Optimax Systems, Inc. was a small startup operating out of a barn in the mid-90s, and today it’s America’s largest precision optics manufacturer. Optimax employs 460 people and counting in Rochester, NY, supplying complex optics for NASA, key programs in government research and defense, and many commercial applications. Rick Plympton, CEO of Optimax, talks with Luminate’s Director of Technology Integration, Damon Diehl, about the company’s roots, the shift to an employee ownership trust, and the many ways Optimax continues to create a great environment for people to work.
Addressing the critical shortage of optics technicians; Alexis Vogt, 3 October 2022: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/12213/122130C/Addressing-the-critical-shortage-of-optics-technicians/10.1117/12.2633117.full?SSO=1
00:00 – Intro 01:08 – How Rick Plympton got started at Optimax
01:56 – Why Optimax formed an employee owned trust (EOT), its primary tenets
04:06 – Building corporate culture through values; empowering people with organic leadership
07:31 – Providing continuous training and education opportunities
09:23 – Hiring for attitude not aptitude
10:33 – The path ahead — for Optimax, its employees, and the place they call home
12:57 – Rick’s final advice for startups and growing businesses
