Leading electronics manufacturer, Belkin, connects consumers with responsibly built tech
From incredible audio products to robust and reliable charging solutions, foremost manufacturer of personal tech accessories, Belkin, has it all. Recently celebrating its 40th anniversary, Managing Director EMEA & Global Travel Retail, Marc Cooper, looks back on Belkin’s journey so far: “From its humble beginnings in a Southern California garage in 1983, Belkin has become a diverse, global technology enterprise. Now, while still designed and engineered in Southern California, you’ll find Belkin sold in more than one hundred countries around the world. Belkin has developed essential peripherals for devices like laptops, phones, and tablets. It has also played an influential role in the early development of key technology standards that are now commonplace in our everyday lives, including USB-C and MagSafe. Throughout its 40-plus years, Belkin has maintained a steadfast focus on research and development, community, education, sustainability, and most importantly, the people we serve.” 
Over four decades in business is testament to Belkin’s manufacturing and service capability. As Marc affirms: “We’re trusted. Belkin has been around for a long time. We have built strong relationships with our partners and consumer business channels, and we’re trusted by the end user. For example, audio is a tough market, and we quickly established ourselves as a key player. This was built on people recognizing and learning to rely on the brand, and our partners allowing us to work with them and putting their faith in us to bring products to market. You see other brands come and go; very often they are trying to cut corners, but we’ve never done anything like that. Belkin always does the right thing, and the business has been built to last.”
Also built to last are Belkin electronics, which undergo rigorous design, testing, and optimization processes before being released. As Marc describes: “Belkin makes new products to solve problems and help consumers improve their day-to-day. We listen to the needs and wants of the consumer to create thoughtful, well-designed, simple-to-use products that fit into their lives. Every detail is considered, from overall aesthetic to materials, design, safety, and quality.”
Belkin has invested millions of dollars in new facilities, and continues to make investments in research and development, as well as human capital. Its in-house capabilities are unique and set it apart from other manufacturers. The state-of-the-art lab spaces and design facilities at the global headquarters in California are where the design and engineering teams conceptualize, prototype, and test in real-time.
Extensive testing is part of the design and validation processes and is conducted by Belkin’s dedicated product, engineering and design assurance teams based in Los Angeles, China, and Taiwan. “A big part of Belkin culture is also knowing great ideas can come from anywhere,” said Marc. “Belkin employees are encouraged to share their product ideas with the Innovation team at any time, from anywhere, and all ideas are considered.”
As early adopters of sustainable practice, the people behind Belkin bring social and environmental consciousness into everything they do. As Marc confirms: “Reducing our carbon emissions is very important, and sustainability has long been the standard at Belkin. Last year, we shared our decision to take plastic waste from consumers and repurpose it to create new products, transitioning from virgin plastic to up to 75 percent Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials in new and existing SKUs.”
Most recently, Belkin announced its goal to be carbon neutral in scope one, two, and three by 2030. The company plans to achieve this by enhancing its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) capabilities to more accurately measure product level emissions and enforce accountability in the supply chain. Belkin is already on its way to becoming 100 percent carbon neutral in its global offices and operations by 2025 and is driving progress beyond its supply chain and product life cycle.
Staying true to its sustainability mission is just one of the ways that Belkin keeps its people motivated and united. “The people at Belkin have a real passion and belief in what we do as a business. A testament to the Belkin brand is employees’ tenure. We have people who have been in the business for 25 years — people who have evolved with the business. We have a commitment to our people and invest in their growth. We always want to make sure we carry on attracting and retaining talent by providing the right mentorship, training and guidance, creating opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Our three pillars are people, planet, and product. At Belkin, people are at the heart of all we do and why we do it,” Marc discusses.
With a growing production network, and dedicated team of experts, the future looks bright for Belkin. As Marc concludes: “Looking forward, we want to continue innovating and bringing the best possible product to our consumer. Belkin is forever inspired by the planet we live on, and the connection between people and technology. We’ll continue to invest in people, planet, and product, as these cornerstones will carry our vision forward.”