Clark Brothers Instrument

What Clark Brothers Instrument does

Clark Brothers Instrument Company, founded in 1959 and headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan, is a privately held US manufacturer of mechanical and electrical gauges, senders, flexible shafts, and related instrumentation. The company is family-controlled, with 11-50 employees, and operates across two principal segments: heavy-duty commercial vehicles (heavy trucks, off-highway, specialty, and construction equipment) and US military ground vehicle platforms. Its product line is organized into five series — Deluxe, Heavy Duty, International, Industrial, and Military — engineered as drop-in replacements for legacy Stewart Warner and Siemens-VDO gauge systems, including part numbers that the original manufacturers have discontinued. Customization options include custom graphics, resistance matching, anti-fog and anti-glare coatings, and domed lenses, supporting both OEM fit and aftermarket replacement demand.

The military segment is the strategic anchor of the business. Clark Brothers holds Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) approval from the US Department of Defense for MIL-I-10986, MIL-I-26525, and A-A-52508, and Qualified Products List (QPL) approval for MIL-DTL-10215 covering mechanical speedometers, tachometers, flexible shaft assemblies, cores, right angle drive adapters, and bulkhead connectors. Named military customers include the US Department of Defense, AM General, BAE, Boeing, General Dynamics, and Oshkosh Trucks, with applications spanning the Humvee, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, M1 Abrams Tank, armored personnel carriers, missile launchers, and howitzers. The commercial segment targets heavy-truck and off-highway OEMs and aftermarket customers through direct sales, a downloadable PDF catalog (GC0906), and trade show participation including the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week Conference.

Revenue is generated entirely through hardware sales under direct OEM supply relationships, direct Department of Defense contracts, and aftermarket catalog distribution. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and quotes are handled through the Customer Service Department. Marketing is narrow: a company website with product pages and catalog downloads, customer service email and phone channels, and trade show presence. The company was recognized by Inc. magazine in 2007 as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held US companies; however, no recent operating, funding, or product signals are present in the available source material.

Name

Clark Brothers Instrument

Legal name

Clark Brothers Instrument Company

Website

https://clarkbrothers.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clark Brothers Instrument Company is a Shelby Township, Michigan-based manufacturer of mechanical and electrical gauges and senders for heavy-duty trucks, off-highway equipment, and military vehicles, supplying defense OEMs and the US Department of Defense.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle Instrumentation and Gauges

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Highway Vehicle Cabs, Frames & Attachments Manufacturing (Cabs/Booms/Buckets/Implements) (IMACAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Military & Tactical Off-Highway Vehicles (Armored, Tactical Mobility) (IMAHAIAJ), Vocational/Work Truck Manufacturing (Dump/Refuse/Mixer/Utility) (IMACABAF)

Keywords

• Vehicle instrumentation gauges
• Military specification gauges
• Heavy duty truck gauges
• Speedometer cable assemblies
• Off highway instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelby

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Gauges and Instruments Sales: Sale of mechanical and electrical gauges, senders, and related instrumentation products for heavy-duty, industrial, and military applications. Products include speedometers, tachometers, pressure gauges, temperature gauges, fuel level gauges, ammeters, voltmeters, pyrometers, hourmeters, compasses, and vacuum/turbo boost gauges.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Clark Brothers Instrument manufactures a complete line of mechanical and electrical gauges and senders for heavy-duty trucks, off-highway vehicles, specialty vehicles, and military/defense applications. The portfolio is organized into five product series — Deluxe, Heavy Duty, International, Industrial, and Military — and is engineered to be drop-in compatible with Stewart Warner and Siemens-VDO gauge systems, including applications no longer available from the original manufacturers.

Product overview

Clark Brothers Instrument Company manufactures a complete line of mechanical and electrical gauges and senders organized into five product series: Deluxe Series, Heavy Duty Series, International Series, Industrial Series, and Military Gauges. The Deluxe, Heavy Duty, and International Series offer gauges compatible with Stewart Warner brand products, while the Industrial Series is compatible with Siemens-VDO products. Military Gauges include specification-compliant products for US Department of Defense applications. The company also offers replacement options for applications no longer available from original manufacturers like VDO and Stewart Warner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deluxe Series Gauges Mechanical and electrical gauges and senders compatible with Stewart Warner Deluxe Series and other major North American gauge manufacturers, suited for heavy truck, off-highway, and specialty vehicle use.
• Heavy Duty Series Gauges Mechanical and electrical gauges and senders compatible with Stewart Warner Heavy Duty Series and other major North American gauge manufacturers, suited for heavy truck, off-highway, and specialty vehicle use.
• International Series Gauges Mechanical and electrical gauges and senders compatible with Stewart Warner Heavy Duty Plus Series and other major North American gauge manufacturers, suited for heavy truck, off-highway, and specialty vehicle use.
• Industrial Series Gauges Complete line of mechanical and electrical gauges and senders compatible with Siemens-VDO Industrial Series, suited for heavy truck, off-highway, and specialty vehicle or equipment use.
• Military Gauges Military-specification gauges including fuel level, pressure, temperature, and voltmeter gauges manufactured in accordance with MIL-I-10986 and MIL-I-26525 for vehicles and weapon systems such as Humvee, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and M1 Abrams Tank, also QPL approved for MIL-DTL-10215 mechanical speedometers, tachometers, flexible shaft assemblies, right angle drive adapters, and bulkhead connectors.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Continental (VDO): Owner of the Siemens-VDO Industrial Series that Clark Brothers' gauges match. As a global automotive electronics incumbent, Continental offers the same heavy-duty/off-highway instrument categories but with vastly greater scale, broader portfolio and active investment in digital cockpits.
• Ametek: Diversified manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices for industrial, aerospace and defense markets. Overlaps with Clark Brothers in precision measurement instrumentation for rugged environments, though Ametek serves far broader end markets at much larger scale.
• Sensata Technologies: Global supplier of sensors and electrical protection components for automotive, heavy-duty, off-road and aerospace applications. Comparable in producing measurement and monitoring devices for heavy vehicles and military platforms, but with much larger scale and a more digital/sensor focus.
• Honeywell International: Diversified industrial conglomerate with a sensing and instrumentation portfolio serving aerospace, defense and industrial markets. Overlaps with Clark Brothers in measurement and control instrumentation for military and heavy-duty applications, but at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Stewart Warner: Original manufacturer of Heavy Duty Plus, Heavy Duty and Deluxe gauge series that Clark Brothers' products are engineered to be drop-in compatible with. They are the legacy standard in heavy-duty truck and industrial instrumentation, making them the closest analog peer despite Clark Brothers filling their discontinued part numbers.
• Faria Beede Instruments: US-based manufacturer of analog and digital gauges for marine, industrial, heavy-duty and specialty vehicle markets. Comparable product categories (speedometers, tachometers, pressure/temperature gauges) and customer overlap in heavy-truck and specialty vehicle segments make them a directly analogous peer.
• Datcon Instrument: Producer of industrial and heavy-duty instrumentation including hourmeters, ammeters, voltmeters, temperature and pressure gauges for off-highway, construction and specialty vehicles. Highly comparable product portfolio and customer base in industrial vehicle instrumentation.
• Beede Electrical Instruments: US manufacturer of panel meters, industrial gauges and instrumentation for heavy equipment, military and process industries. Comparable analog and digital measurement products, custom engineering capability, and overlap in defense and industrial customer segments.
• Auto Meter Products: Specialty manufacturer of performance and industrial gauges including speedometers, tachometers and pressure/temperature gauges. Overlaps with Clark Brothers in heavy-duty and specialty vehicle instrumentation, with a similar build-to-spec customization approach.
• ISSPRO: Manufacturer of heavy-duty engine and vehicle instrumentation including mechanical and electrical gauges for trucks, construction and military-style applications. Comparable focus on rugged analog instrumentation for commercial and off-highway vehicles aligns closely with Clark Brothers' product line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clark Brothers Instrument