Optimax Systems

About Optimax Systems

Optimax Systems, founded in 1991, is a privately held manufacturer specializing in custom high-precision optical components and systems. The company was started by former Eastman Kodak employees, with Mike Mandina being the first official employee, initially operating out of a barn in Webster, New York. Over the years, it has grown significantly, moving to its current location in Ontario, NY, in 1996 and expanding its facility multiple times to now over 120,000 square feet. The leadership team includes CEO Rick Plympton and President Joseph Spilman, who succeeded Mandina. Plympton and Mandina, both from blue-collar backgrounds, were inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame in 2018.

The company manufactures a wide array of precision optics, including aspheres, freeforms, spheres, cylinders, and plano/flat optics, up to 400mm in size. It also provides optical coatings such as anti-reflection coatings, beamsplitters, and various mirrors for applications from DUV to mid-IR. Optimax serves a diverse client base across the aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and medical device industries. Its business model focuses on the rapid prototyping and manufacturing of custom, high-quality optical components, famously offering delivery in as fast as one week, a significant reduction from the industry standard. This is achieved by leveraging computer-controlled machining and a cellular manufacturing approach where a technician can oversee a product from raw material to a finished component.

A key milestone was the acquisition of Gould Precision Optics in 2001, which helped expand its workforce. The company has demonstrated consistent growth, with an average revenue growth of 20 percent a year and a workforce of over 400 employees. In 2020, to ensure its long-term stability and values, the owners established an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), guaranteeing that the company can never be sold and that profits will always be shared with employees. Optimax has also launched Starris, a subsidiary focused on providing modular, pre-tested optical payloads for the commercial space industry, aiming for a one-year turnaround from idea to orbit.