In this episode of Focus on Precision, host Justin Starbird and POC VP of Sales and Marketing Clay Schwabe sit down with the leadership team at Ross Optical to pull back the curtain on the critical bridge between global supply chains and high-precision engineering.
Joining the conversation are Divi Mangadu, President of Ross Optical, and Carlos Penalbert, Sales and Coating Engineer. Together, they discuss how Ross has evolved from a 1980s lens manufacturer into a sophisticated metrology and sourcing powerhouse within the Precision Optics Corporation (POC) family.
What you'll learn in this episode:
How ROSS Optical transitioned from high-volume domestic manufacturing to building a resilient global network of suppliers across Taiwan, South Korea, and Europe.
Why the 2019 merger with Precision Optics was a game-changer, combining POC’s high-level design engineering with Ross’s worldwide sourcing and high-volume production capabilities.
A look at the El Paso lab’s technical edge, using Zygo verifiers, Trioptics instruments, and Keyence microscopes to ensure every component, from 3mm to 150mm, meets exact specifications.
How the team navigated the shift from 25% to 50% tariffs with near-zero late shipments through aggressive inventory management and risk mitigation.
Why "people answering the phone" and inventory buffering (keeping 99.9% of common parts in stock) remain the foundation of their customer loyalty.
Why the optics industry is currently "booming" and how savvy OEMs are placing orders years in advance to stay ahead of market trends.
Tune in today!
