From the UK to Florida, discover how Gooch & Housego’s tech conquered global defense markets
Over seven decades, Gooch & Housego (G&H) has built a reputation for supplying high-quality products that are hard to make and have a long in-service lifetime. Specifically, the company provides photonics engineering and manufacturing solutions for industry, telecoms, aerospace, defense, and space and life sciences. By leveraging its world-class expertise in photonics technology, G&H enables its customers to innovate and stay competitive.
“As a global leader in optics and photonics engineering, we specialize in designing and manufacturing advanced optical components, systems and technologies. Spanning more than 75 years, our history is rooted in precision optics and photonics for scientific, defense and industrial applications. Over the years, we have grown from a UK-based optics house to a global group, with facilities across the US, Europe, and Asia. Today, we serve demanding markets including aerospace and defense, life sciences, semiconductors, and quantum technologies. All these markets are united by the need for high-performance photonics and optical solutions,” opens Charlie Peppiatt, CEO.
Charlie goes on to describe some of G&H’s flagship solutions. “We offer a broad portfolio of acousto-optic devices, fiber optics, crystals, electro-optics, precision optics, and optical systems with advanced coatings. Additionally, we design and manufacture the building blocks of lasers and photonic instruments. Our full solutions deliver complex assemblies and subsystems for aerospace and defense programs, life sciences applications and advanced industrial platforms. Moreover, we specialize in vertically integrated design and manufacturing of medical devices, bio-photonic consumables, and diagnostic technologies, guiding projects from concept through regulatory approvals to volume production. At G&H, we take pride in our ability to combine deep technical know-how with end-to-end delivery.”
To support customers across the globe with its one-of-a-kind solutions, G&H has established a strong acquisition strategy that has enabled both increased coverage and enhanced capabilities. “I joined G&H in September 2022 and spent my first six months engaging with our main customers and listening to their needs. Following that, I conducted an in-depth analysis of the business to establish a refreshed strategy aimed at positioning G&H as a customer-focused, innovative technology company. Our goal is to create a better world through photonics and become the first choice for our customers, employees, shareholders, local communities, and ecosystem partners. The first phase of this strategy was launched in June 2023, initially targeting the UK and European markets, with a particular focus on our Optical Systems business within the defense sector. We aimed to revitalize this part of the group and ensure the appropriate integration of advanced optical systems into all UK and European defense primes. To that end, we upgraded our existing facilities and made several bolt-on acquisitions. In July 2023, we acquired Plymouth-based Artemis Optical, followed by Phoenix Optical in October 2024 in North Wales. These acquisitions empowered us to enhance our capabilities alongside our existing operations in Ilminster and brought additional thin film coating and processing integration capabilities to our portfolio.
“Subsequently, we decided to extend that same proposition into North America for our Optical Systems business, particularly targeting the defense and aerospace
sectors. We have facilities in Moorpark, California, and a business in New Hampshire called G&H | Stingray, which specializes in integrated sighting and imaging systems with a defense focus. However, certain elements of our combined one-stop-shop solution were missing. When we identified Global Photonics as a target, we worked for over a year to secure this opportunity and integrate it into our group to strengthen G&H. We were pleased to announce the completion in June of 2025. Based in Tampa, Florida, Global Photonics provides us with unique capabilities in complex optical assemblies, lithography, and advanced thin film coating, all with a large facility that is currently only 50 percent utilized. This acquisition not only enhances Global Photonics’ existing business but also allows us to leverage the Tampa facility as the main center of excellence and manufacturing hub for all our US defense operations, with plans to expand into other sectors as well,” Charlie expands.
The strategic acquisition of Global Photonics in Florida strengthens G&H’s position in the face of US and global tariffs. “Part of our strategy revolves around catering to markets like aerospace and defense, where technological sovereignty and manufacturing locations are important. By establishing in-region design, manufacturing, and scaling capabilities, like we have in the UK and Europe, we are now focusing on a ‘Made in the US’ approach for the US defense prime market. This strategy helps us address some of the challenges associated with tariffs and their direct implications. While there is wider disruption, caution, and hesitation due to the uncertainty of the current tariff landscape, I believe that in the medium to long term, we are well-positioned to take advantage of our expertise in photonics and optical systems within the region,” Charlie says.
In closing our conversation, Charlie reflects on the current industry and technology landscape. “The world is experiencing immense technological shifts, from AI to clean energy and national security. Optics and photonics are central to many of these transformations. At G&H, we are proud to be part of this forward momentum, and we are committed to pushing innovation, both in our products and in our growth strategies aimed at creating a better world through photonics. The next chapter for G&H is about bold ambition, disciplined execution, and unlocking value for all our stakeholders,” he ends.