Jameco Electronics is an American electronic component and tool distributor. It was founded in 1974 by Dennis Farrey in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, California^[1] and is currently headquartered in Belmont, California, where it also operates a brick and mortar store.

History

Jameco is family owned, with James Farrey, the son of founder and first CEO David Farrey becoming the company's second CEO in 2010. He had worked within the company since 1983, and in 2009 was named COO.^[2]

Hobbyist community

A smaller operation relative to its competitors in the industry, the company nonetheless enjoys significant popularity in the electronic hobbyist community and in 2011 they launched a "Club Jameco" program in which hobbyists can create kits, and, if they are popular, sell them to other hobbyists. If a kit is chosen for a production run by the company, the creator can earn a small royalty on its sales.

In 2015, the company conducted a study among its customers, dubbed 'The Great American Electronics Hobbyist Census'. The study reported on the growth of the electronic hobbyist community, attributed by participants to the growing affordability and availability of electronic components online. The study also found that half of those interviewed had no professional experience with the industry. It also observed a gender gap in the community, with only 2% of participants being female.^[3]

See also

• Digi-Key
• Mouser Electronics
• Adafruit Industries
• SparkFun Electronics