RS Group plc
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Type | Public |
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Founded | 1937 |
Headquarters | London, England, UK |
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Revenue | ![]() |
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Number of employees | 6,806 (2021)[1] |
Website | www |
RS Group plc (formerly Electrocomponents plc) is a distributor of industrial and electronics products based in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
History[]
The company was founded by J.H. Waring and P.M. Sebestyen as Radiospares in London in 1937.[2] It supplied radio repair shops with spare parts – replacement electronic components and mechanical components for radio receivers and transmitters.[2] When television sets became popular, the company added television parts to their product list. By the end of the Second World War, the company had evolved into a large national distribution company. In 1954, the founders of Radiospares expanded the company's focus from shops and home users to the industrial sector and began selling electronic components to manufacturers.[2]
The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange as Electrocomponents in 1967.[2] It opened a distribution centre at Corby in Northamptonshire in 1984, introduced a CD-ROM catalogue and opened a distribution centre in Nuneaton in Warwickshire in 1995, launched its own E-commerce web site in 1998 and acquired Allied Electronics, a US-based distributor, in 1999.[2]
In 2010, its two main operating companies, RS Components and Allied Electronics, launched free-to-use PCB layout software, DesignSpark PCB.[3] Then in 2012, RS Components and Allied Electronics became two of the main manufacturers and distributors for the Raspberry Pi.[4][5][6]
In March 2022, Electrocomponents plc announced that it would change is name to RS Group plc in early May 2022.[7]
Operations[]
RS Group plc is an omni-channel provider of products and services for designers, builders and maintainers of industrial equipment and operations, serving over 1 million customers in more than 80 countries.[8] The company distributes over 600,000 products, including electronic components, electrical, automation and control, and test and measurement equipment, and engineering tools and consumables, sourced from 2,500 suppliers.[8] The company trades under the brands:
- RS Components - operations across the world[9]
- Allied Electronics - operations in North America[10]
- OKdo - Global tech company focused on SBC and IoT, serving hobbyists, entrepreneurs, industrial designers and resellers[11]
Awards[]
- 2017 - Electrocomponents won Turnaround of the Year Award at the PLC Awards 2016[12]
- 2014 - Electrocomponents was named UKTI Digital Business of the Year at the 2014 National Business Awards[13]
- 2012 - Electrocomponents was presented the Queen's Award for Enterprise for continuous achievement in international trade[14]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Annual Report and Accounts 2021" (PDF). Electrocomponents. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Walko, John (12 November 2012). "A catalogue of success: How RS Components has grown to become a global distribution power". New Electronics. p. 20. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Maxfield, Clive "Max" (13 September 2013). "Allied Who? RS Who? DesignSpark What?". EE Times. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Parrish, Kevin (18 April 2013). "Raspberry Pi Now Shipping From RS Components, Allied". Toms Hardware. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ Say, Mark (4 August 2013). "RS Components launches Raspberry Pi bundles". TechRadar. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ Morrison, Graham (6 August 2013). "'It would be fatal if we were still shipping the same Raspberry Pi in 2016'". Linux Format Issue 173. TechRadar. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Electrocomponents to become RS Group; expects high margins". Morning Star. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Investor centre". electrocomponents.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ "RS Components Scoop Top UK Award for Online Investment". National Business Awards. Archived from the original on 19 December 2003. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
- ^ "Hitaltech announce distribution agreement with Allied Electronics". ECNmag.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ "Homepage". www.okdo.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Winners - PLC Awards 2016". Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Winners of the National Business Awards 2014". Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
- ^ "2012 Winners - The Queen's Awards For Enterprise Magazine". queensawardsmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- Electronics companies of the United Kingdom
- Companies based in Oxford
- Electronics companies established in 1937
- Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
- Electronic component distributors