Technology
Making connections
CEO Chet Pipkin shares the secrets behind Belkin Corp.’s success.
By Erik Cassano
Smart Business Los Angeles | August 2006
Page 1 of 4
In the early 1980s, Chet Pipkin was the head of a fledgling computer accessory manufacturer called Belkin Corp. It was one of hundreds around the country producing largely the same inventory of cables and other components, and Pipkin was content to keep his company on the same track.
“We got our start with copper cable assemblies,” Pipkin says. “We were pretty intent on just sticking with that product line. We were concerned about getting too spread out from a product mix standpoint. We wanted to stick with what we were really good at.”
But as companies started getting squeezed out of the market by high levels of competition, Pipkin, who serves as both president and CEO, quickly realized that in order to survive, Belkin would have to seek out new ideas and growth opportunities.
More than 20 years later, Belkin’s vigilant approach has made it one of the world leaders in its field. From the humble beginnings of Pipkin assembling computer cables on his mother’s dining room table, Belkin is now a Compton-based company with 1,300 employees and projected revenue of $1 billion for fiscal year 2007.
Here’s how Pipkin has kept Belkin one step ahead of the competition along the way.
