Climb Channel Solutions Eyes $2B Milestone Amid Global Expansion, Leadership Shift

‘We’re helping our partners build real go-to-market strategies. We’re opportunistic, and we’ve got a clear plan,’ says Climb CEO Dale Foster.

Climb Channel Solutions is ramping up its global growth strategy with an eye on surpassing $2 billion in revenue by the end of 2025, backed by strategic acquisitions, deepened vendor partnerships and a major leadership promotion.

During its most recent earnings call, the Eatontown, N.J.-based distributor posted a 49 percent year-over-year increase in net sales and a 35 percent rise in net income for for the first quarter. Dale Foster, Climb CEO, attributed much of the momentum to organic growth and to the acquisition of Douglas Stewart, which officially went live on Climb’s ERP platform in April.

Amid seeing strong growth, Climb has promoted Carlos Rodrigues to president of North America. Since joining Climb in 2020 via its acquisition of Interwork Technologies, Rodrigues has been instrumental in driving growth and strengthening vendor relationships. With more than 20 years of experience in distribution, he previously served as vice president of sales at Climb, leading initiatives like the formation of a 36-person vendor management team. In his new role, he will oversee all North American sales, aiming to boost growth and expand market presence.

“Carlos has earned it,” Foster (pictured above) told CRN. “He runs all of Canada, manages 51 vendor managers and is the face of Climb to our key partners. His loyalty, leadership and impact on growth made it a clear choice.”

Climb’s growth is underpinned by its security-heavy portfolio, with 65 percent of its business coming from cybersecurity offerings.

“It’s security that’s driving most of it,” he said. “Especially from our top 20 vendors. Even backup vendors now like to say they’re in security.”

And while the Douglas Stewart acquisition bolstered Climb’s educational market footprint, Foster emphasized that core organic growth remained strong.

“Even without them, we’re still looking at more than 20 percent organic growth,” he said. “We’re seeing a shift from competitors who don’t offer our level of engagement, especially as vendors look to target specific reseller groups.”

In addition, the company is also retooling its Climb Expedition platform, it’s self-service platform for MSPs and resellers to access and manage a diverse ecosystem of emerging technology vendors

“We’re replacing the engine,” he said, noting a third-quarter relaunch is in the works. “We need to compete with marketplaces like Pax8 and Arrow but do it our way, not just copy the hyperscaler model.”

And international growth remains a key pillar of Climb’s strategy, especially in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) where acquisition talks are ongoing.

“We’ve learned we have to be on the ground. We’re targeting seven potential acquisitions right now,” Foster said. “The goal is to treat Europe just like any other territory. When we launch a vendor, we want to launch globally.”

Climb is actively building its U.K. and Ireland presence and has plans to expand to France and the Nordics. There are also long-term goals to break into Australia, the Middle East and Southeast Europe.

The company’s approach, he added, remains grounded in “high-touch” relationships with vendors and resellers alike.

“That’s what sets us apart, we’re not just moving boxes,” he said. “We’re helping our partners build real go-to-market strategies. We’re opportunistic, and we’ve got a clear plan.”