Now, technically, Kenton is a Technology Broker (as Che keeps telling me), but to keep life simple, I’ve stuck to “disty”, to make the article read smoother.
Anyway…
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by Kenton Group at Lord’s Cricket Ground. I had the pleasure of meeting some new industry “legends,” and while I write this somewhat jaded from yesterday’s events, I wanted to let our audience know about a distributor you may not have heard of but probably should.
I originally came across Kenton Group last year, with my consulting hat on. I had the challenge of finding the perfect router, with the right distributor, that ticked a huge array of boxes for a new large ISP. The router had to be stocked in Europe for fast delivery timescales, be a minimum of WiFi 6, be within a specific budget, have a minimum of 4×4 antennas, plus lots of other features.
So throughout this process, I spoke to a ton of “distys,” to hunt down the right piece of kit. To cut a long story short, Kenton was the winner.
Not only did they find the perfect piece of kit, which ticked all of those boxes, they grafted, with no dramas, to make it happen. They have the exact vibes I look for within any partner/supplier-based relationship: Old school.
I’m not just talking about their thick Essex accents (allwight mateeee), it’s how they react to new opportunities and how they work with you to get things done (the pricing is always spot on too). They’re open to thinking outside the box. They always pick up the phone. They’re exactly what I would describe as a “traditional” supplier.
It’s not unfamiliar to work with some of the main suppliers and often get told “computer says no,” and that’s exactly what I dislike. Oftentimes, you need to be able to work as a team to find a solution. For people to say, “we can try,” instead of “that’s not doable.” For phone calls to be answered. For last-minute meetings to be arranged.
They’ve been around (realizing now, that my writing style has become pretty “Essex” all of a sudden) for a long time (20+ years). They service some heavy hitters in the ISP space but just don’t tend to shout about it. And I think they should! So that’s why I’m writing this article.
Meet Che Smith: He’s the MD of Kenton and the legend of a man who invited me to Lords (snippet from yesterday).
If you need kit, for anything to do with connectivity (consumer, business, customer end equipment, network equipment, they do it all), have a chat with them. You’ll be happy you did.
What a fantastic piece, we really appreciate the comments.
Having a team with years of experience helps us understand customers needs and frustrations . We simply ask “if it was us as the customer what do we want to hear or make happen”. 40 years on and we are still working with those original customers and many more along the way!
Anyway we hope everyone who could come experienced some true Essex hospitality and fun.
Until the next time!