Newark element14

Newark
Subsidiary
Industry Electronic components
Founded 1934
Headquarters Chicago, USA
Area served
 North America
Key people
 Tom Hudak (President)[1]
Number of employees
 1,500
Parent Premier Farnell plc
Website www.newark.com

Newark element14, sometimes called Newark Corporation, Newark or Newark Element14, is a Chicago-based electronic components distribution company serving North America and parts of Central and South America. Founded in 1934 as Newark Electric, a small Chicago shop selling radio parts, the company is now a subsidiary of catalog distributor Premier Farnell and is the sixth largest electronics distributor worldwide.[2][3]

History

The firm was first established in 1934 as Newark Electric, a small shop in Chicago that sold radio parts.[4] The name Newark pays homage to Newark, New Jersey, the site of the United States’ first radio station.[4][5] The company published its first catalog in 1948. In 1968, Newark was acquired by the Premier Industrial Corporation and became the corporation's Electronics Distribution Division.[6] In 1996 the Premier Industrial Corporation was bought by Farnell Electronics and became part of the Premier Farnell Group.[6] At this point Newark Electronics was moved into Premier Farnell's Marketing and Distribution Division, where it has remained to date.[7] The company's website, Newark.com, launched in 1997. The company is in the process of transitioning its brand, along with Premier Farnell's other regional businesses, to be known as element14 globally.

Operations

Newark element14 markets and distributes electronic components and test equipment for engineers and maintenance professionals throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. Products include connectors, relays, switches, semiconductors, sensors, test equipment and tools from companies including Texas Instruments, 3M, Belden, Freescale and Honeywell, among others. Newark element14 is headquartered in Chicago, but its warehouse, used to serve customers throughout the Americas, is based in Gaffney, South Carolina.[8] The company is one of only two U.S. distributors of the Raspberry Pi microcomputer.[3] In September 2014 the company moved its operations from 4801 N. Ravenswood Ave. to a high-rise in the Chicago Loop at 300 S. Riverside Plaza.[9][10]

element14 Community

Newark element14 is home to the element14 Community, an online information hub and forum for electrical engineers.[11] As of April 2015, the community has more than 330,000 members. It is also home to element14's The Ben Heck Show, a popular online TV program featuring Internet celebrity and modder Benjamin Heckendorn.

Environmental awareness

Newark element14 has been a sponsor of the environmental design competition "Live-Edge" since 2007.[12] The competition offers prize money and marketing and distribution funds to the creators and potential winners of energy efficient electronics.[13] Ironically, the company's 2488 page print catalog for 2015 is widely criticized as wasteful and harmful to the environment.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Richard Wilson (22 November 2013). "Newark element14 gets a new president". Electronics Weekly.
  2. ↑ Victoria Fraza Kickham (30 April 2013). "Top 50 Distributors 2013". Global Purchasing. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 Sandra Guy. "How A 79-Year-Old Company Found Itself At The Center Of The Maker Revolution". Chicago Grid. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 "We are uniting our brands". Newark element14. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Thomas H. White. "News and Entertainment by Telephone (1876-1929)". United States Early Radio History. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Our Company > History". Premier Farnell. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Our Company > Our Businesses". Premier Farnell. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Newark Electronics". Manta.com. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Amina Elahi (8 September 2014). "Newark element14 aims for better collaboration in new office space". Chicago Tribune.
  10. ↑ Ryan Ori (8 January 2014). "Electronics distributor bringing 350 jobs to West Loop from Ravenswood". Crain's Chicago Business.
  11. ↑ "Development kit prize marks birthday of element14 Community". Electronics News. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Farnell launches Live Edge international design competition". Ferret. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  13. ↑ Deffree, Suzanne (9 October 2008). "Premier Farnell/Newark's $100K green design competition open". EDN.com. EDN. Retrieved 2 October 2013.

External links


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