Gentex was originally founded as a manufacturer of high-quality fire-protection products

The market had long-recognized the need for better smoke detection, and in 1974, Gentex introduced the world's first dual-cell photoelectric smoke alarm.

It quickly became the commercial industry benchmark because it is less prone to false alarms and designed to quickly detect slow, smoldering fires.

This technology became the foundation for our current products, and today, millions of Gentex smoke detectors and signaling devices can be found in schools, dormitories, hotels and hospital buildings throughout North America and the world.