Distribution Solutions Group Valuation Multiples

Parker Hannifin started out in 1917 as Parker Appliance, selling pneumatic brakes. Through the acquisition of branded components, the firm has expanded into aerospace engines, agricultural and construction machinery, freight and passenger vehicles, and industrial automation equipment. Within these larger systems, Parker sells a wide array of small, critical pieces such as hydraulic, electromechanical, climate control, and filtration components. Many of its products are designed to work together, resulting in a high rate of cross-selling.

McKesson Corp is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US engaged in sourcing and distributing branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with Cencora and Cardinal Health, the three account for over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Outside the US market, McKesson engages in pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Canada. Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.

Rheinmetall is an international group active in various markets with leading technological products and services. The sales focus is on the security technology and mobility segments. Since February 2021, the group structure has been made up of five divisions-vehicle systems, weapons and ammunition, electronic solutions, sensors and actuators, and materials and trade. The vehicle systems, weapons and ammunition, and electronic solutions divisions are among the defense and security industry's leading suppliers of innovative products to German and international defense forces. The sensors and actuators and materials and trade divisions' core area of expertise is the reduction of emissions, pollutants and fuel consumption.

Founded in 1927, W.W. Grainger originally distributed various motors via a mail-order catalogue. Over the course of the 20th century, the firm expanded into new industrial product categories and launched its first digital catalogue in 1995. Today, the company organizes itself into two segments focused on different customer bases. Its larger segment, high-touch solutions, offers a vast array of maintenance, repair, and operations, or MRO, supplies and bespoke inventory management services to larger businesses. Its smaller segment, endless assortment, operates two online platforms, Zoro and MonotaRO, that offer comprehensive catalogues of MRO supplies to smaller businesses. Grainger has operations throughout the world but primarily generates sales within the US.

Sumitomo Corp. is a general trading house, or sogo shosha, a type of conglomerate unique to Japan. Its core role is that of a trading intermediary in a variety of industrial sectors, including resources businesses such as energy and metals as well as nonresources businesses, both industrial ones like machinery and non-industrial ones like food, media, and retail. In addition to acting as a trading intermediary (including midstream processing functions to convert inputs into final products), Sumitomo also participates in upstream production businesses and downstream distribution businesses.

Cencora is one of three leading domestic pharmaceutical wholesalers. It sources and distributes branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. It and McKesson and Cardinal Health hold over 90% share of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cencora also provides commercialization services for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, global specialty drug logistics (World Courier), and animal health product distribution (MWI Animal Health). Cencora expanded its international presence in 2021 by purchasing Alliance Healthcare, one of the leading drug wholesalers in Europe.

Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal’s branch count and remain the firm’s main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.

Ferguson distributes plumbing and HVAC products to North American repair, maintenance and improvement, new construction, and civil infrastructure markets. It serves over 1 million customers and sources products from 36,000 suppliers. Ferguson engages customers through approximately 1,800 North American branches, over the phone, online, and in residential showrooms. According to Modern Distribution Management, Ferguson is the largest plumbing distributor and second-largest HVAC distributor (next to Watsco) in North America. The firm sold its UK business in 2021 and is now solely focused on the North American market.

Cardinal Health is one of three leading pharmaceutical wholesalers in the US, engaged in sourcing and distributing of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospital networks, and healthcare providers. Cardinal, Cencora, and McKesson hold well over 90% of the US pharmaceutical wholesale industry. Cardinal Health also supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Sysco is the largest US foodservice distributor with 18% share of the highly fragmented $377 billion domestic market. It distributes roughly 500,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (60% of fiscal 2025 revenue), education and government buildings (8%), healthcare facilities (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (17%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2025, 70% of the firm’s revenue was derived from its US foodservice operations, while its international (18%), quick-service logistics (10%), and other (2%) segments contributed the rest.

Bunge Global SA is an agribusiness solutions company, connecting farmers to consumers and delivering essential food, feed and fuel to the globe. The company segments include Soybean Processing and Refining; Softseed Processing and Refining; Other Oilseeds Processing and Refining; Grain Merchandising and Milling; and Corporate and Other. It generates maximum revenue from the Soybean Processing and Refining segment, which includes integrated business principally involved in the purchase, storage, transportation, processing, distribution, refining, marketing, and sale of soybeans and soybean related products, as well as biodiesel and fertilizer production and distribution. Geographically, the company operates in United States, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Rest of the World.

US Foods Holding Corp is a U.S. food service distributor that distributes food and nonfood products to the healthcare and hospitality industries, restaurants, education, government facilities, and grocers. It has various customer locations across the United States, with a vast network of distribution facilities, a fleet of trucks, and cash and carry locations offering food and non-food products, and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology, and business solutions to its customers. The company operates in one business segment in which it markets, sells, and distributes fresh, frozen, and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers throughout the U.S.

Wesco can be traced back to the late 1800s but was officially founded in 1922, acting as the distribution arm of Westinghouse Electric. Throughout the 1900s, Wesco entered and subsequently exited the consumer electronics, transit, bottling, and nuclear plant distribution markets. It was sold to a private equity firm in 1994 and then went public in 1999, and numerous acquisitions have since been made to fill the gaps in Wesco’s geographical and product coverage. Today, the firm primarily distributes electrical, networking, security, and utility equipment used in the construction and repair of structures such as offices, data centers, power transmission lines, and manufacturing plants. Wesco has operations around the globe but generates the majority of its revenue in the United States.

Bollore SE is an infrastructure company domiciled in France. The company organizes itself into four segments: transportation and logistics, oil logistics, communication, and Electricity storage and systems. The transportation and logistics segment offers freight forwarding and logistics services. The oil logistics segment distributes oil and fuel. The communication segment provides advertising, cinema, and telecommunications services. The electricity storage and systems segment is engaged in the production and sale of electric batteries and their applications. The firm generates most of the revenue from the communications segment.

Watsco is the largest HVAC and refrigeration products distributor in North America with approximately 13% market share. The company primarily operates in the United States (90% of revenue) with significant exposure in the Sunbelt states. Watsco also has operations in Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The company's customer base comprises more than 120,000 dealers and contractors serving the replacement and new-construction HVAC/R markets for residential and light-commercial applications. As much as 20% of residential HVAC units are distributed through Watsco in any given year. Revenue is approximately 75%-80% residential HVAC and 20%-25% commercial, with relatively small exposure to more complex “applied” solutions.

Performance Food Group Co , markets and distributes national and company-branded food and food-related products. The company also specializes in distributing candy, snacks, beverages, cigarettes, other tobacco products, health and beauty care products and other items to vending distributors, box retailers, theaters, convenience stores, drug stores, grocery stores, travel providers, and hospitality providers. The company has three reportable segments: Foodservice, Vistar, and Convenience.

Genuine Parts sells aftermarket automotive parts (60% of sales) and industrial products (40% of sales) in the United States and internationally. The automotive segment primarily acts as a distributor to its network of 9,800 global retail locations, of which about two-thirds are independently owned and operated. We estimate Genuine serves around 6,000 retail locations in the US operating under the Napa Auto Parts brand, with about 80% of end-market sales derived from professional customers. Its industrial segment, primarily operating under the Motion name in the United States, is a leading distributor of bearings, power transmission, and other industrial products to more than 200,000 maintenance, repair, and original equipment manufacturer customers.

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA operates in food distribution, agribusiness, and other businesses. The food distribution business is the group's main activity, which consists of retail and wholesale operations under the brand's Pingo Doce and Recheio in Portugal, Poland, and Colombia. The group segments. Portugal Retail: comprises the business unit of JMR (Pingo Doce supermarkets), Portugal Cash & Carry: includes the wholesale business unit Recheio, Poland Retail: the business unit which operates under the Biedronka banner, Colombia Retail: the business unit which operates under Ara banner, Poland Health and Beauty: includes the Hebe banner business unit which operates in Poland, & Others, eliminations and adjustments. The majority of revenue is derived from the Poland retail segment.

Toromont Industries Ltd is a Canadian industrial company. The company operates two business segments: Equipment Group and CIMCO. The larger segment by revenue, Equipment Group supplies and rents mobile and stationary machines used in road building, mining, aggregates, public infrastructure, residential construction, power generation, agriculture, forestry, truck engines, industrial, demolition, and waste management. CIMCO offers solutions for the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of industrial and recreational refrigeration systems. The company operates majorly in Canada and derives a smaller portion of sales from the United States of America and other regions.

QXO Inc is the publicly traded distributor of roofing, waterproofing and complementary building products in the United States. The company aims to become the tech-enabled leader in the approximately $800 billion building products distribution industry and generate outsized value for shareholders. It is targeting nearly $50 billion in annual revenues within the next decade through accretive acquisitions and organic growth.

Rexel SA is a provider of electrical products and services to residential, nonresidential, and industrial markets. The product offering includes electrical equipment such as appliances and accessories, cables and routing, lighting, security and communication, home automation, climate control, and building management systems used in the construction, renovation, and maintenance of buildings and infrastructures. Clients include small and midsize installers, large installers and facility managers, commercial companies, and industrial customers. Rexel has three operating segments; Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, out of which a majority of its revenue is derived from Europe.

Diploma PLC is a group of businesses supplying specialised technical products and services to various industries. The Group is organized into three main reportable business sectors: Controls, Seals and Life Sciences. The company offers consumables, instrumentation, and related services to the healthcare and environmental industries; seals, gaskets, filters, cylinders, components, and kits for heavy mobile machinery and industrial equipment; and specialized wiring, connectors, fasteners, and control devices for various applications. It operates in segments such as Wire & Cable (UK), Industrial Automation, Specialty Adhesives, Windy City Wire, Interconnect and Specialty Fasteners. The company operates in UK, USA, Rest of Europe, and Rest of World.

Applied Industrial Technologies Inc is a distributor of industrial products to the maintenance, repair, and operations market and the original equipment manufacturing industry. Further, the company provides engineering and design services for industrial and fluid power applications. The products include bearings, power transmission components, fluid power components and systems, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies. The company's reportable segments are; Service Center Based Distribution which derives key revenue, and Engineered Solutions. Geographically, the company derives its key revenue from the United States and the rest from Canada and other countries.

Arrow Electronics Inc. is a provider of products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. It has one of the world's broadest portfolios of product offerings available from electronic components and enterprise computing solutions suppliers, coupled with a range of services, solutions, and software, the company helps industrial and commercial customers introduce products, reduce their time to market, and enhance their overall competitiveness. The company has two business segments, the global components business and the global enterprise computing solutions.

Bunzl is a worldwide distributor of nonfood consumables, including disposable cutlery, cleaning products, and personal protective equipment. The company's geographical segments include North America, continental Europe, the UK and Ireland, and the rest of the world, with North America generating the highest revenues. Bunzl supplies to a broad range of sectors, with the largest being food service and grocery. Its customers include firms such as Sodexo, Walmart, Domino’s Pizza, Hilton, and the UK's National Health Service.

Addtech AB is a group of businesses offering high-tech products and solutions to customers in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. The company's segments include Automation, Electrification, Energy, Industrial Solutions, and Process Technology. It generates maximum revenue from the Energy segment. Energy produces and sells products for electricity transmission, electrical installation, and safety products in transport. Geographically, the company derives maximum revenue from Sweden, and the rest from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Rest of Europe, and other countries.

Finning International Inc is a dealer and distributor of heavy-duty machinery and parts of the Caterpillar brand. The company sells and rents Caterpillar machinery to the mining, construction, petroleum, forestry, and power system application industries. Finning International further provides parts and services for equipment and engines to its customers via its owned distribution network and buys and sells used equipment domestically and internationally after reconditioning or rebuilding the machinery. The company operates in Canada, Chile, UK, Argentina and Others.

Core & Main is a leading specialty distributor with a focus on water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. The company provides solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and professional contractors across municipal, nonresidential, and residential end markets. The company’s specialty products and services are used in the maintenance, repair, replacement, and construction of water and fire protection infrastructure.

Andritz AG is a producer of high-technology industrial machinery and operates through four operating segments: ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides sustainable technology, automation, and service solutions for the production of all types of pulp, paper, and board; ANDRITZ Metals includes suppliers of technologies, plants, and digital solutions in metal forming, and also includes automation and software solutions, process know-how, and service; ANDRITZ Hydropower includes suppliers of electromechanical equipment and services for hydropower stations; and ANDRITZ Environment & Energy provides sustainable technologies for industries, including green hydrogen, carbon capture, solid/liquid separation, and renewable fuels. It generates the majority of its revenue from the ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper segment.

Bid Corp Ltd is a foodservice company. The company distributes chilled and frozen foods, fresh produce, meats, and nonfood products to operators around the globe. The company has various business segments, several of which it divides by geographic region. Its business segments include: Australasia, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Emerging Markets. The company generates the vast majority of its revenue from Europe.

Henry Schein Inc is a solutions company for healthcare professionals. It offers healthcare equipment, products, and services to office-based dental and medical practitioners, as well as alternative sites of care. The company's reportable segments are: Global Distribution and Value-Added Services, Global Specialty Products, and Global Technology. It generates maximum revenue from the Global Distribution and Value-Added Services segment, which includes distribution to the dental and medical markets of national brand and corporate brand merchandise, as well as equipment and related technical services. This segment also includes value-added services such as financial services, continuing education services, consulting, and other practice services.

Indutrade AB is an industrial group that develops, manufactures, and sells components, systems and services with technical content in selected niches through a vast range of subsidiaries. The group is active in business areas such as; Industrial & Engineering, Infrastructure & Construction, Life Science, Process, Energy & Water, and Technology & Systems Solutions.  The company offers products like valves, pipes and pipe systems, measurement technology, pumps, hydraulics and industrial equipment, and medical technology among others. The primary region of business for the group's subsidiaries is Europe.

Sodexo is one of the largest food service companies globally, operating in 45 countries with annual sales exceeding EUR 20 billion. Sodexo's model rests on operating on-premises catering facilities, rather than centralized industrial kitchens. Food services remain the largest business segment, contributing 66% of revenue in 2024. Sodexo has its own group purchasing organization, or GPO, Entegra, with annual purchasing of over EUR 37 billion. The company spun off its benefits and service business, Pluxee, and now focuses on food services and its second business, facilities-management services.

Avnet Inc is an electronic component technology distributor and solutions provider. It serves customers from startups and mid-sized businesses to enterprise-level original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers, and original design manufacturers (ODMs). The group operates in the Electronic Components segment and supports high and medium-volume customers to markets, sells, and distributes electronic components, and the Farnell segment supports lower-volume customers that need electronic components quickly to develop, prototype, and test their products. Its geographic regions are the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.

Pool Corp distributes swimming pool supplies and related products. Its products include non-discretionary pool-maintenance products, like chemicals and replacement parts, as well as pool equipment, like packaged pools (kits to build swimming pools), cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights. Customers include pool builders and remodelers, independent retail stores, and pool repair and service companies.

WPG Holding Co Ltd is a semiconductor and electronics distributor. Its main market in Asia-Pacific. The company provides semiconductor distribution value-added services as demand creation, turnkey solution, technical support, warehousing, logistics, and e-commerce. Its main clients are equipment manufacturers, electronic manufacturers, and small and midsize enterprises. It is positioned as a LaaS (Logistics as a Service) provider to advocate smart logistics and assist its customers in facing the challenges of smart manufacturing.

SFS Group AG is a company, and supplier of precision components and assemblies, mechanical fastening systems, quality tools, and procurement solutions. It serves customers from diverse industries such as automotive, construction, aircraft, electronics, transportation, and others. The company operates through three segments: Engineered Components, Fastening Systems and Distribution and Logistics. The business of the group can be seen across the region of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Founded in 1941, MSC Industrial Direct originally manufactured and sold cutting tools to metalworking shops in New York. Through a series of acquisitions and organic expansions, MSC has grown into an industrial distribution powerhouse with a focus on specialized metalworking products and services. The firm also distributes a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies. MSC primarily operates in North America, where it derives over 95% of its revenue.

Reece is an Australian distributor of plumbing supplies and bathroom products, with businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Reece Australia holds Australia’s largest range of individual plumbing stock-keeping units, supporting plumbing needs for general plumbing, bathrooms, kitchens, heating and air conditioning, irrigation, refrigeration, pools, commercial and government projects, and fire services.In the Australia and New Zealand markets, Reece’s trade, customers are mostly small to medium plumbing businesses working in the areas of residential repairs, renovations, or new home builds.The US business principally serves plumbers working on commercial and residential construction projects and has a network of almost 300 stores in the southern Sunbelt states.

MonotaRO Co is a Japanese e-commerce company selling industrial supply products.

Resideo Technologies Inc is a manufacturer and developer of technology-driven products and components that provide critical comfort, energy management, and safety and security solutions. The company has two reportable segments; Products and Solutions segment offers temperature and humidity control, energy products and solutions, water and air solutions, smoke and carbon monoxide detection home safety products, security panels, sensors, peripherals, wire and cable, communications devices, video cameras, other home-related lifestyle convenience solutions; and ADI Global Distribution segment includes wholesale distributor of low-voltage security products including access control, fire detection, security, and video products. It derives majority of its revenue from the United States.

Galenica Ltd is an integrated healthcare service provider in Switzerland. The business is operated from two segments Products & Care and Logistics & IT. The Products & Care segment comprises the Retail business area with offerings for patients and end customers and the Professionals business area with offerings for business customers and partners in the healthcare sector. The Logistics & IT segment comprises the two sectors Wholesale and Logistics & IT Services. These provide services for all those involved in the healthcare sector - pharmacies, drugstores, doctors, hospitals and care homes, partners, and suppliers.

Sigma Foods SAB de CV is a multinational food company focused on the production, marketing, and distribution of food products through brands in Mexico, Europe, the United States, and Latin America. The company's key offerings include: i) Cold cuts: Ham, sausage, bacon, chorizo, among others. ii) Matured meats: Serrano, prosciutto, salami, fuet, among others. iii) Dairy products: Yogurt, cheeses, butter, margarine, among others. iv) Other: Snacks, prepared foods, plant-based foods, beverages, among others.

SiteOne Landscape Supply Inc is a supplier of tools and equipment. The company serves various businesses which include wholesale irrigation, outdoor lighting, nursery, landscape supplies, grass seeds, and fertilizers, turf protection products, turf care equipment, and golf course accessories for green industry professionals mainly in the United States and Canada. Its product portfolio includes irrigation supplies, fertilizer and herbicides, landscape accessories, nursery goods, natural stones and blocks, outdoor lighting and ice melt products and other products.

Bidvest Group Ltd is a diversified business-to-business services, trading, and distribution company. Its diverse portfolio operates in two segments: Business services and Trading and distribution, through six divisions and a majority-owned subsidiary, Adcock Ingram. The company principally generates revenue from providing a wide range of goods and services through its eight core trading segments, Services South Africa, Services International, Freight, Commercial Products, Branded Products, Adcock Ingram and Automotive. Geographically, it derives the majority of revenue from South Africa.

Synnex Technology International Corp is a Taiwan-based company engaged in the sale of computers and related parts, communication products, consumer electronic products, electronic components, and semiconductor products. The majority of the company’s revenue is generated from the distribution industry and is mainly engaged in the sale of 3C and semiconductor products. The company operates in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, out of which China and Hong Kong is the key sources of revenue.

Agility Global PLC is engaged in the activities of holding companies. It is an owner and operator and long-term investor in businesses belonging to different sectors. Some of its owned and operated businesses include Menzies Aviation, Tristar, Agility Logistics Parks, GCC Services, and others.

RS Group PLC is a distributor of electronics and industrial products. The company provides semiconductors; interconnect, passives, and electromechanical components; automation and control products; and consumables through its two brands: RS and Allied Electronics. The main customer groups are electronic design engineers, machine and panel builders, and maintenance engineers. Electrocomponents' distribution channel is online through e-commerce. Other channels include catalogs, trade counters, and an international field sales network.