Laurin Publishing Owners Inducted into Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame

PITTSFIELD, Mass., Oct. 7, 2005 -- Teddi C. and Francis T. Laurin, owners of Laurin Publishing Co. Inc., have been inducted into the Western Massachusetts Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Laurin publishes the leading photonics trade magazine, Photonics Spectra, and The Photonics Directory, as well as the Photonics.com Web site.

Francis Laurin is president and Teddi Laurin is founder and CEO of the publishing company. The Laurins are two of only seven individuals to be inducted this year into the hall of fame, located in Scibelli Enterprise Center in the Springfield Technical Community College Technology Park. The Western Massachusetts Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame was established in the fall of 2000 to recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional entrepreneurial spirit in the region. It honors creativity, innovation, perseverance and business acumen, as well as significant contributions to the community and commitment of time, resources and energy to fostering success in others.

In 1962 Teddi Laurin joined Dr. Clifton Tuttle in his fledging optical directory business, working to define the industry for the first time. In 1964 the Laurins purchased Tuttle's company, which later became known as Laurin Publishing Co. In 1967 Teddi Laurin founded and launched Optical Spectra, which soon gained repute as the industry's leading trade magazine. In 1982 the magazine's name was changed to Photonics Spectra to reflect the growing influence of major new light-based technologies.

Today the worldwide distribution of Photonics Spectra is more than 100,000. The company's Photonics Directory -- a four-book set including the Corporate Guide, Buyers' Guide, Handbook and Photonics Dictionary -- is the standard reference source for the industry. Teddi Laurin has cofounded an additional 14 publications to serve the needs of the photonics industry, including Biophotonics International and EuroPhotonics magazines.

According to Teddi Laurin, the company created the name of the industry -- photonics -- to "encompass the interrelated light-based technologies, much as 'electronics' encompasses the electron-based technologies." The term was readily adopted industrywide and has become the cornerstone of Laurin’s mission to define and promote new developments in the entire range of photonics, focusing strongly on current and future applications in industry, business, science and consumer-related technologies.

Teddi Laurin has been a director of the Optical Society of America and SPIE and is presently a fellow of the Laser Institute of America. She has received numerous national and regional awards. Francis Laurin attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and cut short his engineering career to join his wife in the publishing business. The Laurins are active members and supporters of arts, environmental and cultural organizations, particularly those that assist children. Francis is a director of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf and established the Laurin Audiological Center in Pittsfield. He has received awards from Shriner's Hospital and Willie Ross.

Laurin Publishing has more than 80 employees at its headquarters in Pittsfield and has editorial and sales offices in Colorado, Chicago, Florida and New York, as well as overseas offices in London, Dusseldorf and Tokyo. It publishes Photonics Spectra, Biophotonics International and EuroPhotonics magazines; The Photonics Directory, the PhotonicsWeb Directory, Photonics Showcase and www.Photonics.com.