Gentex Corporation Gentex is a privately held company that focuses on the manufacture of U . S . and international military , special forces , commercial , law enforcement , emergency medical services and First Responder Personal Protective Equipment products , as well as aluminized fabrics , Lifetex Fabrics , Clearweld , Filtron and Precision Polymer Processors . History . Gentex Corporation began operation as Klots Throwing Company in Carbondale , Pennsylvania in the late 19th century . Originally in New York , the throwing plant owned by Henry Durrell Klots burned down in 1894 . After the fire , Marcus Frieder , bookkeeper for Klots , suggested building in Carbondale to use the untapped workforce of wives and daughters of local coal miners . Henry Klots agreed and named Frieder manager of the new plant and , eventually , secretary and general manager of the company . Frieder became president upon the death of Henry Klots in 1914 . During World War I , Klots manufactured silk cartridge bags and flourished under the direction of President Frieder . However , Rayon was introduced as an alternative to silk in the 1920s and by the beginning of the Great Depression , the company was forced into bankruptcy . But the Frieder family persevered . In 1932 , Marcus and his son Leonard bought and reorganized Klots , renaming it General Textile Mills . The Frieders built and purchased several more throwing mills in Maryland , Virginia , West Virginia , and Pennsylvania , making it one of the largest organizations in the silk industry . The Klots Throwing Company Mill at Cumberland , Maryland was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 . The mill at Lonaconing , Maryland operated from 1907 to 1957 . By the time Marcus died in 1940 and Leonard assumed the Presidency , the company ' s ability to weave quality textiles had led to the creation of entirely new and more sophisticated technologies for use in alternative applications . When the United States entered into World War II , the company aided in the war effort by manufacturing parachutes for the U . S . Military . Eventually , it became one of the largest manufacturers of parachutes in the country , producing parachutes for cargo and carrier pigeons , as well as a special aluminized option that could reflect radar . In August 1945 , General Textile Mills was even awarded the Army - Navy ‘ E ’ Award for excellence in wartime production . During that same period , General Textile Mills began manufacturing its own composite - structure parachute boxes from fiberglass mat impregnated with a polyester resin that would protect packaged parachutes . Following the war , the government approached General Textile Mills to determine the feasibility of using the same composite - structure to manufacture pilot helmets . Due to the advancements in aircraft technology , improved protective headgear was warranted to replace the cloth or leather options used prior to 1948 . General Textile Mills produced its first hard shell helmet using the parachute box technology that same year . The helmet , known as the H - 1 , was made for the U . S . Navy and the P - 1 soon followed for the U . S . Air Force . These technologies were quickly incorporated into helicopter pilot helmets for both military and commercial applications , as well as tank crew helmets . In 1958 , General Textile Mills shortened its name to Gentex . The company continued working to improve and adapt the helmet technology . Significant advancements in the aircraft industry resulted in the need for oxygen - breathing equipment for life support . In 1969 , the Frieders bought Protection , Inc . , a helmet manufacturer in Pomona , California . Ten years later , Protection Inc . began to acquire equipment in order to manufacture respiratory products . By 1981 , the new branch officially transitioned into Gentex Western Operations focusing on the manufacture of respiratory products . The California operation moved to Rancho Cucamonga in 1992 . In 1972 , the company lost their leader of more than 30 years when Leonard P . Frieder , Sr . died , leaving his son L . Peter Frieder , Jr . to assume the presidency . Under the direction of the younger Frieder , the company began addressing the need for low - noise , high clarity communications systems for helmets . Gentex bought the Derry , New Hampshire based JMR Systems Corporation in 1977 . As a result of this acquisition , Gentex was able to expand its capabilities to include the manufacture of electro - acoustic products . The New Hampshire operation moved to Manchester in 2006 . The creation of the respiratory and electro - acoustic products business units , along with the existing helmet systems division and a group dedicated to the advancement of materials , resulted in the company ' s ability to produce totally integrated systems for tactical applications . The first production of gentex ballistic helmet PASGT during Operation Urgent Fury in 1983 and replace the Vietnam era M1 steel helmet . In 2005 Gentex opened a new R & D facility located in Aurora , Illinois . The Visionix business unit specializes in development of helmet mounted information display systems . Gentex Visionix , in partnership with Raytheon Technical Services , is under contract to supply the Gentex - developed Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing System to the U . S . Air Force . Scope of work . Gentex Corporation works closely with international distributors , such as Transaero , Melville , New York , to provide products to international armed forces , and U . S . commercial distributors , including Flight Suits / Gibson - Barnes , El Cajon , California . Plus , the company is called upon for specialized projects that require customization of personal protective products for NASA programs , such as the early Space Shuttle missions , and commercial projects , such as Burt Rutan ’ s Scaled Composites and SpaceShipOne repeated launch as part of the race for the Ansari X Prize . The company holds active industry memberships in such organizations the U . S . Navy League ; SAFE Association ; National Defense Industrial Manufacturers Association ; and Society of Experimental Test Pilots ( SETP ) , which features such distinguished members as Buzz Aldrin , John Glenn and Wally Schirra , and where Gentex presents the annual Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award . The corporation is also past recipient awards from the Defense Logistics Agency ( DLA ) , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners ( BFTP ) Innovation Award , Harrisburg and Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . Community involvement . Gentex is also a member of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce , Scranton , Pennsylvania ; Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce , Carbondale , Pennsylvania ; Manchester Chamber of Commerce , Manchester , New Hampshire ; Greater Derry Chamber of Commerce , Derry , New Hampshire ; Inland Empire Economic Partnership , Rancho Cucamonga , California ; and Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce , Rancho Cucamonga , California . The workforce of approximately 850 employees , also is focused on the support of local , regional and national community organizations and programs . Gentex Corporation annually recognizes and supports the exceptional work of the charities and non - profit organizations prevalent in the communities where its employees live , work and play . Support includes volunteer efforts by employees and in - kind and monetary contributions . The American Red Cross , United Way , YMCA , Pennsylvania Special Olympics , Ronald McDonald House of Scranton and Pennsylvania ’ s Adopt - A - Highway Program are just a few of the organizations which continually benefit .