Schneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers.

In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing electric motors and locomotives. After the Second World War, the armaments businesses were abandoned in favor of electrical engineering, and iron and steel works. The company remained in this sector until the early 1980s.

In 1981, Groupe Schneider was broken up, focusing on the electrical and controls industry. This was followed by strategic acquisitions of Telemecanique (1988), Square D (1991), Merlin Gerin (1992), and APC (2007). It is these brands that are the core products of the company's offering.

In 1999, Groupe Schneider was renamed Schneider Electric. The Schneider company also acquired The Lexel Group that year.

In 1836 the brothers Eugène and Adolphe Schneider took over an abandoned foundry at Le Creusot, which allowed them to participate in the industrial revolution. The company's main focus was on the steel industry, working on train tracks, ships and various other types of heavy machinery.