NKT Photonics (Birkerød, Denmark), which supplies fiber lasers and photonic-crystal fibers, has entered into an agreement to acquire ultrafast laser maker Onefive (Regensdorf, Switzerland).
Onefive's ultrafast lasers portfolio, which includes femto- and picosecond systems, serves customers in the medical and life science segments, as well as in industrial material processing and scientific markets. The company employs 41 people at its Switzerland headquarters and in a smaller site in Berlin, Germany, under the name Advanced Laser Diode Systems.
NKT Photonics' increased activity level in the Material Processing segment will be an add-on to Onefive's strong presence in the medical market. Here, the company's ISO13485 certification is an important requirement, and supply and support to the medical market will continue and expand going forward.
The agreement is subject to certain customary closing conditions, and is expected to be closed in the beginning of September 2017.
Update: In addition to the acquisition, NKT Photonics has appointed Don Riddell as chief operating officer (COO), a role in which he will be responsible for managing the company's three manufacturing sites in Denmark, the UK, and Germany.
Riddell previously served as COO of SPI Lasers (Southampton, Hampshire, England), and brings extensive experience in laser manufacturing, automation, and supply chain management. His new appointment will become effective September 1, and he will relocate to NKT Photonics' headquarters in Denmark.
For more information, please visit www.nktphotonics.com and www.onefive.com.
