INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Gentex Corporation
L. Peter Frieder, Jr
Chief Executive Officer
Gentex Corporation
Q: In a field where there is intense competition to supply defense products, materials and technologies, how does Gentex define and excel at its mission?
A: The Gentex name is synonymous with human safety and the personal protective needs of military personnel on land, on water and in the air. Starting from a silk mill in 1894, Gentex evolved into a manufacturer of integrated life support systems for human protection. Today, our well-established company is a pre-eminent manufacturer and supplier globally of many essential military products, materials and technologies that assure soldiers can perform and succeed in their critical missions.
Whether it’s grueling G-forces, ballistic and fragmentation threats, high-noise environments, high-altitudes, high-speed aircraft ejections, freezing cold, sweltering heat, chemical and biological threats, the human body needs the means of protection to overcome such adverse conditions. We remain focused on inventing, engineering and manufacturing personal protective products.
Q: Head protection and helmet design are truly an important focus in the last decade. How important is the helmet aspect of your business to your overall strategy?
A: It’s one of our core competencies. Gentex provides a variety of helmet types to include ballistic helmets, combat vehicle crew helmets, jet and helicopter helmets, parachutist helmets and special operation forces helmets, such as those used in maritime environments. Presently, we are fulfilling a $26.3 million contract with the U.S. Army for the initial delivery of 120,000 Advanced Combat Helmets [ACH] and 1,200 spares kits. The ACH is part of the U.S. Army’s upgrade program to improve ballistic protection of headgear. The contract is one of three substantial ballistic helmet contracts Gentex was awarded by the U.S. Army since 2003. We are also currently fulfilling a five-year Marine Corps contract, awarded in 2003, for Light Weight Helmets, of which we have delivered over 100,000 helmets to date. In the 1980s, the privately-owned company was the first manufacturer of para-aramid helmets for the U.S. Army, delivering over 700,000 Personnel Armor System, Ground Troops helmets. We are the world’s leading manufacturer of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft helmets, including the HGU-55/P and HGU-56/P.
Q: What about the communications aspect of your business?
A: Many of our products are designed for integration in a complete helmet system, comprised of a helmet, performance optics, communications, and sometimes also highaltitude oxygen masks and chemical-biological overgarments. With such a wide array of helmets, the company offers additional electro-acoustic products including flex and wire boom microphones, dual push-to-talk radio connectors, communications headsets, general duty headset and GenComm III, and LVIS complete hard wired analog or digital intercom systems designed especially for crew intercommunications and radio access in land tactical vehicles and watercraft.
A recent multi-million dollar contract award includes complete LVIS systems for the newest land combat vehicles to be built for military forces in the Iraqi battlefield. LVIS will be integrated into Iraqi light armored vehicles, and provide the ability for the vehicle crews to clearly communicate information and tactical commands within the demanding battlefield environment.
Q: You also mentioned your respiratory products.
A: Additionally, MBU-20/P and MBU-23/P oxygen masks by Gentex are able to be integrated with fixed wing and paramaster helmets. Earlier this year, we were awarded a $9.5 million contract by the U.S. Air Force for a system development and demonstration effort for the Joint Service Aircrew Mask system with production options at over $170 million through 2012.
Q: Can you touch on some of your other product that meet military requirements?
A: Gentex continues to advance its longstanding expertise in the area of textile engineering and textile chemistry with particular emphasis on fabric construction and application of adsorbents for chemical agent protection and development of new protective solutions, including self-detoxifying textiles containing reactive adsorbents. Currently, we are the sole manufacturer of chemical protective fabric to meet the needs of the U.S. Air Force for CWU-66/P Chemical Protective Flight Aircrew Coveralls. Further, Gentex is in the final stages of qualification under the JSLIST additional source qualification program. With other missions, armed service personnel face radiant heat threats. We are also the only qualified supplier of National Fire Protection Association-certified aluminized fabrics—Dual Mirror and Flexir—for use in proximity firefighting applications within the U.S. military.
Gentex also continues to focused on the research, development and deployment of Lifetex chemical and biological defense fabrics—self detoxifying textiles containing reactive adsorbents—incorporated into personal and collective equipment for critical missions faced by the military, homeland defense and the responder community.
Further, Gentex produces a complete range of helmet accessories, such as helmet comfort liners, including the X-Liner; ballistic helmet suspension and retention systems, including the X-Harness; laser, high-contrast, clear and gradient bungee, step-in and track visors; ballistic optical armor, such as BOA and EPS-21 goggles; and helmet bags. To compliment the MBU oxygen masks, Gentex provides its customers with oxygen mask connectors, test sets and tools. Additional electro-acoustic products, such as electret microphones, are used in Gentex oxygen masks and comprise other military products made by other manufacturers.
Q: What is Gentex’s mission in the future?
A: As long as people set goals far beyond their physical and biological limitations, as long as the limits of physics have to be overcome, and as long as human safety needs have to be met, Gentex is focused on providing innovation products, materials and technologies. ♦