CDW Posts Impressive 1Q

Computer products reseller CDW Corp. sprinted out of the gate with a 17% rise in first-quarter sales and a 24.5% increase in first-quarter net income.

For the three months ended March 31, the Vernon Hills, IL-based merchant netted $76.8 million on sales of $1.85 billion. For the first quarter of last year, it had reported net income of $61.7 million on revenue of $1.58 billion.

Sales within the corporate division rose 6%, to nearly $1.22 billion. Public sector sales — to federal, state, and local government entities and educational institutions – increased 13%, to $497.4 million. Direct Web sales rose 10%, to $550.8 million.

Last fall CDW Corp. acquired Madison, WI-based Berbee Information Networks Corp., one of the country’s largest independent IT solutions providers, for approximately $175 million in cash. Berbee sales for the first quarter of this year were $142.7 million, up nearly 70% increase from $84.3 million for the first quarter of 2006.