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At A Glance

Since being founded by Joseph C. Belden in Chicago in 1902, the Belden name has become synonymous with quality and innovation. The first major breakthrough for Belden occurred in 1905 when, after much experimental work, "Beldenamel" insulation was created. This flexible enamel insulation would become the basis of the Company's early success.

In 1910 the Company moved to larger quarters in Chicago and added rubber insulated wire to its product line. The invention of the soft rubber plug in 1927 by a Belden engineer led to further expansion. Richmond, Indiana, was selected as the site of a new plant designed especially for manufacturing electrical wire. This new plant started production in 1928. During World War II and the decade and a half of growth which followed it, a number of buildings were added to the Richmond Plant to allow for expansion. Wire Mill operations were transferred from Chicago to Richmond to make the Richmond Plant completely independent and self-sufficient.

Today Belden's largest manufacturing facility is in Richmond. Belden manufactured strictly war materials by 1942, and its products were used in tanks, airplanes, mobile radios, submarines, ships, jeeps, and a variety of other machinery. After the war, Belden began to clearly establish its leadership in wire and cable technology through research, engineering, and product development. The Company was one of the first wire producers to apply several plastic insulations to wire and cable. Belden sought market niches that required sophisticated and high quality products where value was added in insulation, cabling, shielding, and jacketing.

From its inception, Belden has looked to its customers for cues on what to manufacture, how to manufacture it, and how to bring it effectively to the market. In May 1980, the Electronic Office moved to its new headquarters located south of Richmond, Indiana. On September 8, 1980, Belden and Crouse-Hinds Company, a highly regarded manufacturer of electrical products located in Syracuse, New York, entered into a merger agreement that was completed on December 10, 1980. On April 10, 1981, Cooper Industries, with corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas, acquired the combined entity of Belden and Crouse-Hinds.

The most significant change for Belden took place in October 1993 when Belden once again became an independent entity known as Belden Inc.. Belden Inc. is a parent company with corporate offices located in St. Louis, Missouri. Included in Belden Inc., is the Belden Electronics Division with headquarters in Richmond, Indiana. Since reemerging as an independent, publicly traded company (NYSE-BWC), Belden has pursued a growth strategy. In 1995 Belden purchased companies with operations located in the Netherlands. In 1996 Belden announced its purchase of Intech Cable, Inc. and the acquisition of Alpha Wire Division of Alpha Wire Corporation. And 1997 and early 1998 have been no exception to the previous two years with the announcements of the acquisitions of Cowen Cable located in Leominster, MA and Olex Communications Cable in Melbourne Australia. Also in 1998, Belden purchased Elektro-Isolierwerke GmbH (EIW), a leading German manufacturer, designs, manufactures and markets cables serving primarily the industrial and computer networking industries.

In just over three years Belden's sales have grown from under $400 million to a 1997 year end close of $747 million and employment levels have expanded from 2800 to 4500. Belden Electronics Division, a subsidiary of Belden Inc., is a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of specialty wire and cable products for the electronics and electrical markets. The Electronics operation is headquartered in Richmond, Indiana. The company has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany and The Netherlands, and distribution centers in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia, and The Netherlands. A majority of Belden's manufacturing, engineering and support functions are registered to the International Organization for Standardization.