FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Safety Technology Holdings (STH) is pleased to announce the acquisition of OpTek Systems, a leading manufacturer of laser processing equipment and provider of micro-machining and optical fiber processing services. STH is a portfolio company of UK-based private equity firm Bridgepoint and is a holding company with well-known niche test and measurement sector companies including: vehicle safety company, Humanetics Innovative Solutions; specialty optical fiber manufacturer, Fibercore; and sensor manufacturer, HITEC Sensor Developments.
Founded in 2000, OpTek has built a reputation as one of the most highly respected providers of laser processing solutions, combining its core expertise in lasers, optics and laser materials interactions with a high-degree of automation. OpTek is headquartered in Oxford, UK and also operates a state-of-the-art processing ITAR compliant facility in Greenville, South Carolina. The company’s products include laser optical fiber processing and micro-machining equipment used in various mission-critical applications for which precision is crucial. OpTek is also a leading contract supplier of complex optical fiber assemblies and laser processing services including micro-machining and optical fiber stripping, lensing, fusing and cleaving.
Christopher J. O’Connor, President and CEO of Safety Technology Holdings commented, “We are very excited to welcome OpTek into our family of companies. OpTek’s innovative solutions and market leadership position complements our corporate portfolio well. By adding them to the STH family, we are able to enhance further our position in optical fiber solutions, giving us a deeper presence in this rapidly expanding market.”
“We have worked closely with the OpTek team for many years on a number of development projects and are excited for them to join us in the STH family. They have been an important partner for us and are highly respected for providing high-quality, innovative solutions at a competitive price point.” said Chris Emslie, CEO of Fibercore. “Whether for datacom connections, fiber sensors, medical filters or other highly technical systems, it is well known in the industry that OpTek is able to do things that are unmatched by even the biggest competitors.”
OpTek’s founder and CEO, Mike Osborne, will continue in his current role post-closing. Dr. Osborne commented, “STH is a first-class, highly technical and innovative organization with a long history of investing in niche market leaders. They have the size and technical capabilities to build on our past success and to help to accelerate our growth plans. Their portfolio companies offer complementary services to our own and we are excited about the many projects we will be able to pursue together. They are the perfect partner for us.”
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Safety Technology Holdings Inc.
Safety Technology Holdings Inc. is a leading provider of precision test systems and sensor solutions through its subsidiaries Humanetics Innovative Solutions, HITEC Sensor Developments and Fibercore. For over 65 years, Humanetics has been the leading global designer, manufacturer and supplier of crash test dummies and calibration equipment, crash sensors and instrumentation and crash simulation software models. Humanetics also offers a growing portfolio of active safety testing products for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, including over-runnable test platforms and driving robots. Subsidiary HITEC Sensor Developments designs and manufactures custom force, load, torque and pressure electrical strain gage and fiber optic sensor solutions and provide advanced strain gage application services. Fibercore manufactures the most comprehensive suite of specialty optical fibers used in a broad and growing range of applications including fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs), fiber optic hydrophones, fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) and embedded sensors. Safety Technology Holdings has over 800 employees across 21 facilities strategically located around the world with the global corporate headquarters situated in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA.
