Belkin International Inc. has been a leading consumer electronics company for more than 40 years, and Steven Malony has been with the business for nearly half its lifetime. Malony, who has been chief executive since January of 2021, said that the El Segundo-based company’s product focuses and the electronics market itself have evolved considerably over time. However, he said that nothing has changed for Belkin’s overall mission: to design products that empower people to get more life out of every single day.
Belkin was started out of founder Chet Pipkin’s garage as a computer-to-printer cable manufacturer in the early days of the internet. Belkin’s product line has shifted dramatically since then: while well known for its headphones, speakers and other audio products, Belkin has also invested heavily into products such as wireless charging equipment, screen protectors, device docks and a smart-home product line called Wemo.
Belkin moved its headquarters from Playa Vista to El Segundo in 2021. While its new home is smaller, it’s filled with consumer labs, expansive equipment testing spaces, design and production rooms and a career-connecting education program called Pilot Learning for high-school students.
When the pandemic hit, shortly before Malony’s appointment as chief executive, supply chains were disrupted and the industry as a whole was thrown into disarray. Malony said that Belkin used that time to invest in consumer-insight research and the exploration of new engineering and design options. He said those decisions have since paid off handsomely. The company said it has seen a 12% compounded annual growth rate since the pandemic.
Belkin is continuing its investment in consumer research with a new division that was launched last month called Future Ventures, which is exploring avenues for Belkin in areas such as content creation, spatial computing, artificial intelligence and robotics equipment.
Malony spoke with the Business Journal about…
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