LOHJA, Finland -- nLIGHT announced today that Heikki Ihalainen, a veteran in the fiber optic industry, has been named General Manager of its Fiber Division in Lohja, Finland.

Mr. Ihalainen was most recently with Nextrom Oy, a major fiber optic equipment manufacturer, and spent 13 years in fiber development and manufacturing with Nokia Cables and NK Communications.

Bill Willson, Managing Director of nLIGHT’s Fiber Division stated, “We are truly delighted to bring Heikki into this key leadership role with nLIGHT. He has a very unique combination of education, skills and experience which fits very well with the operation in Lohja. The nLIGHT Management team and the team in Lohja look forward to working with Heikki.”

Mr. Ihalainen commented that “I have followed LIEKKI almost since its inception and have always been impressed in their core Direct Nanoparticle Deposition (DND) fiber process and the progress they have made over the years. It is a testament to the Lohja team that they were able to persevere and to make the business a success. I feel honored to join this strong team and am anxious to begin working with them.”

nLight Photonics