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Maplin Today It all started in a bedroom in Essex. Today Maplin spans the world. One thing has not changed: the company really knows its customers. "We launched our business for people like us. 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, both GPO telephone engineers at the time, were well aware of the failings of existing suppliers. In their spare time they made equipment for pop groups such as fuzz pedals and sound compressors, but were often unable to obtain quality components. "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, a mother of two young daughters, and using a bedroom in the Allen's home in Rayleigh, Essex, they set up Maplin Electronic Supplies.
The Past 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. Breakthrough A further breakthrough came in 1978 with the first catalogue to feature colour, 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 the 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. "but 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, and in Altai and Dunnett they had products we knew we could sell." 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. 18,000 products The catalogue business continued to grow in size and scope until September 1996 when they were merged into the twice-yearly Maplin catalogue containing over 18,000 products and components. The business continues to expand both in size and sophistication. Doug Simmons moved to Taipei three years ago to head up the Far East operation, which also includes businesses in the Philippines Hong Kong and China. Sandra Allen, the only one of the three founders who had any prior commercial experience, stepped down at the end of 1996 to spend more time with her family, but remains in touch with the business as a consultant. Roger is still very much involved as Non-Executive Director. "It's been exciting and I'm very proud of what we've achieved," he said "But I wouldn't want to try and do it again''. |
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