Oviedo-Based OptiGrate Corp. Earns President’s Award from Manufacturers Association of Central Florida

OVIEDO, Fla. --- OptiGrate Corp. in Oviedo has earned the President’s Award from the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida (MACF) in the Small Manufacturer category. Dr. Alexei Glebov, chief executive officer and president of OptiGrate Corp., said the annual award is a significant one for the company. “This award is a significant milestone for us,” Dr. Glebov said. “Recognition as a small manufacturer of the year clearly shows that we succeeded in transitioning advanced university research into commercial products that we manufacture now at our own production plant in Oviedo and deliver to hundreds of customers all over the globe,” he said. Over the past three years OptiGrate doubled its workforce to 30 engineers, specialists and technicians. OptiGrate spun out from the University of Central Florida’s College of Optics (UCF/CREOL) in 1999. In its early years OptiGrate was supported mainly by R&D programs from US government agencies such as NASA, DARPA, Navy, Air Force, and others. The government funding allowed OptiGrate to develop and bring to market the unique technology of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) currently generating most of OptiGrate’s revenue. “OptiGrate demonstrated a good example of efficient synergy between academic research, government funding, and commercial success,” Dr. Glebov added. OptiGrate is a graduate of the UCF Business Incubator in the Central Florida Research Park in east Orange County.