Lenovo is now the PC industry’s top seller globally, a position that the company’s top U.S. executive attributes to building brand identity and improving distribution of Lenovo computers.

When Lenovo acquired IBM’s PC business in 2005, the China-based company was unknown to most of the American market. Lenovo’s President of North America Jay Parker says even a few years ago Lenovo remained unknown to many U.S. consumers. But Lenovo, which operates an executive headquarters in Morrisville, has focused its energies on building awareness of its computers and getting the PCs into more stores in more places.

“Lenovo more than any player in the market, has remained committed to the PC space, committed to innovation in the technology and the products,” Parker told WRAL TechWire.

Lenovo’s rise to the top of the global PC market comes amid shrinking global sales for all PC makers. PC shipments dropped 10.9 percent in the second quarter to 76 million, according to research firm Gartner. That marked the fifth consecutive quarter of falling PC sales. Lenovo was not an exception to the sales drop. It became the PC industry’s top seller because its sales fell less compared to rivals. Lenovo’s second quarter PC sales fell 0.6 percent, according to Gartner. No. 2 PC maker Hewlett-Packard’s shipments fell 3.9 percent.

While Lenovo touts its position as top seller as a win, the assessment of research firm IDC suggests some weakness for Lenovo. IDC says headwinds in China affected the company’s China sales, noting that Lenovo ended the second quarter with a double-digit decline in Asia-Pacific sales, excluding Japan.

While Lenovo is the top seller globally, H-P remains the sales leader in the United States. Lenovo grew its U.S. sales 20 percent in the quarter but it still only ranks No. 4, according to IDC. Parker says that the company must do more to become the top U.S. seller. While he acknowledged the declining sales of the overall PC industry he says that the company is still investing in the PC business.

“In the short term, we’re bullish on the PC space,” he said. “We believe that the worst of the shrinking of the PC market is over.”

Some observers would disagree with Parker. Arik Hesseldahl’s All Things D post on the latest PC sales figures is headlined “Lenovo Is Once Again King of the Shrinking PC Market.” Hesseldahl writes that while the PC will never go away, the focus has shifted to tablets.

But Parker notes that Lenovo is diversifying with what it calls “PC Plus.” PC Plus means any smart, connected device – phones, tablets even televisions. Lenovo launched smartphones in China 2011. In just two years, the company grew to become the No. 2 smartphone provider in China, behind only Samsung. The company also launched smart TV in China and other select emerging markets about a year ago. Lenovo plans to build its sales in those markets first before bringing those products to the U.S. consumers. Parker said there is no timetable for a U.S. launch but the company is optimistic it can continue to grow by selling a wider array of products. Lenovo is also building its server business, which gets the company in front of a wide range of business customers.

“We’ve invested in those categories and they represent a huge upside for us,” Parker said.