LEOMA and the US Laser Industry: The Good and Bad Moves for Trade Associations in Emerging High–Tech Industries

Hitz addresses the urgent issues that the Laser and Electro–Optics Manufacturer’s Association (LEOMA) tackled in the late 1980s, which will help guide future trade associations to handle related political and infrastructural issues from the industry. LEOMA– the Laser and Electro–Optics Manufacturers’ Association – is in many ways similar to trade associations that exist, or will exist, in other emerging, high–technology industries. Having dealt successfully with these initial obstacles, LEOMA went on to tackle other issues, perhaps less urgent, that confronted the industry. LEOMA and the US Laser Industry: The Good and Bad Moves for Trade Associations in Emerging High–Tech Industries describes the approaches, both successful and not, to the political and infrastructure issues addressed by the trade association. The intent is to provide guidance to those confronting similar issues, and help them avoid unsuccessful approaches. The key features highlight the problems that were dealt with, and solutions, both successful and unsuccessful, that were created by LEOMA. Begins with an introductory chapter on LEOMA, followed by subsequent chapters describing   specific issues that were handled by the trade association Includes end–of–chapter summaries, useful to similar trade associations Example of documents and approaches that LEOMA used successfully are included and could serve as a guide to other trade associations. Author is a renowned expert in the laser industry.  He served as Executive Director for LEOMA for 25 years (1980–2005). Hitz outlines the problems and issues that confronted the U.S. laser industry as it evolved from a loose collection of founder–managed companies into a mature industry.

C. Breck Hitz received his bachelor′s degree from Penn State University, USA and his master′s degree from Massachusetts State University, USA. He is the owner and principal of Photonetics Associates, USA , a consulting firm he created in 1975 after leaving a position as an R&D engineer at GTE′s Electro–Optics Organization. For two decades, he was executive director of LEOMA, the trade association for North American laser and photonics manufacturers. He has been an editor of all three trade publications established in the US photonics industry: Photonics Spectra, Lasers & Applications, and Laser Focus World