2. Avnet

Company acquired: Premier Farnell

Head count: 3,600 employees

Annual revenue: $1.19 billion

Purchase price: $908 million

Date of announcement: July 28

Avnet struck a deal to purchase an electronics components distributor to better target the industrial Internet of Things market with edge-to-enterprise products and solutions. 

The Phoenix-based distributor said its offer for Leeds, U.K.-based Premier Farnell and its online services would dramatically accelerate Avnet's digital capabilities, providing the company with stronger pure-play offerings in both the broad-line and high-value spaces.

Avnet's all-cash offer of $2.43 per share represented a 12.1 percent premium over Datwyler Technical Components' June 14 offer of $2.17. Avnet approached Premier Farnell about a possible competing bid after the Datwyler offer was announced.