Company News

Celebrating 30 Years in Business

The team at Auto Electrical Supplies Limited (AES Ltd) are thrilled to be celebrating their 30-year anniversary, a celebratory logo will be used to celebrate this milestone year.

Let’s look back on how it all started and how far they’ve come…

The beginning

James Fawkes started Auto Electrical Supplies in 1992, he spotted ‘a gap in the market’ to distribute conduit systems and connector interfaces in the automotive industry. He successfully negotiated with Harnessflex for distributor status; he bought and stocked products, servicing the customers directly, initially in Yorkshire.

James delivered parts and components to local customers from his estate car and wrote invoices on his typewriter from his 10 x 8 garden shed.  In 1995, James was joined by Richard Norris, who remains at his side today, as Managing Director. 

Rapid growth saw Auto Electrical Supplies Limited incorporated in August 1996, moving to its first commercial premises on Caldervale Road, Wakefield..


Auto Electrical Supplies Limited grew their portfolio of conduit connector, interfaces and aftermarket automotive products, quickly developing a reputation for a reliable and personable service within the industry. In 1997, larger commercial premises were purchased on George Street, Wakefield.

The company continued to grow, expanding the warehouse and office facilities in 2004 to meet the needs of current and future needs of the operation. In early 2005 the company embarked on a project to achieve registration to ISO 9001:2000 with BSI as the third-party approval body. Registration was achieved in May 2006 at the first attempt.

2006 also brought the creation of the company’s first website and the launch of an e-commerce sales facility.


In 2012 ISO 9001:2008 was successfully achieved and a further premises move was required to Thornes Lane, Wakefield. This new unit enabled the company to streamline the warehouse and distribution capability as Auto Electrical Supplies Limited was now a global distributor exporting goods across the world.

AES Export & AES USA

In October 2014 the subsidiary Auto Electrical Supplies (Export) Limited was launched as the vehicle for all international and export business to be managed, giving a clear identity for overseas trade within the company. In 2015 the customer base developed to some 35 countries and an expansion plan was developed to expand into the untouched US market.

In April 2016 AES USA Corp was opened in Illinois, Chicago meeting the increasing demand of the US market.

Queens Award

In April 2020 Auto Electrical Supplies Limited were recognised with a Queens Award for Enterprise in the International Trade Category, a prestigious business award they are very proud to be winners of.


Present Day

Auto Electrical Supplies Limited are now the UK’s leading global distributor and exporter of Harnessflex products and are a high-volume specialist stockist of the complete Harnessflex portfolio, supplying the world’s leading harness makers and OEMs. They supply a huge range of aftermarket products from leading brand names Durite, Truck-Lite, Brigade, Hella, Labcraft, Britax, Perei, L.E.D Autolamps, Eberspacher, Webasto to name a few.

Over the last 30 years Auto Electrical Supplied Limited have built a reputation for providing customers with the highest levels of customer service offering dedicated Account Management and providing customers with unparalleled knowledge and understanding of the products and industries into which they sell.

A fantastic achievement well done Team AES, here’s to the next 30 years….

Happy 30th Anniversary Auto Electrical Supplies Limited

Leave a Reply