PHOENIX, Ariz. — Avnet Electronics Marketing, an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), was awarded the “Distributor of the Year” by Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a leader in microcontroller and touch solutions. Avnet was presented the “Distributor of the Year” award at the Atmel Awards Banquet held on March 9, 2011, during Atmel’s Worldwide Sales Conference.

Winners are selected by a judging panel based on several criteria including overall revenue growth, year-on-year revenue growth, operational excellence, registration growth and market share gains. There were five distributors considered for this award during a year in which the industry experienced dramatic growth in virtually every area.

“This recognition of the Avnet team's revenue growth, operational excellence and registration growth in support of Atmel reflects the achievements of not just our team – but it’s also a testament to the strength of the Atmel brand among the customers we both serve in the Americas market,” said Ed Smith, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. “Atmel is a leading supplier in the Americas region, and our top supplier for 8- and 32-bit microcontrollers. We look forward to continued success with Atmel next year and beyond.”

“Avnet has been an Atmel distributor for over 25 years,” said Robert Valiton, vice president of Americas & EMEA sales and Global Sales Operations, Atmel Corporation. “The ‘Distributor of the Year’ award was well deserved by Avnet, who has continued to increase registrations, sales and design wins for Atmel. In 2010, Avnet demonstrated growth and leadership in every measurable area. We are proud to be a partner with one of the industry’s premier distributors and look forward to another successful year together.”

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