We are proud to be an authorized
finance source for Tech Data customers and an exclusive TechSelect
service provider. Our niche is credit lines from $100,000 to $7,500,000
which is a good strategic fit for most TechSelect members."
Launched in September 1999, Tech Data's TechSelect
program is a membership-based alliance of value-added resellers
(VAR's) focused on the small-to-mid-size business market. The program,
which is supported by a dedicated business unit, provides additional
services and outsourcing support to VAR's looking to broaden their
U.S. market coverage while reducing costs and enhancing their business
management and technology expertise. Members of the network form
alliances with other technology resellers across the United States
and receive access to certification and training programs, special
credit options, and other incentives. For more information on TechSelect
visit www.mytechselect.com.
About Tech Data Corporation
Tech Data Corporation (Nasdaq: TECD-News) founded in 1974, is a leading worldwide
provider of IT products, logistics management and other value-added services.
Ranked 117th on the Fortune 500, the company and its subsidiaries serve more
than 100,000 technology resellers in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean,
Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Tech Data's extensive service
offering includes pre-and-post-sale training and technical support, financing
options and configuration services as well as a full range of award-winning
electronic commerce solutions. The company generated sales of $17.2 billion
for its most recent fiscal year, which ended January 31, 2002.
About Textron Financial Corporation
Textron Financial is a diversified commercial finance company with $9.5 billion
in managed and serviced finance receivables. It has core businesses in Aircraft
Finance, Asset-based Lending, Distribution Finance, Golf Finance, Resort
Finance, and Structured Capital. Textron Financial also provides financing
programs for products manufactured by its parent company, Textron Inc Additional
information about the company is available at www.textronfinancial.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $12 billion multi-industry company with more
than 51,000 employees in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network
of businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services
in industries such as aircraft, industrial products and components, fastening
systems and finance. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands
such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee,
among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.