Optimax President Joe Spilman recently interviewed with Greater Rochester Enterprise to discuss the future of Optimax, why Rochester is an optimal location for the optics industry, and how Optimax “carries the Rochester optics flag around the world and beyond” (RochesterFirst.com).

Joe stated in the interview, “This is an exciting time at Optimax…Earlier this year we celebrated our 30th anniversary, and, along with that milestone, we are celebrating a tremendous amount of growth and success. We manufacture optics that are used in some of the most demanding photonics applications. For Optimax to work at that leading edge of technology and to do it successfully for years requires that we continuously push ourselves forward and change as a company to stay ahead of rapidly evolving technologies and markets. That’s really the key to our growth.”

Joe also discussed his new role as President of Optimax, saying, “I am new to this position and me taking on this role is symbolic of the leadership passing from the generation that built Optimax from the ground up to our new leadership team that will carry us into the future. This leadership team and all of us here share an ambitious vision for Optimax. We have grown significantly through the years, but, in many ways, we are just getting started.”

In terms of optics' applications, Spilman said, “The technologies that will fuel our growth are diverse…Optimax’s focus will be on high-end and advanced technologies, applications that require engineering, and problem-solving. A good example of these applications is our work in space and astronomy and in particular our support of NASA and its missions. We have been involved in every Rover NASA has sent to the surface of Mars. ”

Watch the full-length interview here.