RS Components, the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, the global distributor for engineers, has signed the membership agreement to join the ECIA (Electronic Components Industry Association), the international industry body that represents leading electronic component manufacturers, manufacturer representatives and authorised distributors.
 
Based in the US, the ECIA provides resources and opportunities for members to improve their business performance, while also enhancing the industry’s overall capacity for growth and profitability and improving the business environment for the authorised sale of electronic components to end customers.
 
RS has more than one million customers worldwide and offers more than 500,000 products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, via the internet, catalogues and at trade counters. Products available from RS include a comprehensive range of electronic components and equipment for automation and control, test and measurement, and electrical applications.
 
Rooted with a strong commitment to buyers of electronic components, RS serves customers of all sizes including those involved in R&D, prototyping and small-batch production, right up to major OEMs and contract electronic manufacturers. In addition, RS actively works to make electronics design easier, quicker and more cost effective via its DesignSpark community programme, which includes key design information and resources and a suite of free-for-download tools including DesignSpark PCB, DesignSpark Mechanical and DesignSpark Electrical.

“The ECIA is a key organisation for the electronic component supply chain, and especially so for the US marketplace, where our Allied brand is already a member,” said Lindsley Ruth, CEO at Electrocomponents. "Our membership of ECIA will provide an even greater level of confidence to our customers globally that RS is a top-line authorised distributor of genuine electronic components, equipment and board-level systems from leading manufacturers.”
 
"RS, with its strong global presence, will help ECIA in our strategy to expand into regions beyond the Americas," explained Victor Meijers, ECIA Senior Vice President. "RS has an inventory of more than half a million products, offering visitors to ECIAauthorized.com the ability to source its product range worldwide. We know our members will enjoy getting to know these talented people across the pond."
 
Products from RS are now featured on the ECIAauthorized.com website.