G&H acquires Gould Fiber Optics to improve access to aerospace and defense customers
Gooch & Housego (G&H; Ilminster, England) has acquired fiber-optic components and subsystems specialist Gould Fiber Optics (Millersville, MD). The companies say that this acquisition strengthens G&H's position as the world leader in fused fiber-optic technology and provides enhanced access to strategic US aerospace and defense customers.
Founded in 1978, Gould Fiber Optics (GFO) is a supplier of key enabling components into tier 1 US aerospace and defense customers. The Gould product range is highly complementary to that of G&H. Whilst G&H is the leading manufacturer of high reliability undersea fused fiber-optic components, together with a strong presence in the life sciences and fiber laser markets, Gould specializes in the supply of polarization-maintaining fiber-optic components to the US defense market.
This acquisition enables G&H to take another step towards meeting its strategic objective of further diversification in its core markets. GFO brings the technology and routes to market required for G&H to access the US Aerospace and Defence fiber optic market, an area that had previously been largely denied to the Company, due to International Trade in Arms (ITAR) regulations. In turn G&H’s much larger US sales and business development resources and the combined broader based product portfolio should provide the platform for greater expansion within this sector.
Mark Webster, G&H CEO, said, "This acquisition enables us to take another step towards diversifying our business, allows G&H access to previously restricted markets, as well as reducing, still further, the Company’s dependency on what remains a cyclical micro-electronics sector. Gould Fiber Optics is a high quality business, with a long standing tier 1 Aerospace and Defence customer base, complementary technology and a strong financial track record. We are very much looking forward to working with Gould, management, staff and customers."
SOURCE: Gooch & Housego; https://goochandhousego.com/gould-fiber-optics-acquisition
Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)
Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.