Thorlabs Buying OFR

Thorlabs, a Newton, N.J.-based developer of optical technologies, announced it is acquiring OFR Inc., a Caldwell supplier of optical components and systems to photonics markets for research and industrial applications. Terms were not disclosed.

OFR will continue operations at its Caldwell site, where it has a 12,500-sq.-ft. OFR manufacturing facility, adding to the Thorlabs design and manufacturing base that includes over 120,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space.

OFR products include both free-space and fiber-based optical isolators and circulators, high-performance objective lenses for laser machining and marking and its Fiber Bench series of optomechanical building blocks used by photonicsscientists, engineers and technicians to rapidly prototype complex optical systems that use free space and optical fiber-based light fields. Thorlabs' products are made in the USA, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the UK.

Thorlabs said in a statement, "OFR´s products have been adopted by a number of key market segments identified as critical to Thorlabs' future, including the core research markets as well as the rapidly growing high-power fiber laser and advanced imaging markets."

Alex Cable, president and founder of Thorlabs, said, "I believe that the combination of OFR and Thorlabs will be quite powerful and will be highly beneficial to the customers we serve.”

Donald Wilson, president and founder of OFR, said, "Thorlabs' outstanding manufacturing capacity will significantly increase OFR´s ability to meet our OEM customers' delivery requirements, something we critically need. At the same time, we will continue doing what we do best here at OFR: fiber-optic and isolator innovation and product development, thereby adding to the expanding product lines of both companies. Alex Cable´s call to me regarding a potential acquisition by Thorlabs could not have come at a better time. He and I have a longtime professional relationship built on mutual respect, and I think the fit is an excellent one."

For more information, visit: thorlabs.com