For more than 100 years, Belden has been a leader in designing and manufacturing the cables and wires connecting the infrastructure that controls our roads, buildings, factories, energy supplies and homes. Founded in 1902 by Joseph C. Belden in Chicago, Illinois, the firm’s first breakthrough invention was a flexible enamel insulation for cables it named “Beldenamel,” and it would provide the foundation for the company’s early success. In 1942, Belden shifted manufacturing efforts to support the war effort exclusively, making components for tanks, airplanes, radios, submarines, ships, jeeps and more. After World War II, the firm redirected R&D efforts back to its roots, making specialty cables for industries requiring sophisticated, high-quality shielding with insulation.

Industrial ethernet cable, credit: Belden

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, today’s Belden serves customers in industrial automation, smart buildings, broadcast, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, health care, energy, mass transit and more. In response to the advent of the semiconductor in the 1970s, Belden adapted, transforming itself from a cable company to a signal transmission solutions provider, adding connectors, switches, routers and networking products to provide a full portfolio of offerings. It was a natural evolution for this firm that has prioritized R&D since its earliest days.

Belden ethernet switches, credit :Belden

Belden is the name specialty customers in niche businesses call to assist their own innovation projects. To this end, in 2013, the firm opened a Customer Collaboration Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, creating a space for customers to interact with products and discover new solutions to specific customer problems.

WAN Routers, credit Belden

As of 12/31/21, Belden was held in the Knowledge Leaders Strategy.