BELDEN BRICK CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF QUALITY

If you ask Brian Belden when the turning point for Belden Brick was, he'll take you all the way back to the beginning. "I believe that would have been in 1885," he says, "when Henry Belden decided to manufacture brick pavers on his farm just outside of Canton. It’s significant because Canton had no paved streets back then and this need gave his new venture a jumpstart. Of course, the addition of paved streets was of great importance to Canton, too."

The history of Belden Brick is on the minds of everyone at the company of late. The company turns 125 years old this year and is showing no signs of slowing down as they continue to build a national reputation. Their bricks have built every building on Notre Dame University's campus since 1938, including the new Jordon Hall of Science; they were profiled on the TV program John Ratzenberger’s Made in America, and featured on the popular game show Jeopardy in a category on brick making; and their shelves have been filling up with industry awards and recognitions.

The 1885 founding of the company had its origins when Henry S. Belden moved back to his family's farm for health reasons and discovered deposits of coal, shale, and clay on the property. Inspired by seeing a stiff mud brick making machine at the Centennial fair in Philadelphia, he decided to make paving and fire brick, and the Diebold Fire Brick Company was born.

The company name would change two more times: to Canton Pressed Brick Company in 1895 and finally The Belden Brick Company in 1912. The company would survive two world wars and the great depression by manufacturing acid proof brick, which was crucial in the production of steel needed for the war effort.

The postwar years saw Belden expanding, including the takeover of a facility in Sugarcreek, Ohio that would become the nation's largest plant for the production of face brick and building tile. As time went by, Belden would become the first brick company to achieve ISO certification. When the century turned, they opened their first plant that broke with the Belden tradition of a five-day work week, with a new facility that produces 10 hours a day, seven days a week.

But these things aren't as important to Brian Belden, the company's Marketing Manager. Belden is the fifth generation of his family to work full-time in the family business, and when he talks of the company's legacy, he prefers to express it in terms of how the company has helped to build the community.

"Most of the schools in Stark County are built with Belden Brick," says Belden. "From the elementary schools all the way up to our local colleges and universities. We're also a part of London’s Candies in Green and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Our bricks make up both Mercy Medical Center and Aultman Hospital. And the latest project we’ve worked on is the new Federal Courthouse in Downtown Canton."

But Belden also has a national reputation that it is rightfully proud of. Their products comprise the homes of the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Dallas Stars and Mavericks. They also lend a dignified look to corporate headquarters for McDonalds and Anheuser Busch, along with a host of other office buildings and college campuses.


What does Belden see as the reason for the company's success over the past one-and-one-quarter centuries?

"Belden Brick has consistently focused on making a quality product that sets the industry standard," Belden said. "This was our philosophy from the time Paul Belden Sr. (Belden's Great Grandfather) joined the company in 1904. He was dedicated to seeing that the company’s best efforts were placed on quality and customer service."

Belden explained that the company has great raw materials to work with and has always supported their manufacturing facilities and the people running them with the tools need to make a quality product. "That’s what has carried us throughout our 125 year history."

What kind of change has the company seen during this time?

"Technology is the big change," said Belden. "The process of making brick has significantly changed over the past century. The drying and firing process now is much more efficient than 125 years ago. We’ve also moved to more of a veneer product than a structural product. But what I think is more interesting is what hasn't changed - namely the product itself. Brick is still a product of choice. It's durable, it has a great aesthetic appearance, and the different colors and styles let almost everyone find a brick style they like."

And what would Belden say to someone who might comment that, "It's just brick"?

"I would say there’s much more to it than you might think," he laughs. "At Belden, we put in the extra time and effort to make the highest quality products possible. And it's that commitment to quality and excellence that has seen us this far, and will undoubtedly take us far into the future." 

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