Over the past year, Vertex Optics has benefited greatly from the presence and expertise of our Director of Organizational Excellence, Bob Wiederhold. Bob has 50 years of experience in optical manufacturing and is now helping Vertex accelerate its vision that began when it was launched two years ago. Bob first met Vertex owners Jay Tierson and Joe Serio when they were just starting their optics careers at Optimax. Bob found them to be enjoyable to work with and could see how dedicated they were to learning their craft. He knew they had a great future in optics ahead of them. Bob followed their careers as Jay moved on to other companies to enhance his skills and experience, while Joe became a key contributor at Optimax.
Bob could see that Jay and Joe were destined to start their own optics company and in 2019 that prediction came to be. Bob retired Not long after Vertex was launched and it was only natural for him to visit, check out the new operation, and see if he could assist in any way. His involvement with Vertex started as one day a week and has now grown into a full-time position as part of the leadership team. Bob advises on everything from running the day-to-day business, down to hitting a form tolerance on an asphere.
Bob appreciates what he sees in the people at Vertex, and what they are building together.. There is an eagerness from the Vertex Team to take on new challenges and really be a company that their customers depend on. Bob feels that the team’s thirst for knowledge and their ability to take on challenges will make Vertex stand out from the crowd.
Jay stated that one of the most valuable advantages to having Bob as part of this young company is his experience being a part of growing companies. He has seen the decisions that have worked, and the decisions that led companies in the wrong direction. Jay said having that directional insight is critical to avoiding missteps and the difficult to see consequences of a wrong decision. That experience is priceless.
Joe added that “Bob is a wealth of knowledge. If there has ever been a technical question that I needed an answer to, I knew I could get an answer from Bob.” Joe continued that there were only 2 or 3 people he would go to at Optimax for guidance, and Bob was always his top choice. “Bob has always been a mentor to me throughout my career as well as my best advocate.”
At Vertex, “he helps us avoid pitfalls that he has already seen other companies’ experience.” Joe appreciates that Bob is unbiased in his opinions. “He will give us the pros and cons of each scenario we encounter, so Jay and I can make more informed decision.” That applies to organizational decisions as well as the process decisions made during manufacturing. “Bob instills confidence in our young technicians when providing them with instruction and guidance.”
Now in its third year, Vertex has been correctly viewed by customers as a prototype shop that takes on difficult designs with tight tolerances for systems that are in the testing and development stage. While Vertex will always take on challenging projects, it is continually refining its manufacturing systems to support projects when they move to the production phase. Bob’s unique experience is perfect to help a growing company implement the right systems at the right time.
Bob is also finding a great deal of satisfaction working with the young technicians at Vertex. As a group, he finds them to be hard working, not afraid to ask questions, and anxious to speed up their learning curves. They all appreciate what a huge benefit that will be to their own optical careers.
A quick look at Bob’s career in optics:
Eastman Kodak 1972 – 1980, 1989
Tropel 1980-1988
Hughes Optical Products 1990-1992
Hughes Elcan 1992-1993
II-VI 1993-1995
Melles Griot 1995-1997
Optimax Systems, Inc. 1997 – 2018 (2020)
Vertex Optics 2021
