Barloworld Limited - Melles Griot sells UK manufacturing facility to ThorLabs,
Inc
Barloworld Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of
South Africa)
(Registration number 1918/000095/06)
(Share code: BAW)
(ISIN: ZAE000026639)
("Barloworld")
Melles Griot sells UK manufacturing facility to ThorLabs, Inc
Melles Griot, the laser and optics arm of International industrial brand
management company Barloworld has sold the assets of its United Kingdom
manufacturing facility at Ely in Cambridgeshire to ThorLabs, Inc. Melles Griot
activities in Ely are focussed on manufacturing nanopositioning systems for high
precision alignment applications as well as full vibration isolations systems
and optical tables. The move is part of an ongoing process of product
rationalisation within Melles Griot to concentrate on its core businesses of
Lasers, OEM Optics and Components Distribution.
Melles Griot has manufacturing facilities in Carlsbad, California, Rochester,
New York, and Tamagawa, Japan and is a leading supplier of phototonics products
and components used to create, control and position light. In 2003 eighty
percent of Melles Griot"s $ 89 million (R 563 million) revenues were OEM based,
split equally between Lasers and Optics.
Melles Griot will retain a UK sales office and Information Systems operation.
These will move to Huntington which is also in Cambridgeshire. Melles Griot
employees in Ely will continue to work for the operations under ThorLabs, a
company specialising in optical technologies.
ThorLabs president and founder, Alex Cable says the new engineering and
manufacturing base acquired from Melles Griot will enhance the services it
provides to its customers in the UK.
Blake Fennell, chief executive officer for Melles Griot says: " This move will
enhance our ability to concentrate on and invest in our core business and result
in a leaner, more focused organisation."
For further information contact Mark Drewell, Head of Corporate Communication at
Barloworld, on (011) 445 1204, email: mdrewell@barloworld.com
Date: 07/04/2004 05:15:20 PM Produced by the JSE SENS Department
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