Earlier this month private equity firm Ampersand Ventures made an offer to acquire RAND Worldwide, one of the world’s largest value-added reseller of CAD and PLM software. Today CADCAMNet has learned that a Canadian investment bank has acquired a 10% interest in RAND and intends to oppose the Ampersand acquisition bid.
Full details later today at CADCAMNet.
Having said that, the timing is interesting. Just as Dassault is looking to the SolidWorks dealer channel to do some heavy lifting for the rest of the company, along comes the guy who has done much of the work of building it to lead all of SolidWorks. As Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Ray has been responsible for the development of sales, marketing, and distribution. The fierce loyalty of the SolidWorks VAR channel is the stuff of legend. These guys would walk through fire carrying buckets of dung if Jeff Ray suggested it.
More tomorrow at CADCAMNet.
Jeff Ray, incoming SolidWorks CEO.
It seems some Texas Aggies wash up real good.
John McEleney, outgoing SolidWorks CEO.
Perhaps now there will be time for a friendly card game.
Here’s a scoop for all you CAD news junkies. On Thursday CADCAMNet will publish an article in which it sets the record straight regarding recent reports that Dassault Systemes plans to take over the SolidWorks dealer channel. The SolidWorks dealer channel is alive and well and continues under existing management, free of imperial whim from its Paris overlords.
If you aren’t already a CADCAMNet subscriber, go sign up for a free month now so you will get an email notice as soon as the article is published on Thursday.
Dassault Systemes CEO Bernard Charles, left, prepares to deliver his now-legendary head fake on alleged architect Frank Gehry. No humans were injured in the making of this photograph.
