1 November 2011

Intense appoints chief commercial officer Laughlin as CEO

Intense Inc of North Brunswick, NJ, USA, which makes monolithic laser array products, high-power single-emitter laser diodes, and electro-optical subsystems, has appointed Kevin Laughlin as CEO.

Intense says that, as a 26-year veteran of the industry, Laughlin has a broad array of experience, from laser design and optics applications to senior-level positions in product management, sales, and marketing. Most recently, he was chief commercial officer at Intense, where he worked with the management team and investors to consolidate its business units in North Brunswick and Glasgow, Scotland, UK. These now form a single US site that provides global manufacturing, sales and service for laser diode components, electro optical sub-modules, and fully integrated, turnkey laser systems.

“With Intense’s individual business units and investor base now consolidated, we are well positioned to take advantage of the new growth opportunities in the industry,” Laughlin reckons. “Post-consolidation. we will continue to invest in technology, people, and product development,” he adds. “Engineering and manufacturing capabilities, innovative QWI [quantum well intermixing] technology, and highly skilled employees combine to produce unique packaged laser solutions that are paving new paths in defense, print, medical, and industrial applications.” 

Laughlin was Intense’s first US employee when he was hired as VP of sales in 2006. In 2007, with its acquisition of High Power Devices Inc in North Brunswick, he took on the role of VP of global sales & business development for both the UK and US business units.

Prior to Intense, Laughlin worked at Nuvonyx in St. Louis, MO, USA as VP of sales & marketing. He has also held management positions at PRC Laser in Landing, NJ and Strippit/LVD in Buffalo, NY.

Laughlin is former chairman of the Industrial Laser Advisory Board for the Laser Processing Consortium at Penn State Applied Laser Research Lab. He is also a former chairman of the AMT's Laser Products Systems Group and has acted as chairman of many technical laser conferences.

Laughlin is currently an active member of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA), Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT), Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and Laser Institute of America (LIA). He has also published more than 40 technical papers and articles, and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Robotics.

Tags: Intense

Visit: www.intenseco.com