Gentex Corporation
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Formerly called
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Klots Throwing Company |
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| Founded | 1894 in Carbondale, Pennsylvania |
| Headquarters | Simpson, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Website | www |
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.
The Gentex Corporation began operation as the Klots Throwing Company in Carbondale, Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. Initially located 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 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.
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.
Upon the entry of the United States into World War II, the company began 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 awarded the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for excellence in wartime production.
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