Garrett Metal Detectors and its Founders Celebrate Milestones

Garrett Metal Detectors and its Founders Celebrate Milestones

More than 250 Garrett Metal Detectors employees gathered on April 1 to celebrate both the 50-year anniversary of their company and the birthday of its founder, Charles Garrett.

Garrett Metal Detectors and its Founders Celebrate MilestonesWhen Garrett, now 82, began designing detectors, his original goal was simply to build a better tool for his own treasure pursuits than what he could purchase. The U.S. Navy veteran and electrical engineer had developed a passion for treasure hunting as a child. His wife Eleanor finally challenged him to either give up his tinkering with electronics or put his inventions on the market.

Charles and Eleanor created their company in 1964, initially operating from the garage of their own home. In the early days, the couple was happy to ship only several detectors a month.

“Our first sales were made from our home in Garland, Texas,” said Eleanor Garrett. “We built, packed and shipped metal detectors right out of our garage.”

Today, their family-owned business is one of the world’s largest producers of hobby, security and countermine detectors. Garrett security products are used to protect patrons of airports, schools, government, sporting events, hospitals, national landmarks and corporations. Garrett’s security metal detectors were the first to be used to help protect the Olympic Games. Garrett’s hobby detectors have discovered significant history around the world and are featured on television in programs such as the National Geographic Channel’s series “Diggers.”

Although the size of Garrett’s manufacturing facilities has changed over the decades, the operation still remains in Garland, Texas, where it all began.

“I feel like I’m at home,” Garrett expressed to his employees, who gathered to celebrate his birthday. “I guess that’s because Garrett Metal Detectors has always been like our second home.”

Vaughan Garrett, a company vice president and son of the Garrett founders, spoke at the anniversary celebration.

“The two standards that my mother and father used to launch Garrett Metal Detectors were: to provide the best metal detector at a reasonable price and to provide the best customer service, bar none,” he said. “I will add a third standard, and that is to always have our detectors made in America.”

Bob Podhrasky, a senior vice president for Garrett, offered optimism for the future of the company.

“The Garrett’s have always made this a family business,” he said, “and the family of Garrett employees is excited to start working on the next 50 years.”

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.