Company History

Nearly 60 Years of Engineering and Industrial Controls Experience

Phares Sensors traces its roots to 1967, when founder Paul Phares established Phares Electronics Corporation in Toledo, Ohio. What began as a company developing closed-circuit television systems and consumer electronics eventually evolved into a specialized manufacturer of industrial control equipment.

Today, Phares Sensors builds on more than 40 years of experience serving the industrial controls market. Thousands of Phares systems have been installed worldwide, helping manufacturers monitor equipment, detect loss of motion, and protect production processes.

A “Can Do” Approach to Engineering

Paul Phares brought more than technical knowledge to the business. He was a World War II Navy Seabee with the 72nd Naval Construction Battalion, which built an airstrip on Japanese-occupied Guam. The Seabees were known for their “Can Do” spirit, and that attitude became part of Paul’s approach to engineering and business.

When others said a customer’s problem could not be solved, Paul looked for a way to make it work. That practical, problem-solving approach became part of the company’s culture: understand the problem, develop a workable solution, and build equipment that can stand up to real-world conditions.

From Electronics to Industrial Controls

By 1980, Phares Electronics was producing primarily industrial products. Operations moved from Toledo to an industrial facility in Erie, Michigan, and in 1982 Paul’s son, Alan Phares, became president.

The company expanded its industrial product line with tachometers and related components, and its industrial customer base grew. During the 1990s, Phares focused exclusively on industrial control products and expanded its manufacturing capabilities to handle larger orders.

In 1998, the company moved to a larger facility in Monroe, Michigan. The following year, Phares introduced its second generation of tachometers and zero speed switches. Over time, proprietary products became the company’s primary focus, replacing much of its earlier contract manufacturing work.

Experience Built Around the Real World

Phares products have always been influenced by practical field experience. As former installers, the engineers at Phares understand that industrial equipment must do more than work on a test bench. It has to be straightforward to install, easy to understand, reliable in demanding environments, and capable of solving the problem it was designed to solve.

That experience continues to influence the design of Phares zero speed switches, tachometers, speed sensors, and related products. Features are developed with the installer, maintenance technician, engineer, and equipment operator in mind.

The result is equipment designed to make installation faster, startup easier, and troubleshooting simpler—while providing dependable speed and motion monitoring for conveyors, bucket elevators, fans, dryers, feeders, and other industrial machinery.

Continuing the Tradition

In 2007, the business moved to the Tampa Bay area of Florida. In 2019, the company adopted the name Phares Electric to better reflect its electrical equipment product line.

Today, the company is becoming Phares Sensors & Automation – a name that more clearly describes what we make and the problems our products help solve.

The name is changing, but the foundation remains the same: decades of industrial-controls experience, practical engineering, American manufacturing, and a commitment to helping customers keep their equipment running.

From Paul Phares’ “Can Do” approach to today’s speed-monitoring technology, Phares Sensors continues to build practical solutions for industrial automation.