OUR FOUNDER

A. T. Parker, the founder of Solar Electronics Company, was born in 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri, and spent his early years there and in Chicago, Illinois. Mostly self-taught in higher mathematics and electronic engineering, he worked at Bendix Radio in Baltimore, Maryland, and learned on the job. During World War II, he designed radio communications receivers and served as systems engineer, designing the aircraft systems wiring for all electronics used aboard the American bombers that flew in that war.

After World War II, Mr. Parker worked for Western Airlines in the communications department. In 1947 he joined Stoddart Aircraft Radio Company in Hollywood, California. As chief engineer, he designed and supervised the design of radio interference and field intensity receivers on Navy contracts. These receivers were the first to be designed specifically for measuring what is now called EMI.

In 1957 he joined with the late Fred Nichols and the late Jerry Rothhammer in organizing the first technical group devoted to radio interference, which at that time was considered a “black art”. The group was called PGRFI, Professional Group on Radio Frequency Interference. Several years later, this became the nucleus of the EMC professional group of the IEEE. (In 2010, the IEEE referred to itself as “the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology”, having the most members of any technical professional organization in the world, with more than 350,000 members in over 130 countries.)

OUR COMPANY NAME

Before launching Solar Electronics Company, and long before solar technology was mainstream, Mr. Parker was involved in engineering sun-guided window louvers for a high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles. Very little about that project is known, other than that he thought solar energy had future potential, and that the use of the sun in a company logo would help project the image of a forward-looking company.

OUR COMPANY HISTORY

In 1960, Mr. Parker, along with his wife and capable business partner Dorothy N. Parker, organized Solar Electronics Company in Hollywood, California. In 1962 its engineers began designing and supplying ancillary test items for use in EMI laboratories. By 1963, the company had two sales representatives in California, one in Glendale and one in San Carlos.

New products were always under development. Over the years, these items have included spike generators, audio sources, current probes, injection probes, LISN’s and many other devices, some of which are still viable products today.

In 1994 Solar Electronics Company was described by its founder as a “successful manufacturing organization,” having developed many innovative, interesting and useful products . . . devised to aid EMI engineers . . . in complying with various test specifications.”

At that time, thirty-four years since its inception, the company introduced new items annually. Mr. Parker called them “unique items ranging from ancillary, auxiliary devices and gadgets, to full-fledged instruments. Not only useful but essential, for performing EMI tests. You might say we have ‘pioneered’ many of these devices, since we have been in the forefront of designing specialty items to make the job in the screen room easier. But we are not resting . . .”

Under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Solar Electronics Company grew and prospered. By 2000 Mr. Parker was able to state: “The company is well known throughout the world, with sales offices in more than twenty countries. The integrity of the staff and the quality of the products have earned the company an enviable reputation.”

For more than twenty-five years, the Parkers nurtured their company toward success. After Mrs. Parker’s passing in 1988, Mr. Parker continued working and designing new products right up to his passing in 2001. The family, unaware of the depth and breadth of Solar Electronics Company’s influence, was humbled and gratified by the letters of sympathy that came from around the world. One well-traveled EMI/EMC engineer, whose career spanned forty years, stated that every lab he ever visited had Solar Electronics products on its workbenches.

The current owners purchased Solar Electronics Company from the estate of A. T. Parker in 2001, wishing to carry on in memory the Parkers, two wonderful and hard-working individuals. We continue to provide many of the products originated here at Solar Electronics and are committed to research and development for new ones.

 OUR PURPOSE

Our purpose continues to be the design and manufacture of high-quality specialty test equipment to aid engineers in conforming with stringent government and military specifications for EMI/EMC/RFI.

 After more than half a century, we remain, in our founder’s words, dedicated to the idea that “the impossible just takes a little longer.”