Local, little laser giant happy to remain that way.(Business)

Publication: The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM)

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COPYRIGHT 2000 Albuquerque Tribune

Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678

Not all small companies want to sell out or go public.

Managers at Decade Optical Systems Inc. want the company to stay small, privately-owned and local.

Decade Optical, which is one of three related companies including Decade Products Inc. and Armstrong Laser Technology Inc., celebrated its tenth year in business on March 10. Founder and President Fred Way is happy to still be in New Mexico, happy to be in business and looking forward to a bright future for all three companies.

"It's a different environment to be in a small high-tech company," Way said. "You really have to want it. It's not for people who necessarily want job security. But if you're into freedom, small business is a great thing."

Decade Optical is not Way's first startup company. He founded two other startups before it. The first, in 1983, was Spectron Laboratories Inc. The second, in 1985, was Electro-Optical Systems Inc. Both businesses were bought out when they were still fairly young, and both were disbanded within a year of being bought out.

"That's a terribly disappointing...

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