Navitar Buys Special Optics

Navitar, a Rochester, N.Y., maker of precision optics and optomechanical assemblies, announced it has acquired Special Optics, a Wharton, N.J., maker of optical assemblies for long-range surveillance, laser scanning, laser projection, ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared applications. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 1965, Special Optics provides custom, precision optical and electro-optical products for medical imaging, semiconductor metrology, digital projection, laser projection, laser scanning, digital radiology, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, missile tracking, and homeland security and defense applicaitons.

Julian Goldstein and Jeremy Goldstein, co-presidents of Navitar, said Special Optics rapid prototyping and lens design capabilities will increase its product lines and enhance its lens-manufacturing and volume production capabilities, especially for military contractors and commercial accounts that want to outsource optics-based assemblies.

David Manzi, president of Special Optics, said, “With the design and prototyping strengths of Special Optics combined with the financial strength and production capabilities of Navitar, we can now accommodate anything from custom optical assemblies used in long-distance surveillance or unmanned aerial vehicles to over 1000 units per year for precision lenses used in new biomedical applications."

Special Optics has 18 employees in positions including design/engineering, manufacturing (including master opticians), sales/marketing and production. Its operations will remain the same, and its employees will stay at the NJ facility, Navitar said. Navitar, which said it plans to maintain the existing philosophy of Special Optics, has offices and subsidiaries in the US, Japan, Germany, China, Israel and the UK. Its recently released 2008 product catalog features optical products with applications in machine vision, automation, assembly, imaging, measuring, inspection and biomedical sciences, including new double-sided telecentric lenses and an expanded line of megapixel, compact and wide-angle fixed-focal-length machine vision lenses.

For more information, visit: www.navitar.com