FORT WORTH, TX--(Marketwire - Feb 1, 2012) - [ Allied Electronics ], a trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), was recognized in Summit Media Group's [ Automation World ] magazine as a First Team Honoree in its 2011 Leadership in Automation Program. Launched in January 2011, the community-based program invited Automation professionals to vote for their favorite automation vendors in aided and unaided recall surveys.

"The First Team Honorees offer outstanding examples of innovation and service," says Jim Chrzan, publisher of Automation World. "Chosen by their customers, we applaud these leaders and thank them for the inspiration and example they provide to the industrial automation community. Congratulations to them, and thank you to all the end-users who lent their voice to this inaugural program."

Allied Electronics was awarded a place in the Standard Control Products category by automation end-users. Nearly four dozen categories are featured, which represent the variety of automation technologies, software and products in use by today's manufacturing professionals across the discrete, batch and process manufacturing industries. Up to seven companies are honored per category.

The results of the survey are a short list of companies readers go to first when they are looking for innovative solutions in automation. Allied and the other First Team Honorees are recognized in Automation World's January 2012 issue, available at [ www.automationworld.com ].

About Allied Electronics
Allied Electronics is a small order, high service level distributor of electronic components and electromechanical products with over 50 sales offices across the United States and in Canada. With more than two million parts online and more than 110,000 products featured in the Allied Catalog, engineers and purchasers often look to Allied for a broad range of product solutions from over 300 world-class suppliers. Allied Electronics and RS Components are trading brands of Electrocomponents plc (LSE: ECM), the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products headquartered in Oxford, England. [ www.alliedelec.com ]

About Automation World
Automation World is a leading publication for automation professionals working in the discrete, batch and process manufacturing industries. Each edition features intelligence for the entire buying team -- from plant floor operators to management and IT. [ www.automationworld.com ]