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Gentec acquires Spectrum Detector

09 Jun 2010

Gentec Electro-Optics hopes to boost its presence in the US with the acquisition of Spectrum Detector.

Gentec Electro-Optics of Canada, a leading player in the laser beam measurement market, has acquired US-based laser and terahertz measurement manufacturer Spectrum Detector. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition expands Gentec Electro-Optics' product offering in currently untapped markets, and adds Spectrum Detector's expertise to the company's long experience in the laser measurement business.

"Spectrum Detector's products are so remarkably complementary to ours that the decision to acquire the company was simple to make, and both sides are very excited to work together," said Michel Giroux, president and CEO of Gentec Electro-Optics.

Spectrum Detector was formed in 2006 and since then has developed an extensive line of sensors and instruments for laser and terahertz measurement, and has provided NIST with many custom instruments used as optical calibration transfer standards. These products are seen to be in areas left untouched by the other laser measurement players.

"Classic laser measurement products were already out there, so when we founded Spectrum Detector we decided to aim wider and pursue applications that were ignored by others," commented Don Dooley, president and founder of Spectrum Detector.

Gentec Electro-Optics has a long history in the laser measurement field, with 40 years of experience. The company's product portfolio includes large aperture calorimeters to measure the highest pulse energies. Thanks to its unique calorimeter technology, Gentec Electro-Optics has a strong presence in all of the major inertial confinement laser fusion laboratories around the world.

With the addition of Spectrum Detector's products, Gentec Electro-Optics says that it can now offer measurement solutions for the rapidly expanding terahertz market, ultra-sensitive optical joulemeters for applications down to femtojoules, instruments for pulse-to-pulse energy measurements up to 130 kHz and optical TRAP detectors that act as primary calibration standards, to name a few.

With the acquisition, a new entity has been formed. The new company, named Gentec-EO USA, Inc., employs all former Spectrum Detector employees, with Don Dooley as general manager. By creating this entity, Gentec Electro-Optics aims to strengthen its presence in the US.

The acquisition is reported to have gone smoothly. "It's one of those win-win situations that you always look for when doing business, but that are usually very difficult to find," said Giroux.

"We have the highly specialized complementary products and Gentec has the high quality mainstream products, the sales force and a strong presence in the market; only good things can come from that association," said Dooley.

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