Oviedo, FL - November 6, 2012 –OptiGrate Corp has been recognized with the President’s Award by the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida (MACF) in the Small Manufacturer category. Every year this award goes to one company in each category: small, medium, and large manufacturers.
“This award is a significant milestone for us,” says Dr. Alexei Glebov, OptiGrate’s CEO and President. “OptiGrate being recognized as a small manufacturer of the year clearly shows that we succeeded in transitioning advanced university research into commercial products that we manufacture now at our own production plant in Oviedo, FL, and deliver to hundreds of customers all over the globe.”
Today, OptiGrate is a company with 30 employees that more than doubled in the last 3 years. OptiGrate spanned out from the College of Optics at the University of Central Florida (UCF/CREOL) in 1999. In its early years OptiGrate was supported mainly by R&D programs from US government agencies such as NASA, DARPA, Navy, Air Force, and others. The government funding allowed OptiGrate to develop and bring to market the unique technology of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) currently generating most of OptiGrate’s revenue.
“OptiGrate demonstrated a good example of efficient synergy between academic research, government funding, and commercial success”, adds Alexei Glebov.
About OptiGrate Corp
OptiGrate Corp, founded in 1999, pioneered and successfully brought to market the innovative technology of volume Bragg grating based optical filters. The unique optical components made by OptiGrate enable dramatic performance improvement of laser systems, vast miniaturization and cost reduction of analytical instruments and ultrafast lasers for medical, pharmaceutical, defense, nanotech, and other applications. OptiGrate supplies holographic optical components to more than 400 customers on 5 continents. Additional information about the company can be obtained at www.OptiGrate.com.