RS Group plc

File:RS catalogs 1980 and 2010.jpg

File:RS Components Corby.jpg

The company was founded by J. H. Waring and P. M. Sebestyen as Radiospares in a lock-up garage at Lanark Villas in Maida Vale in London in 1937.{{cite news|url=http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-technology/rs-components/46143/|title=A catalogue of success: How RS Components has grown to become a global distribution power|last=Walko|first=John|date=12 November 2012|work=New Electronics|page=20|accessdate=5 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128141433/https://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-technology/rs-components/46143/ |archive-date=28 January 2013 |url-status=dead}} It supplied radio repair shops with spare parts – replacement electronic components and mechanical components for radio receivers and transmitters.

When television sets became popular, the company added television parts to their product list. As the company expanded it moved to Birchington Road in Kilburn. 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.

The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange as Electrocomponents in 1967. It also operated from Fitzroy House in Epworth Street in Islington during the 1970s.{{cite web|url=https://fep.if.usp.br/~profis/arquivo/projetos/SATW/11268-DOMESTIC_ELECTRICITY.pdf|title=Science at Work: Teachers' Guide to Domestic Electricity|volume=11|page=3|publisher=Addison-Wesley Publishers|year=1979}}

A feature of the company's operations was its free illustrated catalogue, with every item being given an eight-digit part number. At first, a separate price list was published annually for each country serviced, mail orders were despatched on day of ordering, and cost of postage was borne by the company. Data sheets on individual components were available, free of charge, on request.

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.

In 2010, its two main operating companies, RS Components and Allied Electronics, launched free-to-use PCB layout software, DesignSpark PCB.{{cite news|url=https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1319493|title=Allied Who? RS Who? DesignSpark What? |work=EE Times|last=Maxfield|first=Clive "Max"|date=2013-09-13|accessdate=5 December 2015}} Then in 2012, RS Components and Allied Electronics became two of the main manufacturers and distributors for the Raspberry Pi.{{cite web|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/Raspberry-Pi-ARM-Model-B-RS-Components-Allied-Electronics,15380.html |title=Raspberry Pi Now Shipping From RS Components, Allied |publisher=Tom's Hardware |date=18 April 2013 |first=Kevin |last=Parrish |accessdate=2013-11-20}}{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/motherboards/rs-components-launches-raspberry-pi-bundles-1171341 |first=Mark|last=Say |title=RS Components launches Raspberry Pi bundles |publisher= TechRadar |date=August 4, 2013 |accessdate=2013-11-20}}{{cite web |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/computing/pc/-it-would-be-fatal-if-we-were-still-shipping-the-same-raspberry-pi-in-2016--1171030 |title='It would be fatal if we were still shipping the same Raspberry Pi in 2016' |publisher= TechRadar |first=Graham |last=Morrison |work=Linux Format Issue 173 |date=6 August 2013 |accessdate=2013-11-20}} It acquired a UK-based provider of outsourcing services, IESA, in May 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cieonline.co.uk/electrocomponents-agrees-to-acquire-iesa-to-extend-value-added-services-for-corporate-customers/|title=Electrocomponents agrees to acquire IESA to extend value added services for corporate customers|date=24 May 2018|publisher=Components in Electronics|access-date=21 January 2024}}

In March 2022, Electrocomponents plc announced that it would change its name to RS Group plc in early May 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/AN_1648626139971749900/top-news-electrocomponents-to-become-rs-group;-expects-high-margins-.aspx|title=Electrocomponents to become RS Group; expects high margins|date=30 March 2022|newspaper=Morning Star|access-date=23 April 2022}} Allied Electronics was brought under RS brand as RS Americas, Inc. in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.engineering.com/story/name-change-signals-new-strategy-for-allied-electronics-and-automation/ |title=Name Change Signals New Strategy for Allied Electronics & Automation |date=10 February 2023 |publisher=Engineering.com|access-date=June 23, 2023}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.electrocomponents.com/investor-centre/|title=Investor centre|work=electrocomponents.com|access-date=27 June 2018}} 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. The company trades under the brands:

• RS - operations across the world{{cite web|url=http://www.thenationalbusinessawards.com/media/2003/winners/e-business.htm |title=RS Components Scoop Top UK Award for Online Investment |publisher=National Business Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031219105222/http://www.thenationalbusinessawards.com/media/2003/winners/e-business.htm |archive-date=2003-12-19 |access-date=November 19, 2013}}
• RS Americas (formerly Allied Electronics) - operations in North America{{Cite news|url = http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2014/10/hitaltech-announce-distribution-agreement-allied-electronics|title = Hitaltech announce distribution agreement with Allied Electronics|work = ECNmag.com|access-date = 25 January 2015|archive-date = 5 February 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150205073834/http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2014/10/hitaltech-announce-distribution-agreement-allied-electronics|url-status = dead}}
• OKdo - Global tech company focused on SBC and IoT, serving hobbyists, entrepreneurs, industrial designers and resellers{{cite web|url = https://www.okdo.com/about-us/|title=Homepage|website=www.okdo.com|access-date = 14 March 2021}}

• 2017 - Electrocomponents won Turnaround of the Year Award at the PLC Awards 2016{{cite web|url=http://www.plc-awards.co.uk/awards-information/winners/ |title=Winners - PLC Awards 2016 |access-date=28 June 2017}}
• 2014 - Electrocomponents was named UKTI Digital Business of the Year at the 2014 National Business Awards{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk/Content/2015-Winners-of-the-National-Business-Awards-2014/4_10/ |title=Winners of the National Business Awards 2014 |access-date=5 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621005313/http://www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk/Content/2015-Winners-of-the-National-Business-Awards-2014/4_10/ |archive-date=21 June 2015 }}
• 2012 - Electrocomponents was presented the Queen's Award for Enterprise for continuous achievement in international trade{{cite web|url=http://www.queensawardsmagazine.com/2012winners |title=2012 Winners - The Queen's Awards For Enterprise Magazine |work=queensawardsmagazine.com |access-date=28 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115070201/http://www.queensawardsmagazine.com/2012winners |archive-date=15 January 2015 }}

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Category:Electronics companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Companies based in London

Category:Electronics companies established in 1937

Category:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange

Category:Electronic component distributors

Category:Companies in the FTSE 250 Index