Rochester Precision Optics expands facility

West Henrietta, NY--In a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rochester Precision Optics (RPO) officially opened the $10.7 million, 43,000-sq-ft expansion to its 65,000-sq-ft John Street facility. The company has about 180 employees and expects to add 150 new positions over the next three years.

William Hurley, who formed the company in 2005 by acquiring the manufacturing technology, IP, and assets of Kodak Optical Imaging Systems, said RPO's growth had been limited by space constraints. RPO now anticipates doubling revenues over the next two years as it expands into additional optics offerings such as custom products and engineering solutions. It built up its engineering capacity with last year’s acquisition of Rochester-based ASE Optics.

RPO also has facilities in Londonderry, NH, and Shanghai, China, and did consider out-of-state locations for this expansion before securing funding support from New York's Empire State Development agency. In addition to expertise in aspherical precision glass molding, traditional optics fabrication, and diamond turning, the company offers vertically integrated support functions such as thin film coatings, comprehensive design and manufacturing capabilities, and high volume production of lenses, assemblies, and sub-assemblies.