1950

Charles Garrett enlists in the U.S. Navy and attends a 6-month Electrician's Mate School, which begins his formal education in electronics. He quickly advances to the rank of Electrician Mate 2nd Class Petty Officer and is placed in charge of the 14-man electrical department on board the USS Bottineau (APA 235), an attack troop transport, during the Korean War.

1955

After his service in the Navy, Charles Garrett marries Eleanor Smith of Pennington, Texas. Eleanor is an elementary school teacher with the Nederland, Texas, school system. Garrett enrolls at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and begins working towards his Bachelors of Science degree in electrical engineering.

1959

Following Charles' graduation from Lamar University, the family moves to Dallas, Texas, where Garrett begins working for Texas Instruments. He becomes an integral part of the company's Space and Electronics division and helps design the solid-state amplifiers and power supplies for a data encoder which is used in the Mars-bound Mariner II spacecraft. He also designs the electronic radar scanning templates and controls for the F111 aircraft.

1967

By 1967, Garrett competes with more than 35 companies who have a standing history of manufacturing and selling metal detectors. He recognizes early that his detectors must offer better searching capabilities than those available from his competitors.

 

1968

Garrett sets up his first hobby trade show booth at the Prospector’s Club of Southern California, which captures the attention of the best known treasure hunting talent in the country.

Garrett establishes the first distributor outlet, “Bowen’s Hideout,” a store owned by Harry and Lucille Bowen, in Spokane, Washington. Realizing the tremendous value of a distributor network, Garrett begins placing ads to set up dealerships across the country.

Garrett becomes the first manufacturer to eliminate oscillator drift. He also designs and patents his revolutionary, independently-operated searchcoils which greatly improve treasure hunting efficiency.

Garrett is also the first to overcome searchcoil drift by inventing (and patenting) a special coaxial searchcoil winding technique.

These discoveries launch Garrett to the forefront of the industry. Many of his competitors close their doors or later acquiesce that the Zero Drift Revolution, as it is now called, changed the metal detection industry forever.

1971

The Zero Drift Revolution sparks a movement towards an industry-wide effort to create technology that competes on the same level as Garrett's new detectors.

Garrett Metal Detectors moves into a new 15,000 square foot facility and begins increasing production of its more sophisticated products.

Garrett introduces the first low cost metal detector - The Mini Hunter.

1973

Garrett introduces its first TR (Transmitter-Receiver) metal detector.

1974

The Gravity Trap Gold Pan is designed and patented by Roy Lagal of Lewiston, Idaho. Garrett begins worldwide distribution of this pan, which continues to be the world's most popular gold pan.

Charles Garrett publishes his first book, Successful Coin Hunting, and RAM Publishing is born.

1975

Garrett designs his first push button retuning circuit.

The editor of a national treasure hunting publication, The Association, contacts Garrett and offers to sell his detectors and gold panning products. He encourages Garrett to write a series of articles about his adventures, metal detection designs, hunting tips and advanced electronics precious metals locating technology.

1976

Garrett's engineering team, with Bob Podhrasky as chief engineer, begins rapid expansion into the Very Low Frequency (VLF)/TR ground mineral cancellation discrimination instruments. Garrett coins the term VLF.

1977

Garrett introduces the original GroundHog VLF/TR prospecting and general purpose detector.

 

1979

Garrett establishes The International Treasure Hunting Society, formed to bring treasure hunters together. This society soon sponsors the largest international treasure hunt ever conducted.

The five-day treasure hunt takes place at the 120-acre Trader's Village Market located in suburban Dallas. Over 2,000 treasure hunters attend and over $100,000 in prizes including a pick-up truck, are given away. Hundreds of ardent admirers visit Garrett's factory in Garland that year.

1980

A free newsletter is published, which is distributed throughout the treasure hunting world. Garrett's article series, which focuses on his treasure hunting successes as well as personal search and recover techniques, greatly increases interest in Garrett detectors. He continues writing for the metal detecting and electronic gold prospecting industries.

Garrett introduces a motion discrimination metal detector.

1982

Garrett conducts seminars to teach Utah Fish and Wildlife authorities how to find bullets in animals that had been killed by poachers. This seminar proves to be Garrett's first official law enforcement seminar, which has grown into The Garrett Academy of Metal Detection.
Garrett is awarded the first U.S. patent for the use of microprocessors in metal detectors.

1983

In September, Garrett is invited to develop a walk-through metal detector for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The tragedy of the 1972 Munich Games created an intense movement for increased security at the Olympics.

1984

By April, the engineers at Garrett Metal Detectors are working overtime to create the MagnaScanner, the company's first walk-through metal detector. That same month, Olympic Games Head of Security Ed Best visit's Garrett's offices to test and approve the new detector.

That year marks the first extensive metal detection screening efforts in the history of the Olympic Games. 60 walk-through detectors and 1,000 of Garrett's Pocket Probe hand-held detectors, as well as training, are supplied to the Olympic Games. The hand-held SuperScanner, one of today's most recognized security products, was first used at this event.

Garrett supplies 1984 National Republican Convention in Dallas, Texas, with security metal detectors.

1985

Garrett provides security training and products for the Egyptian Ramses Exhibit.

1992 (contd)

Garrett moves company headquarters and detector manufacturing to its current location on 1881 West State Street in Garland, Texas.

1994

Garrett introduces the world's first talking metal detector.

1996

Garrett introduces the Graphic Target Imaging (GTI) metal detector with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and true target size and depth for treasure hunting.

Garrett provides security metal detector training and products for the Atlanta, Georgia, Olympic Games.

1997

The Garrett Academy of Metal Detection is formally established to offer certification in the use of metal detection equipment in checkpoint screening applications such as airports and special events.

1998

Garrett provides security metal detector training and products for the Nagano, Japan, Olympic Games.

1999

Garrett introduces the PD 6500 Pinpoint walk-through detector, with multi-zone detection.

2004

Garrett celebrates its 40th anniversary on April 1.

Garrett introduces the Graphic Target Profiling (GTP) 1350 metal detector.

Garrett introduces the ACE series, the most advanced, low-cost metal detectors in the world.

2005

Garrett's ACE 150 and ACE 250 detectors become top sellers in the United States hobby industry and successfully debut in European markets.

2006

Garrett is featured on John Ratzenberger's hit TV series Made in America, which airs on the Discovery Network's Travel Channel.

Garrett installs 450 PD 6500i walk-through and 900 SuperScanner hand-held metal detectors at Olympic venues throughout Torino, Italy, for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

Garrett Metal Detectors is honored with the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) Award of Excellence.

Texas Congressman Sam Johnson joins Charles Garrett and company officials for the groundbreaking ceremonies for the company's expansion.

2007

Construction begins at 1881 W. State Street in Garland to expand Garrett's facilities to 100,000 square feet. The new Garrett home office houses an enlarged treasure hunting museum, a formal conference/training center for The Garrett Academy of Metal Detection training, and enlarged production and warehouse facilities.

2011