RS buys Leicester automation and control distributor BPX for £27m
3 March 2026 
RS Group is buying the Leicester-headquartered distributor of industrial automation and control products, BPX Group, for £27m, plus a possible additional £3m linked to its 2026 performance. BPX, which has more than 6,000 customers and operates through 20 branches and two distribution centres (in Leicester and Huddersfield), will expand RS’s technical capabilities in automation and control – a segment that already accounts for more than 40% of its revenues.
BPX, founded more than 50 years ago, employs around 230 people and has seven trading brands. It holds more than £10m of stock, spanning more than 100,000 products. It has more than 60 distributorships, with Schneider Electric being its biggest partner. BPX will operate as a standalone brand within RS.
“We are delighted to welcome BPX Group into the RS family,” says Raj Patel, managing director of RS in the UK and Ireland. “This acquisition will strengthen our product technical capabilities in the automation and control category and help to accelerate our growth plans within the UK and Ireland markets.
“Through the technical expertise and specialist knowledge of BPX, combined with the scale, knowledge and reach of RS Group, we will find new opportunities to win in the markets in which we operate, and continue to grow our businesses together,” he adds. “The BPX heritage is what makes it such a special business, so we want to celebrate that alongside our own RS story – and look ahead to a brighter future together.”
BPX Group director, Guy Collins, says: “This is an exciting step for BPX Group which will take the business to the next level. BPX is a complementary business to RS in the UK and Ireland. Both are high-service level distributors of automation and control products with an overlap of product range and a customer-centric focus, but each serving the market in different ways.
“BPX will operate as a standalone business within RS Group, and we will look to draw upon our common culture, values and customer-first approach, to create a dynamic and innovative partnership that works for our customers, suppliers and for the BPX team.”
RS Group: LinkedIn
