What Methode Electronics makes

Methode Electronics is a custom-engineering Tier 1 supplier that designs and builds mechatronic products across four technology areas: user interface, LED lighting, sensors, and power distribution. On the user-interface side it produces touch panels, touchscreens, center stacks and consoles, ergonomic switches and knobs, and industrial radio remote controls through business units including Methode Automotive, TouchSensor, Grakon, and Hetronic. Its lighting portfolio runs from automotive forward, rear, and ambient lighting to heavy-duty work lamps, delivered through Grakon, Nordic Lights, Pacific Insight, Hamsar, and BMAC.

The sensor line covers magneto-elastic torque, Hall-effect, eddy-current, and field-effect designs measuring position, displacement, fluid level, force, and speed. Power distribution is a core franchise: Methode pioneered laminated busbars in the 1960s and today supplies busbars, battery disconnect units, and insert-molded leadframes used in electric-vehicle battery systems and power electronics. The company describes itself as vertically integrated, with in-house assembly, decorating and painting, electronics and PCB assembly, metal stamping and plating, injection and insert molding, and a full validation-test lab suite.

Financial performance

Methode is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MEI, and its fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to April 30. For fiscal 2026, ended May 2, 2026, the company reported net sales of $1,019.2 million and a net loss of $35.7 million. That followed net sales of $1,048.1 million and a net loss of $62.6 million in fiscal 2025, and $1,114.5 million with a net loss of $123.3 million in fiscal 2024. Revenue has softened at roughly 3 percent a year, while the reported loss has narrowed for two consecutive years.

The company attributes the recent pressure to North American automotive program roll-offs, delayed and cancelled electric-vehicle programs, and operational costs at its Mexico facilities, which created a period of launch and inventory spend ahead of the matching revenue. As of May 2, 2026, Methode held $139.6 million in cash against total debt of $325.0 million. Automotive is its largest segment at about 45 percent of revenue, and electric-vehicle work represents roughly 18 percent of total sales.

Ownership and history

William J. McGinley founded Methode in Chicago in 1946 with $1,000 and a plan to build custom-engineered electronic solutions. The company patented an early printed-circuit socket in 1951, became a public printed-circuit-board maker in 1966 under the symbol METH, and moved to the NYSE as MEI in 2007. Along the way it built durable OEM franchises, including the automotive Clockspring airbag connector introduced in 1989, of which it has produced more than 75 million units.

Growth since has come largely through acquisition: TouchSensor and Hetronic in 2007 and 2008, Pacific Insight and Procoplast in 2017, Grakon in 2018, and Finland-based work-lights maker Nordic Lights in 2023. Methode surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2019. In 2026 it relocated its corporate headquarters to the Detroit area, in Southfield, Michigan, closer to its automotive customer base. Jonathan B. DeGaynor serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, with Laura Kowalchik as Chief Financial Officer.

Certifications and quality

Methode operates a decentralized quality model in which its business units maintain quality management systems suited to their markets. In automotive, IATF 16949 is the sector standard that OEM programs require, and the company states it holds the relevant plant-level certifications; its Datamate division reports ISO 9001:2015, its Power Solutions Group facilities in Illinois and Malta have held AS9100 for aerospace and defense work, and it operates laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. These are reported here as company claims at the division and plant level rather than a single company-wide certificate.

Known customers

Methode supplies major automakers but does not disclose a full customer roster, which is normal for a program-based Tier 1. Its five largest customers account for roughly 41 percent of consolidated net sales, and a single customer represents about 10.9 percent. Documented programs include laminated busbars supplied to General Motors for electric-vehicle battery systems and product on Stellantis platforms. Historically, Methode built the first integrated center-stack console for Ford in 2010 and won a General Motors Supplier of the Year award in 2006. The company notes it operates without guaranteed volume contracts, which ties its results to customer production schedules and demand forecasts.

Frequently asked questions

What does Methode Electronics make?

Methode Electronics makes custom-engineered mechatronic products in four areas: user interface and human-machine interface (touch panels, center stacks, switches, industrial remote controls), LED lighting, sensors (torque, position, fluid level), and power distribution (laminated busbars, battery disconnect units, leadframes). It serves automotive, commercial-vehicle, industrial, and appliance customers.

Who owns Methode Electronics?

Methode Electronics is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MEI. It was founded in 1946 by William J. McGinley and has been a public company since 1966. It has no controlling parent; ownership sits with public shareholders.

What is Methode Electronics' annual revenue?

Methode reported net sales of $1,019.2 million for fiscal 2026, which ended May 2, 2026, down from $1,048.1 million in fiscal 2025. The company posted a net loss of $35.7 million in fiscal 2026, narrower than the $62.6 million loss the year before.

Where is Methode Electronics headquartered?

Methode Electronics is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, in the Detroit area, having relocated there in 2026 from its original Chicago base. It operates more than 35 sites across roughly 14 countries, with manufacturing in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Who are Methode Electronics' customers?

Methode supplies major automotive OEMs and commercial-vehicle makers. Documented programs include laminated busbars for General Motors electric-vehicle battery systems and product on Stellantis platforms. Its five largest customers make up about 41 percent of net sales, with one customer at roughly 10.9 percent.

What certifications does Methode Electronics hold?

Methode uses a decentralized quality model. Its automotive plants hold IATF 16949, the required automotive standard, while specific divisions report ISO 9001:2015, AS9100 for aerospace and defense work, and ISO/IEC 17025 lab accreditation. These are maintained at the plant and division level rather than as a single corporate certificate.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.