Dear Gail,
I read with great interest your recent article in the September 15, 2008 issue of Optoelectronics Report. As the Chairman, CEO, and president of Research Electro-Optics (REO; Boulder, CO), I wanted to respond and provide further details about REO that you and your readers may find interesting. I will also make some comments about REO and Coherent’s (Santa Clara, CA) steps to outsource their Auburn optics work and to transition the activity to REO’s Boulder operation.
REO was founded by Robert G. Knollenberg in 1980 and is a private, wholly owned company with the stock being held by the founder and family, along with REO’s management and current and former employees. There are no external investors in REO. REO produces optical components and assemblies with industry-leading performance characteristics from the ultraviolet (UV) to the mid-infrared (IR) spectrum for top companies working in the aerospace/defense, semiconductor equipment, and commercial/industrial laser markets.
REO and Coherent reached an agreement and Coherent made a public announcement on April 16, 2008 that REO was purchasing assets of Coherent’s optics manufacturing operation located in Auburn, CA. Coherent and REO are currently in the process of transitioning the Auburn optics operation to REO’s 107,000 square foot facility in Boulder. REO offered jobs to each of the employees of Coherent’s Auburn optics operation, and a significant percentage of those employees accepted the positions and are in process of relocating to Colorado. We are pleased with our successful recruiting effort and look forward to the infusion of industry talent into our already significant infrastructure.
REO’s asset purchase of Coherent’s Auburn optics business and the merging of that activity into REO’s existing business in Boulder will position REO with a significantly expanded portfolio of capabilities. New process technologies for optical coating and fabrication, diamond turning, metrology, and assembly will allow REO to offer industry-leading optical products over a broader spectral range from the deep UV to the far IR.
Gail, I would like to personally invite you and your associates to visit REO’s operation in Boulder and to become better acquainted with a leader in the optics industry.
Regards,
Terry Moshier
Chairman, CEO, and president,
Research Electro-Optics