Customer proximity is considered one of the key success factors in global business. At DIOPTIC, it is a central component of every application-specific solution. This is just one of several reasons why the optics specialists from Weinheim are venturing across the pond with a subsidiary in the US. In May 2023, DIOPTIC Inc. was founded with headquarters in Rochester, NY.
Customer proximity through our new branch
Around 6,000 miles and six time zones lie between Weinheim and Rochester, NY. The city on the southern shore of Lake Ontario is one of the most important optical centers in the US. The success story of photography, for example, is closely linked to the Kodak Tower there, which remains an architectural landmark in Rochester. The importance of optics to the city’s history is also marked by a museum commemorating Kodak founder George Eastman. The industrial region in New York State is still characterized by optics. At the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester, laser fusion is being advanced in leaps and bounds.
Rochester as a hotspot for the optics industry
“The decision to choose Rochester as the location for our US branch was an obvious one,” explains Managing Director Jean-Michel Asfour. The optics, photonics and imaging industry is as diverse as it is innovative, and also draws on a close-knit network of teaching and research and development. “This helped us a lot in many decisions regarding the establishment of the subsidiary, and especially in recruiting,” the DIOPTIC boss recounts.
We are growing our team
In early April of this year, Thomas G. Brown, professor and director of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, invited Jean-Michel to the “Industrial Associates Symposium,” a kind of recruiting platform for graduates of the university. “We confidently mingled with the big players including Apple, Microsoft and Airbus during the three-day event and conducted a few interviews,” says Jean-Michel Asfour. One of the interviews was with the young physicist Kaitlin Dunn, of whom he was convinced would be an asset. Then everything happened very quickly: while she was defending her PhD, DIOPTIC Inc. was founded in May. Kaitlin Dunn has been working for DIOPTIC since July and had the chance to get to know the company and the team in Weinheim during a two-week stay in Germany.
Prioritizing strategic growth
“Katie is an outstanding physicist,” raves Jean-Michel Asfour, “who fits perfectly into the team. She will be a valuable support to us in the medium term, not only in sales but also on the development side.” Kaitlin Dunn’s primary task as branch manager will be to look after existing customers on site and also to acquire new customers. In the long term, the managing director naturally hopes that the presence in the US will open up new markets. The prospects are promising. Particularly in the forward-looking technology fields of the semiconductor industry, augmented and virtual reality, or the automotive industry, increased demand is to be expected. Here, DIOPTIC could score with its outstanding inspection systems not only with the global players, but also with small and medium-sized companies, which are particularly successful on the North American market.
Please contact:
Kaitlin Dunn, PhD
Branch Manager
Senior Optical Engineer
Phone: +1 (585) 551-2301
sales@dioptic.de