Clipsal: Adelaide's Electrical Pioneers

It’s not the most conventional claim to fame but Adelaide was home to the first all-Australian switch. Clipsal pioneered the initiative and then went on to become one of the nations most recognisable electrical brands.

The History of Clipsal (1920-today)

Clipsal was established in 1920 by Alfred Edward Gerard, who developed a range of adjustable, clip-on metal conduit fittings. These products helped to shape the company’s name and coined the phrase ”clips all”.

Ten years later, the company really began to gather steam when Alfred’s son Geoff took over and spearheaded numerous manufacturing breakthroughs. He invented the first all-Australian switch and pioneered the use of thermoplastics in 1950. During this period, the company also developed the world’s first PVC cord top, vertical combination and switched socket.

During the 1970’s, Clipsal began to branch out and explore the Asian markets. They had success with their E-Series range of sockets and outlets.

In 1995, Clipsal identified a growth market and made a home automation range to cater for technological advances. They entered a collaboration agreement with a smart company which lead to the development of many handy products.

Ten years later, Clipsal was acquired by Schneider Electric to strengthen its position in the Asia- Pacific and data communications markets. Schneider Electric is a European emergency and digital solutions company with over 184 years of prosperous history. They brought a new focus to the Clipsal dynamic by introducing new software, critical power and smart grid applications strategies.

The Clipsal 500

Fans of V8 supercars and Adelaidean’s will fondly remember the Clipsal 500. The company acquired the naming rights to the annual motor racing even in 1999. They held the naming rights right up until 2018 when it was announced that broadband provider Superloop would take over the title. Despite the name change, the race is still commonly referred to in Adelaide as the ”Clipsal”.

The events proved to be a roaring success under their sponsorship with the 2008 Clipsal 500 attended by the largest crowd in domestic motorsport history in Australia. The 2011 event was also named the Best Event of the Year at the v8 Supercars annual awards.

Why We Love Clipsal

Metropolitan Electrical Contractors use Clipsal branded products when attending jobs. We love the accessibility of their products and the quality that they provide. We support local Australian businesses because we are one ourselves.

We only work with the highest quality products and Clipsal fit that bill because of the optimised energy they provide. If you want a Clipsal product installed in your home, you don’t have to bother searching ‘electrician Adelaide‘ – just contact us.