Maplin electronics

Company History

History

It began in a bedroom in Essex. Today Maplin spans the globe. One thing has not changed: the company really knows its customers.

Finding electronic components wasn't easy in 1972. Many companies advertised items but most were government or industrial surplus and although cheap, were often inconsistent in their quality and availability.

As electronics enthusiasts themselves, Roger Allen and Doug Simmons were well aware of the failings of existing suppliers. "there were plenty of catalogues, but you didn't necessarily get what was in them. " said Roger. "we thought there must be lots of people like us-people trying to produce professional equipment or hobbyists looking for a reliable source of quality components. " Joined by Roger's wife, Sandra, and using a bedroom in the Allen's home in Rayleigh, Essex, they set up Maplin Electronic Supplies. The first major breakthrough came in 1975, when IPC Magazines, alarmed at the number of complaints against some of their existing advertisers, offered Maplin the prime advertising position in their electronics journals. Sales received an immediate boost and Maplin's reputation for reliability, price and quality soared.

A further breakthrough came in 1978 with the first catalogue to feature, and an expanded product range and more technical data and information than ever before. Maplin had to double its staff to cope with the demand. Successive catalogues introduced major innovations. The first laser available to the amateur and, in 1981, the first home computer. That year also saw the launch of a new magazine for enthusiasts, Electronics. Mps, then Maplin Professional Supplies, was created in 1985 to service the expanding professional market, with a catalogue of products selected specifically for professionals and the business market.

For the next decade, the business continued to grow but Maplin was in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. "by 1994 we were turning over 29 million a year. " said Roger Allen. "the rate of growth we needed to maintain wasn't going to be possible without us teaming up with someone else. We didn't think we could stretch the company to accommodate the rate at which we needed to grow to remain a credible supplier. Other people were getting together to form bigger and bigger organisations and we felt we could get left behind.

"We looked around for someone who wasn't just going to swallow us up but had some electronic presence which didn't conflict with ours. Saltire fitted the bill perfectly. Maplin was acquired by Saltire in late 1994, and less than a year later opened the first of a new generation of retail outlets, the Maplin Superstore in Leeds. The business continues to grow at a phenomenal rate with company sales reaching the 150m