Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH and Omron Electronic Components Europe BV expand their franchise agreement to cover Italy, Spain, Portugal, Benelux, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark with immediate effect. This makes Rutronik a key distributor for Omron in Europe. Rutronik and Omron have a relationship dating back to 1998, covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. Their franchise was recently expanded to include France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Under the new agreement, Rutronik will sell and support the comprehensive Omron range of connector, switch and relay components throughout Europe. Rutronik has a leading team of Field Application Engineers, Product Specialists and Business Development Managers who provide local support and advice to its customers.

"Omron is an important partner to Rutronik, distinguished by a high level of supply reliability and innovative products. This new franchise expansion enables us to promote and distribute Omron relays, switches and connectors in all European countries," Jörg Ciper, Marketing Director Electromechanical Components at Rutronik explains. "True to our motto "More than Distribution", we offer our customers a wide product portfolio, technical support as well as logistics modules, that can be combined freely and implemented individually according to customer requirements within a minimum amount of time.”

"We are delighted with this opportunity to expand our successful relationship with Rutronik. I believe our success today in some regions will be quickly replicated throughout the extended area,” adds Alex Grout, European Distribution Manager Omron. "I have been impressed by both the technical knowledge and business development capabilities of the Rutronik teams. They will give customers local design-in support for Omron products backed up by extensive stockholding, and marketing expertise from
Rutronik’s Headquarters."

Rutronik is pleased to be able to offer its customers in Europe a much larger selection of electromechanical components following this extended partnership with Omron Components Europe. Omron is Rutronik's key partner for connectors, switches and relays. Omron components are known globally for their high quality, and are widely used in telecommunications, building automation, home appliances, energy control, industrial control and other applications. The Omron micro-switch range in particular offers exceptionally small sizes as well as a broad variety of lever and termination options. Rutronik believes that the recently added Omron range of “smart click” connectors for industrial applications enabling fast interchange will be of interest to many of its customers within Europe.

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About Rutronik (www.rutronik.com)
Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH is one of Europe's leading broadline distributors for semiconductors, passive and electromechanical components in addition to wireless products, displays as well as embedded boards. To round off the product portfolio Rutronik also offers storage technologies from its subsidiary company Discomp. The markets that the company primarily targets include the automotive, telecommunications, consumer goods and industrial electronics industries. Wide-ranging services, competent transfers of expertise in the areas of product development and design, as well as logistics and supply chain management solutions round off its customer and future-orientated range of goods and services. The company, established by Helmut Rudel in Ispringen/Germany in 1973, employs about 1,150 staff throughout Europe and achieved sales of EUR
587million in fiscal year 2008.

About Omron
Omron Electronic Components Business – Europe is a European leader in electromechanical PCB relays, as well as a leading supplier of components such as micro switches, DIP switches, photomicrosensors and connectors. In addition, Omron has a strong portfolio of innovative technologies including optical display devices, fibre-optic components, MEMS sensors and components, modules and high frequency devices for wireless applications.

Omron Electronic Components Business – Europe strongly supports its customers in Western and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS through 8 regional offices, a network of local offices and partnerships with specialist, local, regional and global distributors.

Omron Electronic Components Business – Europe is a subsidiary of the Omron Corporation, recognised worldwide as a leader of high quality, high technology electrical and electronic control equipment and component products.