Darren Hesketh, group MD, Diamond Electronics
Diamond Electronics, now in its 47th year of trading, is a third‑generation, family‑owned UK distributor specialising in electronic components, kitting services, power technologies, HMI solutions and technical support. Based in Cheshire, the company combines long‑standing engineering expertise with a broad supplier network to help customers bring innovative products and systems to market. CIE Magazine sat down with group MD Darren Hesketh at Hardware Pioneers Max in June to learn more about Diamond’s approach, capabilities and direction.
CIE: How would you describe the company’s role in today’s electronics industry?
Darren Hesketh (DH): Our role is to help customers manage their entire supply chain — from BOM (bill of materials) control and obsolescence to strategic stock acquisition. Technical competence has always been central to the business. Customers value speaking to people who genuinely understand the technologies they’re working with.
CIE: Diamond is a third‑generation family business. What has that continuity meant for your culture and long‑term approach?
DH: I was my parents’ first employee. My brother joined in the early 90s, and my daughter joined four years ago. But the “family” extends far beyond us — we have colleagues with 25 years’ service, others with 10 years, and many who’ve grown from junior roles into senior management.
Customers appreciate that continuity. They speak to the same people year after year. We’re not part of the corporate cycle of constantly changing account managers. As a privately owned SME, we follow our own path.
CIE: Stepping into the group MD role, what have been your priorities in shaping the business for the next phase?
DH: Every era brings its own challenges — geopolitics in the Middle East, unpredictable politicians, the credit crunch, COVID. There’s no manual for any of it. You plot a way through, correct mistakes quickly and hold onto what made you successful: asking customers what they need and delivering it.
Large companies can be incredibly innovative, but smaller organisations have shorter decision‑making chains. If someone has a problem, I hear about it quickly and can support them directly. That agility is a real advantage.
CIE: Diamond spans component distribution, kitting, power products, HMI solutions and technical support. Which areas are driving the strongest customer demand?
DH: The biggest growth is in our HMI offer and our power product portfolio. We’re helping customers embrace new interface technologies and new power architectures, and we’re supporting them in getting products to market.
If they trust us with the part of the product their own customers touch, or with the power subsystem that keeps the design running, they often trust us with manufacturing solutions and supply‑chain management too. We also acquired Dengrove Marketing [a company established in 1982, specializing in electronic components distribution] in January, bringing new suppliers such as RECOM into the mix. Integrating those customers and technologies is already driving new opportunities.
CIE: What technologies and solutions are you showcasing at Hardware Pioneers Max, and what do you hope visitors take away?
DH: Many southern‑based visitors don’t know us, despite our 40‑plus years in business, so recognition and new introductions are key.
At Hardware Pioneers Max, we’re showcasing power products from RECOM and Finder; HMI keyboards and membrane, rubber and hybrid switches; RNC piezo solutions for harsh environments; and specialist electronic components and integrated solutions.
One highlight is an antimicrobial keyboard from ioniTOUCH, which uses silver phosphate glass impregnated throughout the silicone rubber, allowing it to be washed — even in a dishwasher — while still preventing microbial growth.
But the main message is our competence: we can supply a BOM, kit it, manufacture the product through our CEM partners, or simply ship kits to a nominated CEM. Customers choose the level of integration they want.
CIE: What facilities does Diamond operate?
DH: Our head office in Cheshire is around 10,000 sq. ft, with semi‑automated warehousing and an AutoStore system with roughly 40,000 bin locations. Ten miles away we have a 23,000 sq. ft hub for larger products and finished assemblies. We also operate two CEM facilities — one near Cambridge (Melbourn, near Royston) and one in Weston-Super-Mare — supporting customers with manufacturing.
CIE: After several turbulent years in the components market, what does supply‑chain resilience look like for customers in 2026, and how is Diamond supporting that?
DH: You have to be prepared for the unexpected – COVID, tariff wars, the Russia–Ukraine war, Iran–Israel–US tensions. If you think too much about it, you’d never sleep. Creativity is essential. Our logistics team has decades of experience and multiple ways to solve problems. Challenges aren’t in short supply, but capability matters more.
CIE: OEMs increasingly expect distributors to provide application‑level guidance and design‑in support. How are you developing engineering capability to meet that?
DH: When I joined, my father told me I wasn’t much use because I knew nothing about electronics — so I went to college one day a week for five years. We’ve replicated that model. We support people to study and gain qualifications, and we also have many qualified engineers through study, knowledge and experience.
We partner with Lancaster University on database management, [Microsoft] Power BI, and AI. We’ve built internal bot programs and regularly bring in students for placements and projects — including MBA students. Their critical and strategic thinking brings fresh perspective.
CIE: Diamond holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and JOSCAR registration. How do these accreditations influence operations and customer relationships?
DH: Accreditation has been part of our DNA since the early 1990s, when we became BSI‑approved. It brought systemised processes that still help us run the business more effectively. ISO 14001 and JOSCAR were natural progressions — JOSCAR was actually a project completed by one of our Lancaster students.
We’re also interested in B Corp and other frameworks. They signal to customers that we’re committed to improvement. My mantra is: every day is a school day. I even completed a part‑time MBA in Business Administration during COVID. If I expect the team to keep learning, I have to do the same.
CIE: Looking ahead, where do you see the strongest opportunities for Diamond — new technologies, new markets or deeper integration with customers’ design cycles?
DH: It’s a combination. We constantly ask customers how we can help, and we challenge our team to find innovative technologies that enhance our offer. Opportunities come from understanding customer needs, tracking market developments and identifying technologies that genuinely fit.
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