To focus on its North American nanopositioning customers, PI (Physik Instrumente) GmbH & Co. KG, based in Karlsruhe/Palmbach, Germany, has formed PI (Physik Instrumente) LP in the US. The company's head office, located in a new 18,000-sq-ft facility in Auburn, Mass., serves the East and Canada, while a second office in Tustin, Calif., operates for the West and Mexico.

Previously in the US, PI was jointly owned with Polytec and known as Polytec PI. The companies have been separated so that each can focus on its distinct market and build on its brand awareness, according to Brian Lula, president of the new company.