G&H boosts aerospace & defense capabilities with acquisition of Global Photonics

15 May 2025

Deal follows opening of new Life Science Innovation Hub in Rochester, New York.

G&H, (Gooch & Housego), has announced the expansion of its U.S. operations with the acquisition of Global Photonics, a developer of military and aerospace-focused optical systems and thin film coatings, which is based in Trinity, Florida. G&H says the deal will strengthen its Optical Systems division and establish G&H Tampa as a “U.S. Center of Excellence for Optical Systems”. The announcement closely follows the opening of new Life Science Innovation Hub in Rochester, New York, on May 1st (see below).

The company stated, “This acquisition significantly extends G&H’s presence in the U.S. aerospace and defense market and marks an important step towards replicating the success of the Group’s optical systems hub in the UK by establishing a full optical systems engineering and manufacturing capability in the United States.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Global Photonics supplies optical systems for military land applications, including periscopes and fire-control systems, instrumentation for air platforms and other precision optics. Its expertise in cleanroom lithography, photolithographic reticle fabrication, ion beam etching and advanced thin film coatings will complement G&H’s manufacturing capabilities.

G&H described the transaction as “another speed to value” acquisition, adding: “this acquisition will allow us to support Global Photonics with the wider capabilities of G&H particularly in laser protection filtering and complex optical system design, enabling them to secure further business through their established relationships with U.S. defense prime contractors.”

Charlie Peppiatt, Chief Executive Officer of G&H, commented, “Global Photonics is a strong strategic and operational fit for G&H, bringing deep application expertise, strong relationships with U.S. defense primes and complementary manufacturing capabilities to our growing Optical Systems division. This acquisition accelerates our plan to become the partner of choice for high-precision optical systems in both the UK and the U.S. and opens exciting new growth channels in North America.”

“The establishment of a full optical systems engineering and manufacturing capability in the U.S. for the Aerospace & Defence market mirrors our successful strategy for the U.S. healthcare sector with the recent opening of our G&H Innovation Hub for Life Sciences in Rochester NY.”

G&H opens new Life Science Innovation Hub in Rochester, NY

Earlier this month, G&H announced the opening of its Innovation Hub for Life Sciences in Rochester, New York. It stated, “By this new addition, we are leveraging our 45-year history and leadership delivered through the G&H ITL facility in Ashford, UK, to now bring that offering to the life science market in North America.”

The Innovation Hub for Life Sciences has been under construction since 2023. The new facility is designed to “bridge the gap between R&D activities and full-scale production,” the company stated, “reducing time-to-market for a myriad of life science applications.” By housing research, prototyping, and ISO:13485-certified, high-volume manufacturing under one roof, G&H is providing partners with seamless support from concept to commercialization.

At the launch, Bryan Bothwell, Executive VP, Life Sciences at G&H, commented, “Most R&D institutions focus on research and prototyping. What we have learned through our extensive manufacturing experience for medtech applications is that even if you have the most brilliant idea, that does not guarantee it being translated into something that can be made to scale.”

“Not only are we planting a flag in one of the most innovative cities in the United States, in terms of talent and synergy opportunities, but we will be one of the few companies delivering full-service engineering design and commercial manufacturing specifically for medical devices in the region. Our goal with this new Hub is to focus on translating innovation into quality and cost-accessible production.”

The Rochester facility also caters to specific volume medical consumable manufacturing needs, as it has a long-standing history of precision injection molding, and now has the infrastructure for more than 100-million medical consumable devices per year.