Julie Smith of Worthington inspects optical lenses for lasers at II-VI in Saxonburg. The company has grown recently with the purchase of firms in Berlin and Florida.

SAXONBURG — II-VI opened its doors because Carl Johnson and his employees learned how to grow special crystals.

But crystals aren't all that's growing for II-VI these days. The company is growing as well, not only in Butler County and across the United States, but around the world as well.

Robert Ireland, vice president of technical marketing and sales for II-VI's Infrared Division, said while carbon dioxide laser optics manufacturing is the strength of the company, other products and acquisitions are insuring II-VI's global market position.

Thirty-seven years ago, Johnson began manufacturing high-powered industrial lasers and replacement equipment.

Now the company makes amber-colored lenses that focus laser light to radiation detectors used by the Office of Homeland Security. II-VI also makes high-powered electrical and microwave components for nuclear medicine.

The company's past and future is based on crystals made from elements such as cadmium and tellurium (CdTe) or zinc and selenium (ZnSe).

Even the name of the company comes from these elements, as the first element in each of these crystal "pairs" comes from Column II of the Periodic Table of Elements and the second element in the "pair"comes from Column VI. Scientists refer to such crystals as "II-VI" compounds.

II-VI and its subsidiaries — eV Products, VLOC, Exotic Electro-Optics, and separate divisions for silicon carbide and advanced materials research — now boast 2,216 jobs worldwide, including workers in Europe, Japan, Vietnam, China and Singapore. There are 1,162 U.S. jobs and 556 employees in Saxonburg.

Back in 1971, Johnson concentrated on the carbon dioxide laser market, developing the CdTe optics needed for the lasers by growing the crystals for the lenses, learning how to precisely grind them and then to coat them with different materials for different applications.

Now II-VI is known for its attention to detail that comes from the addition of its clean rooms and specialty trained engineers and workers.The company that began 37 years ago continues to find new uses for its expertise including telecom products, missile guidance systems and thermoelectric components for aerospace, defense and medical industries.Ireland said in 2007, the company bought VLOC in Florida, a firm that makes laser rods and optics for military and telecommunications industries; and Marlow Industries of Dallas, which makes thermoelectric coolers for a wide range of industries including military, medical, lasers and telecommunications.Most recently, Ireland said, II-VI bought HIGHYAG in Berlin. HIGHYAG is on the opposite side of the laser industry that II-VI has been involved with for so long. The German company makes welding heads for industrial lasers."Used in the automotive industry, HIGHYAG's products weld metal together, whereas our lasers cut metal apart," he said.Already popular in the manufacture of automobiles in Europe and Asia, the welding technology is beginning to grow on American manufacturers, so Ireland and II-VI see HIGHYAG as a growth market.While II-VI grows, one of its growing pains is finding enough qualified employees, and by qualified Ireland doesn't necessarily mean ones familiar with lasers and optics, as the company does a large amount of employee training."What we look for are employees with values, who are honest and trustworthy," Ireland said. "These are the type of people who help II-VI to continue to get better at what we do worldwide."

Brian Crissman of Kittanning reviews the coating process at II-VI in Saxonburg.