Blaine is the eldest son of Bill Beck, and a member of the fourth generation of Beck’s Shoes. He began working at Beck’s during his junior year of high school in 1969, to finance his photography hobby. When he graduated in 1971 he began working full-time and took the helm at the Sunnyvale, California store. In 1974 he began the grand endeavor of creating the first Beck’s Shoes Office at the original Cambrian, California location, with only two other team members. He was in charge of bookkeeping and inventory control of the four stores Beck’s ran at that time. He was integral in the modernization of the company as he facilitated the move from paper to the company’s first computer!
“In 1980 we added our first “mini” computer with a huge 18” 36 MB hard drive (at a cost of $35,000.00) to run our entire company. In the 1990’s we moved over to PC’s as they became available. With 6 Bay Area stores, I still remember the long nights that I had to visit every store in one night to program updates/upgrades in the store POS computers. I was really happy when the Internet came online!”
Blaine worked side by side with his father and brother for decades, until the late 1990’s when the next generation of family started working in the business. He supported the evolution of Beck’s as a new generation was mentored and encouraged. He continues to work as a consultant and does payroll, in addition to his work in presenting the Beck’s Shoes “Timeline Stories”. He enjoys working with the incredibly dedicated team members in the Beck’s organization and finds fulfillment in trouble shooting new ideas and working on special projects. Truly, he has never stopped learning and growing, with over 50 years at “Beck’s Shoes University”.
His dedicated career is complemented by his love and dedication to family. He and his wife, Janis, raised five children who have given them fourteen wonderful grandchildren! Together they enjoy traveling and spending time with those they love. In his spare time, Blaine also takes pleasure in honing his skills as a craftsman in his wood workshop.
Without a doubt, Beck’s Shoes would not be what it is today without Blaine’s dedication and effort. The company, it’s employees and the generations that follow are indebted to him!
