TeSys 100-year celebrations spark informative conversations with key partners
Author : Georjina Buckley, Schneider Electric
28 May 2025
The journey to 100 years of TeSys has not been a solo one. With the celebrations in full swing, we took the opportunity to sit down with members of the Schneider Electric ecosystem to reflect on their experiences with the flagship range and learn what the industry can apply in the future.
By replacing the knife lever with a rotating bar in 1924, the first TeSys contactor was a breakthrough in safety and compactness for motor control. I spoke with Roger Collins and Mark Goldsbrough, from UK and Ireland Schneider Electric distribution partners BPX and AJ Hurst.
As trusted solution providers, they have decades of experience bringing our innovation to the market, so they’re ideally placed to explain what the TeSys range means to industry and what it can tell us about the future.
Roger Collins, Director, BPX
“BPX were one of the first-ever distributors of what we know now as Schneider Electric. We were introduced to the TeSys contactor by Robert Hudson who became the first MD of Telemecanique, and subsequently Schneider Electric, in the late sixties.
“The technology of the TeSys contactor was revolutionary at that time and we quickly recognised the future opportunities that existed.
“Back then we were able to introduce the product to the developing machine tool industry that existed in the Midlands, along with the crane and quarrying industries.
“Our business grew from there and today we supply a huge range of industries from 14 locations in the UK, to many diverse customers specialising in automation and control.”
Mark Goldsbrough, Director, AJ Hurst
“AJ Hurst’s history with Schneider Electric is a long and interesting story, starting with a brave English salesman knocking on doors during the worst political unrest in Northern Ireland that led to us delivering TeSys contactors by bicycle.
“Since then, AJ Hurst has developed into what it is today, delivering everything a system integrator or OEM needs to complete automation projects, which includes motor management.”
Quality and reliability
From Schneider Electric’s perspective, both distributors have been instrumental not only to the product’s success but also to its development over the years.
They support customers in finding the right solution for their challenges and they work with Schneider Electric on future product development by sharing customer feedback.
This close working relationship has ensured that TeSys has evolved to meet modern requirements and now remains a source of reliable, sustainable, and efficient motor control for OEMs, system integrators, and end users.
Speaking about applications, Roger Collins says: “Wherever a motor starts there is a contactor, and that hasn’t changed, even as the scope of automation has become much broader.
“The key for end customers is quality, reliability, and availability. TeSys contactors are incredibly reliable, we have
customers that simply won’t buy anything else because they know that it will keep working year after year.
“We’ve found over time that the machine builders who build high-quality machines from quality components are the ones with longevity as their customers trust them to do the right thing.
“Clients come to us for expert knowledge of the products and their applications. For example, we are often approached by customers looking for the modern equivalent of a contactor that has been installed for 20 or 30 years.
“The team know the products inside out, and have access to a library of catalogues dating back to the 1970s. That knowledge helps them to find the right replacement for old contactors that are no longer in production – and in turn, extend the lifetime of machines in the field.
“We also run seminars, where customers have the opportunity to hear directly from Schneider Electric’s experts, face-to-face events that give system integrators and machine builders the opportunity to ask questions and get under the
skin of the latest technology, and we publish a number of videos showing successful applications of the TeSys offer.
Mitigating the skills gap
The long journey of TeSys has been collaborative, and based on continuous learning from all parties. Mark Goldsbrough highlights that as an important role for AJ Hurst, not just for the advancement of motor management solutions, but for how they support the industry as a whole: “We’ve committed to continuous learning and certification as an Alliance Partner, and we take an active role in mitigating the growing skills gap for our customers.
“For example, we work closely with Schneider Electric and local colleges to create week-long courses in automation. We surveyed our customers across the broad spectrum of job roles to see if it is something they would support – and it has received very positive feedback.
“Students that complete the short course will receive an additional qualification while getting a taste to understand just how good an industrial career can be.
“This approach to skills and products such as the TeSys product range [is a perfect representation] of the collaboration between our two companies.
“We work closely together with value coming not just from the product but from personalities as well, using a combined interest and expertise to advance industry.”
Future evolution
As partners, Goldsbrough and Collins recognise the long-term nature of innovation in the automation world, even though new products come to market regularly and it may seem like technology is only measured in a year or two.
According to Collins, there are two sides to the evolution of TeSys: “Firstly, and almost going against the evolution point, is that the functionality has remained unchanged.
“Even though we’ve seen countless developments over the last 100 years, it is the reliability and trust that has made TeSys such a successful product.
“Secondly, today TeSys Island has bought energy monitoring and data collection, a vital tool for businesses in all sectors looking to make an impact in their sustainability journeys.
“TeSys Island brings that connectivity onboard providing the tools to extract data out and provide the client with the information to reduce energy consumption.”
It’s a similar picture at AJ Hurst, with Goldsbrough saying: “During my time, we were selling TeSys contactors, but for me, it went much further than single product capabilities.
“Schneider Electric presented a plan for the future of automation as they saw it, which has led to both businesses investing heavily in one [or] another, and with dual branding as an Alliance Partner.
“Locally in Northern Ireland, when people think of Schneider Electric, they think AJ Hurst. We are happy to back that up by investing in a team with in-depth knowledge of the TeSys range.
“As we deployed the TeSys Ultra in the mid-2000s, you started to see that digital conversation coming in, where now everyone wants data and intelligence.
“The TeSys range has continued to deliver that insight, building in intelligence in a product that back in the start of the journey you would never have considered needed intelligence.”
The latest addition of intelligence and communication to motor management has been a key benefit for customers.
As the latest version of the contactor, TeSys island has a digital load management solution that makes machines smarter and more reliable, giving users easy and remote access to predictive and preventive data. In fact, AJ Hurst won the first order for TeSys island across the UK and Ireland.
Goldsbrough adds: “When showing TeSys island to potential customers there’s always a positive reaction, the only barrier being some end users don’t feel confident that they can use all the advanced capabilities of the product, but that’s where we come in!
“We aim to make it as easy as possible, wiring up an example for customers, taking them through the programming process and designing the project.”
Building relationships
Talking about the TeSys brand has sparked memories and stories about why it has been installed in motor control panels throughout the UK and Ireland for decades. It all comes down to trust, not just between Schneider Electric, BPX, and AJ Hurst, but their customers as well.
Collins concludes: “The role of electrical distributors is not simply to sell products and provide warranty support, it’s all about relationships and technically supporting our customers.
“We’re a conduit between Schneider Electric and hundreds of machine builders, panel builders and system integrators, with eight of our locations holding the prestigious ‘Master level’ of Schneider Automation Distributor.
“Looking ahead we can foresee changes in environmental legislation that could have a large impact on the industry. It’s an area where our role will continue to evolve to help industry adapt to the coming changes.”
Download Schneider Electric’s Motor Management Guide to find out how next-gen motor management transforms hybrid and process industries, driving energy efficiency and optimising production operations.
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