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Empire Precision Plastics acquires assets of optical companyEmpire Precision Plastics acquires assets of optical company

Empire Precision Plastics Inc. (Rochester, NY) has purchased the physical assets of Light Wave Enterprises Inc. (LEI), a Rochester-based polymer optics, diamond turning and thin-film coating company. The acquisition of LEI's assets will give Empire Precision new capabilities in optical tooling and molding with a high level of precision, according to the company.

Clare Goldsberry

March 12, 2012

2 Min Read
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Empire Precision Plastics Inc. (Rochester, NY) has purchased the physical assets of Light Wave Enterprises Inc. (LEI), a Rochester-based polymer optics, diamond turning and thin-film coating company. The acquisition of LEI's assets will give Empire Precision new capabilities in optical tooling and molding with a high level of precision, according to the company.

LEI's equipment has been moved into Empire Precision's Rochester facility and should be operational soon. In addition to the equipment acquired by Empire Precision, LEI's technical staff has been hired on. Additionally, LEI's founders, Rex Fisher and Chuck Devereese, will continue to provide consulting services to Empire Precision under their new name, Devtex Consulting Group.

"Integrating optics design and production capabilities into our precision molding operation will help make Empire a complete solutions provider for many engineered injection molding applications," said Neal Elli, Empire's president. "Acquiring this capability—both the equipment and a highly skilled support staff—complements our existing business plan, allowing us to offer our domestic and international customers a much broader array of precision component and contract manufacturing services."

Empire Precision is a privately held firm specializing in design, engineering, molding, component assembly, testing and inventory services for the medical/surgical, military, aerospace, electronic, and consumer products industries. The company operates 45 presses, including the molding equipment bought from LEI, ranging from 20 to 300 tons, in a 42,500-sq-ft facility. The company is ASQ-Certified, ISO 13485-2008 registered and has a staff of more than 60.

"We did a limited number of optical components previously, but this gives Empire Precision the capabilities to build the precision required for optical parts," said Markus Lettau, director of sales and application engineering for Empire Precision. "The high level of expertise of LEI in optical parts now allows Empire Precision to provide full sub-assemblies. Previously, LEI was supplying the optics, and its customers would get the other parts for the assembly from other companies. We can now supply the complete optical and other molded components sub-assembly. It will be a good fit for Empire Precision and complements our business quite well."

Elli added that the new cutting-edge manufacturing and metrology operation will ensure that stringent customer specifications for optical applications are consistently met. "We also see benefits of applying our engineering support and knowledge on optical assemblies," said Elli.

About the Author

Clare Goldsberry

Until she retired in September 2021, Clare Goldsberry reported on the plastics industry for more than 30 years. In addition to the 10,000+ articles she has written, by her own estimation, she is the author of several books, including The Business of Injection Molding: How to succeed as a custom molder and Purchasing Injection Molds: A buyers guide. Goldsberry is a member of the Plastics Pioneers Association. She reflected on her long career in "Time to Say Good-Bye."

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