Exertis UK enters administration

September 2026 | DEALFRONT | BANKRUPTCY & CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING

Financier Worldwide Magazine

September 2026 Issue

In late May, following months of turmoil and restructuring, technology distributor Exertis UK entered administration.

Following the company’s sale by its Irish parent, DCC plc, to German private equity firm Aurelius in 2025, Exertis UK saw its credit facilities reduced, lost many vendor relationships and made hundreds of redundancies following an extended consultation process with staff.

As a result of its financial difficulties, the company announced its collapse into administration through a notice on its website: “Please note that Martin Armstrong and Andrew Bailey of Turpin Barker Armstrong, together with James Hopkirk of Kreston Reeves, were appointed as joint administrators of Exertis (UK) Ltd on 29 May 2026.

“The affairs, business and property of Exertis (UK) Ltd are being managed by the joint administrators, who act as agents of the company and contract without personal liability.”

A statement released by the joint administrators stated they were “Currently undertaking an assessment of the Company’s affairs and working with the remaining management team and employees to manage the Administration process.

“Given the early stage of the Administration, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Any material updates will be communicated to stakeholders through the appropriate channels.”

The administrators’ immediate focus was expected to be understanding the company’s financial position, preserving value where possible and determining whether any parts of the business could continue operating, be sold or be restructured. Aurelius declined to comment following the filing.

In July 2025, former owner DCC agreed to sell its technology distribution business in the UK and Ireland, known as Exertis, to Aurelius in a deal worth around £100m. DCC had announced in November 2024 that it intended to exit technology distribution and refocus on energy-related activities.

The transaction was structured so that many of Exertis’ most valuable assets were excluded from the sale. The company’s distribution centre freehold, estimated to be worth around £50m, was retained and sold separately by DCC. Exertis Enterprise, its higher-margin IT solutions division, was also excluded, along with North American operations JAM and Almo and its Nordic and wider European businesses. Exertis France and Iberia, both loss-making operations, were separately sold to WE.CONNECT for €1.

In November 2025, DCC disclosed that Exertis had been responsible for roughly half of the group’s intra-year working capital swing and was the only DCC business using supply chain financing. Net cash proceeds from the transaction were described as not material.

After acquiring the business, Aurelius said it saw “significant earnings growth potential” through targeted growth initiatives and operational improvements. At the time of the sale, Exertis employed more than 1000 people across multiple locations.

However, trading conditions remained difficult. Exertis reported sales of approximately £1.4bn for the year ended 31 March 2025, down 7.6 percent year on year. According to its latest filed accounts, turnover fell 8 percent to £1.43bn while net losses widened to £47.9m.

In December 2025, reports emerged that most jobs at Exertis were under threat. Harald Kinzler, head of communications at Aurelius, said some reporting had mischaracterised the consultation process.

Following the consultation, around 400 employees were made redundant at the end of January 2026. By that stage, a number of staff had already left for other organisations.

At the end of January, Exertis sold its Exertis Supplies division to evo, which retained only a small number of employees. A month later, Aurelius announced the closure of the Exertis AV business with effect from 1 March 2026. As of July 2026, the joint administrators continue to assess the company’s affairs and evaluate options for creditors and any remaining operations.

Administrators now face difficult decisions amid Exertis’ dramatic corporate collapse.

Richard Summerfield