How was business in 2011 for Mouser?

We got off to a good start, business slowed in the middle of the year, then picked up again towards year end. We are seeing the electronics industry GDP growing faster than country GDP, we are positive and confident about 2012. I expect to see growth in all regions. We are now a global distribution brand, there is no doubt about that. We are well known in all the major engineering communities. Independent distribution studies across the key markets confirm our position.

We had an anecdotal example close to home last year. An IT guy we hired in Shanghai and who was in our Texas HQ for training said he told a friend at his former company he was joining a distribution company and his friend asked Mouser? First name he thought of.

Tell us about the company's expansion in Europe and what it will do for the business in Europe.

We have opened a new flagship European marketing and customer support headquarters in Munich. As the business in Europe has grown so we have outgrown the facilities we shared with TTI our sister company in the Berkshire Hathaway Group. Our current eight strong team in Munich will grow to between 25 and 30 by the end of this year. The customer supplier marketing team will expand from 3 to 12, and there will be additions to back office roles including web development and SEO marketing. It allows us to engage even more deeply with suppliers and customers in Europe.

What about inventory?

At present the inventory stays in our Mansfield, Texas headquarter. We ship the same day as the order arrives via FedEx or UPS. We sort the products and these are flown to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. All the customs and paperwork is dealt with electronically while the product is on its way. From Paris it is shipped straight to our European customers.

Does Mouser generate investment internally or does it go to the parent company for funds?

We fund all expansions by generating investment internally. Berkshire Hathaway is there and supportive, but we have not needed to go them for money.

Would you consider acquisitions to grow the business?

I wouldn't rule it out. It is always a question of finding the right fit for our business. There lots of companies out there. We have nothing planned at present.

How do you see the print v digital catalogues debate?

It is up to the customers. We will continue to deliver paper, and we have recently launched an enhanced catalogue can be accessed by PC and MAC users, a mobile version is aimed at tablets, smart phones and e-readers, and a PDF catalogue which enables users to browse offline.  Right now Mouser remains committed to the print catalogue. It depends where you are in the world, some regions have moved online quicker than others. Then again some companies won't allow staff to access the internet, incredible as that may seem. We will know when to pull the print catalogue, and we are not near it now. Two print catalogues will be available in Europe this year published in English, German, French and Italian.

How did Mouser's first with the new products strategy begin, and is it continuing to progress?

Well I started the strategy in 2001. I looked at the market, and no other distributor was doing it so it looked like a n opportunity. It took a while to warm up suppliers and get the strategy established. I think they realised releasing new products that weren't available from a distributor was not positive. They realise with time to market so important engineers have to have the product as soon as possible. Now it works seamlessly. Texas Instruments is a good example. Their new products are delivered straight into our Mansfield, Texas facility.

How is Mouser strengthening its product portfolio?

We signed over 50 suppliers last year. We don't want to overstretch ourselves. There were fewer of the big guns, blue chip suppliers signed. We looked to engage with smaller names with products which fill technical areas we want to cover. Our aim is to supply as much product from one point to make the engineers job that much easier.

How has Mouser strengthened its engineering support?

We have built a strong library of Product Knowledge Centres, actually there are over 2000 of them, and users can search by product, application or supplier. We can bring all the relevant information together for the user. A good example is our recently launched Medical Product Knowledge Centre where we have a defillibrator application note which can then direct engineers to a suitable microcontroller and other devices for the application. Other applications covered include lighting, audio, alternative energy, sensing and power management.