Photonic component and systems manufacturer Gooch & Housego PLC has acquired lens developer StingRay Optics LLC. Gooch & Housego says potential synergies include leveraging the company’s greater reach through global sales teams and expertise in manufacturing infrared precision optics and specialist coatings. "The acquisition of StingRay meets our strategic aims of moving up the value chain and diversifying the business through increasing our footprint in the aerospace & defense sector,” said Mark Webster, CEO of Gooch & Housego. “It is a profitable and growing business in its own right, which has established an excellent reputation in the U.S. defense industry for the high quality of its custom optical assemblies. As part of the bigger G&H family, we believe it will be able to fulfill its true potential by leveraging our greater reach and our complementary manufacturing and technical capabilities. We are very much looking forward to working with StingRay's talented management and workforce.” Gooch & Housego researches, designs, engineers and manufactures advanced photonic systems, components and instrumentation for applications in the aerospace and defense, industrial, life sciences and scientific research fields.