Founded in 1939 by Erwin Panish, Panish Controls is located in the historic whaling community of Black Rock, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. The first control produced was the Type 9, designed specifically for the WWII Coast Guard 83 foot Sub Chasers .
In fulfilling this critical need during the early forties, Panish Controls won two coveted Army/Navy "E" awards for excellence in wartime production. Ever since, Panish Controls has been a valuable supplier to the US Military and militaries of the world..
Naturally, after the war effort, this military heritage spilled over into the many other facets of boating. In the years following, the Type 9 found its way on board many of the era's finest motoryachts, eliminating the need for engine telegraph systems. Marine remote control systems had come of age.
Subsequent designs were engineered for many other military vessels, motoryachts, ferries, workboats. The fifties saw the introduction of the patented "interlock" control, which prevented shifting at high engine speeds. Through the fifties and sixties, in addition to the expanding pleasure and workboat markets, Panish Control systems were specified for use aboard many minesweeper (MSO, MSB) and landing craft classes (LCM-6, LCM-8, LCU, etc.) and many other military vessels.
While continuing to supply systems
for additional classes of military vessels, the sixties and seventies saw
a need for controls for the tournament sport fishing boat. Until
this time, the only practical ways to control the engines from the tuna
tower were either push-pull cables (which in that day were not particularly
efficient) or wire-over-pulley systems (which were spongy feeling, high
maintenance, and extremely difficult to install). Our experience
with ball bearing cable control systems for the military provided a
perfect solution for the increasing needs of the sportfisherman.
Many of the country's premier boat builders and naval architects were specifying
Panish Controls - from 35 to 65 foot sportfishing boats to 100 foot "gold platers."
In the early eighties, we introduced
the revolutionary Series 5000 control system. There
was finally a multiple point, smooth, positive and efficient, single lever
control system that was easy to install and above all, safe. It was
in demand immediately, and was specified for use aboard many sportfishing
boats and motoryachts, in addition to many classes of naval vessels
(YP, TWR, LCU). It is used by the Air Force (Missile Retrievers),
Army Corps of Engineers, ferry boat operators, and Coast Guards around the
world. Attempts to copy the concept of the Series 5000
system have come up short, and today it still stands alone as the premier
mechanical single lever control system.