Avo Photonics announced it is celebrating its fifth year of continuous operation. The Horsham, Pa.-based custom optoelectronic design and contract manufacturing house was founded in November 2003 by Dr. Joseph Dallas and David Winick to serve the military, aerospace, medical and telecommunications markets. To date, Avo said it has produced nearly 1 million optical assemblies for its more than 20 customers. In addition to its headquarters, Avo has a division in Toronto and has also begun interactions with a high-volume sister investor company in Juarez, Mexico. "We are often kidded for stating at many customer kick-off meetings, 'A photon is a terrible thing to waste.' We really mean it. We make every effort, from the optomechanical analysis through material selection, and during submicron alignment manufacturing, to respect our customers' need for delivering an efficient, low-cost product," Dallas said.