Omega Optical, a US-based manufacturer of precision optical filters and coatings, has been acquired by Artemis Capital Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm that partners with industrial technology companies.
Omega was founded in 1969 by Dr Robert Johnson. Its filters have been used in applications such as flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, spectroscopy, lidar, machine vision, and satellite imaging for global OEM customers in the life science, aerospace, instrumentation, semiconductor, environmental and industrial sensor industries.
'Having recently celebrated our first 50 years as a company, we are delighted to partner with Artemis and continue growing the company here in Vermont for the next 50 years,' said Omega founder Dr Robert (Bob) Johnson.
Artemis recruited John Ippolito, an experienced photonics industry executive, to join the Omega board and provide assistance with corporate development activities, including targeting and integrating future acquisitions. Ippolito said, 'Omega is a great first step in pursuit of building a larger optics business. The company has a strong position in several high growth end markets that we can build upon. We intend to be active acquirers of complementary businesses to quickly get to greater scale with an expanded product offering.'
Omega represents the first company of Artemis’s Optical Technology platform
Omega's existing management team of Thomas Smith, chief executive officer, and Dr Robert Johnson, now Omega’s technical director, have retained a significant ownership interest in the company, now known as Omega Optical, LLC, and will continue to lead the business going forward. Omega will continue to operate as an independent company from its headquarters in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Smith commented: 'With the strategic support of Artemis, we gain critical additional resources to build on Omega’s legacy here in Brattleboro. We will continue to pursue further job growth and employee development and be an active member of both the local community and the greater Vermont economy. Artemis’s understanding of our core markets, technology and value proposition allowed us to quickly align on the key priorities for Omega’s next phase of growth.'
Euan Milne, vice president at Artemis and new board member at Omega added: 'We are thrilled to partner with the talented Omega team and are honored to help build on the longstanding success of the company. Omega represents the first company of Artemis’s Optical Technology platform, which will serve the growing global demand for high precision, no-fail optical coatings, components and assemblies.'
