Accessories distributor ORA has been bought by Mobile and Wireless Group, the company that owns eXpansys, Portix and Mobile Planet.MWG has acquired the trade and assets of Acson Ltd, the company which traded under the ORA brand name. The ORA business will be rolled into MWG’s existing Portix accessories distribution subsidiary, which trades as Portable Add-Ons. The ORA name will now be used for a new own-brand accessory range to be distributed through Portix and through other Group businesses. ORA’s operations will immediately benefit from MWG’s state of the art warehousing, logistics and software development facilities. MWG says Portix will endeavour to maintain all existing customer, supplier and partner relationships “and is actively seeking new partners of all kinds for the combined business”. Steve Muttram, MD of Portix, the distribution business of Mobile and Wireless Group said “I’m sure that our respective strengths and complimentary product portfolios will allow sustained growth in the combined business.”MWG is the largest specialist retailer of wireless technology in Europe and North America. MWG has forecast turnover of $200m in 2006, of which over $50m will be from distribution. Its online retailer eXpansys was recently named in The Sunday Times Fastrack 100 survey as the UK’s seventh fastest growing private company, with sales 155% up on the year before at £22.9m.
Feature