RS Components
Encyclopedia
RS Components, commonly known as RS, is a global, world leading industrial
component distributor headquartered in Corby
in the United Kingdom
. It distributes to the United Kingdom
, most of Europe
and Asia
and is part of the Electrocomponents
group.
under the name Radiospares selling spare parts for radio
s. When television
s became popular, television parts were added to Radiospares' product list. By the end of World War II
, 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. This process was completed in the 1960s.
Electrocomponents operates in 32 countries, covering more than 85% of the world’s GDP with distributors in many more, with an annual revenue of £1.18 billion. Using a variety of channels to market including selling via catalogues, e-Commerce (Websites in 17 languages covering 70 countries) and trade counters.
A catalogue-based distributor of electronic, electrical and industrial components to engineers in the United Kingdom
, most of Europe
and Asia
.
Customers are served by local warehouses in each region. In addition, RS Components' facilities in the UK
provide some products directly to Europe
from both the Corby HQ and the fully mechanised Nuneaton warehouse. The countries of South-East Asia
are served by a hub in Singapore
. The company also has a warehouse in Shanghai
.
In 2003, RS Components was awarded the E-Business Strategy of the Year award by the UK National Business Awards.
The RS Components site in Corby is the town's largest employer.
Innovation Awards. It also has links with the Corby Business Academy.
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
component distributor headquartered in Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It distributes to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and is part of the Electrocomponents
Electrocomponents
Electrocomponents plc is a leading British-based distributor of electronic components. It is headquartered in Oxford, England and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Electrocomponents is the world’s largest high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products serving 1.6 million...
group.
History
The company was founded in 1937 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
under the name Radiospares selling spare parts for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
s. When television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s became popular, television parts were added to Radiospares' product list. By the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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. This process was completed in the 1960s.
Current operations
RS Components is part of the Electrocomponents group, which trades as RS across the world except in North America where it trades as Allied Electronics. The leading international high service distributor of electronic, electrical and industrial supplies, with over 1.6 million customers and offering 550,000 products.Electrocomponents operates in 32 countries, covering more than 85% of the world’s GDP with distributors in many more, with an annual revenue of £1.18 billion. Using a variety of channels to market including selling via catalogues, e-Commerce (Websites in 17 languages covering 70 countries) and trade counters.
A catalogue-based distributor of electronic, electrical and industrial components to engineers in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Customers are served by local warehouses in each region. In addition, RS Components' facilities in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
provide some products directly to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from both the Corby HQ and the fully mechanised Nuneaton warehouse. The countries of South-East Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
are served by a hub in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The company also has a warehouse in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
In 2003, RS Components was awarded the E-Business Strategy of the Year award by the UK National Business Awards.
The RS Components site in Corby is the town's largest employer.
Sponsorship
It sponsors the IETInstitution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers , dating back to 1871, and the...
Innovation Awards. It also has links with the Corby Business Academy.
See also
- Allied ElectronicsAllied RadioAllied Radio was an American radio manufacturer and retailer, which sold radio sets, tubes, capacitors , amateur radio equipment, citizen's band radios, miscellaneous communications equipment, electronic kits, and consumer audio systems through retail stores and mail-order.-History:Beginning in...
- sister company is the US