CDW Owners Set $750M IPO

Technology products retailer CDW, which was taken private by Madison Dearborn Partners LLC and Providence Equity Partners for $7.3 billion in 2007, has hired banks for an initial public offering later this year, people familiar with the matter told sister news service Reuters.

Founded in 1984, CDW is one of the country’s largest computer resellers, selling products such as notebooks, tablets and printers to businesses and government organizations. CDW, which sells products from companies including Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and International Business Machines Corp., online and through its catalog, has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays plc and Goldman Sachs Group to lead the offering, the people said.

The Vernon Hills, Ill.-based company had net sales of roughly $10.1 billion in 2012 and 6,800 employees across the United States and Canada. The proposed IPO could raise about $750 million, one of the people said, asking not to be named because the plan is not public.

CDW did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Goldman, Barclays, JPMorgan, Providence and Madison Dearborn declined comment.

Large companies that were taken over by private equity firms during the 2005-2007 buyout heyday are starting to tap the public markets as U.S. stock markets rally to record highs.

Several private equity-backed IPOs have performed well so far this year. In January, shares of cruise line operator Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd rose 32 percent in their stock market debut. The company counts TPG Capital and Apollo Global Management LLC as its investors. Bain Capital LLC-backed child care center operator Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. raised $222 million as shares rose as much as 30 percent in its first day of trading.

Other private equity backed companies like drugmaker testing services provider Quintiles Transnational Corp., eye care company Bausch and Lomb and industrial distribution company HD Supply are also gearing up for IPOs this year.

Olivia Oran and Soyoung Kim are correspondents for Reuters in New York.