Most people associate Beekley Corporation with radiologic skin markers. As Beekley introduced the very first skin marker (the X-SPOT) to the diagnostic imaging industry in 1984 it's easy to see how that association came to be.
The X-SPOT's success led Beekley to develop additional modality-specific skin markers for radiological imaging and radiation oncology. Most notable among these innovations was the Beekley Skin Marking System for Mammography, which first introduced the concept of marking for meaning: using specific shaped markers to identify specific areas of interest on the breast such as moles, nipples, palpable masses, or post-surgical scars for clearer communication between technologist and interpreting physician.
What most people don't know is that Beekley started out as a general printing and lithographic company in 1934. Founder, F. Cheney Beekley, recognized early on that his best opportunity for success was through specialization and he gradually became the only printer in the Greater Hartford Area devoted to wholly supplying business forms to factories.
This specialization led to the development of new processes and equipment that enabled his small company to improve production and cut expenses. The company not only survived throughout the 10 year period that encompassed the latter half of the great depression and second world war, but grew, and began national distribution in the post-war years.
So how did Beekley come to be associated with healthcare?
Well, in the early 1960's, son W. Mason Beekley recognized an unspoken need for specialized paper products in the company's hospital market and quickly became the leading manufacturer of hospital charting sheets that helped save time, improve data presentation, and protect against financial losses. Beekley Hospital Systems was born and so was KwikChart - a multi-part, multi-color-coded form that combined the functions of requisitioning, charting, and charging which became the most widely used method of displaying laboratory results in the US and Canada.
However, with the advent of the information age in the 1980's, the company (now officially renamed Beekley Corporation) saw the eventual demise of paper-based systems and began to look at new opportunities within healthcare as well as potential new markets.
Today, Beekley Corporation consists of two divisions: Prestige Lane Hospitality Brands, which provides innovative products that generate new hotel revenues, reduce costs, and increase guest satisfaction; and Beekley Medical, which is wholly devoted to developing simple, low-cost, disposable medical products that help improve communication, productivity, and patient care.
To be a healthy, successful, and growing company after 80 years in business is no small feat. Under the current leadership of Ayn S. LaPlant, we continue to use specialization, innovation, and adaptability to build upon our market leadership in our industries while seeking new opportunities to make a positive difference in people's lives.
As we celebrate our past, we excitedly look forward to seeing what the Beekley Corporation of the future will look like.
