ROCHESTER, NY---Navitar Inc., a manufacturer of precision optics and imaging system components, celebrates its 40th anniversary. The Rochester, NY-based company will celebrate its successes over the past forty years with employee and customer appreciation events throughout the year.

“Navitar’s success lies in both the high quality of our products and the caliber of people we employ,” says Julian Goldstein, co-president of Navitar. “We are proud of our legacy and strive for continuous improvement in all we do. From our Zoom 6000 imaging lenses to our custom projection optics, quality and innovation are at the heart of our operations.”

In 1946, David Goldstein and two friends formed Elgeet Optical. In the 1950s and 1960s, Elgeet’s products were used in movie cameras, missile tracking devices and microscopes. In 1960, the Elgeet-Navitar 8millimeter F1.5 wide-angle lens was produced for TIROS-1, the world’s first television and infrared observation satellite, now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Twelve years later, Goldstein reorganized and Navitar was born. In 1994, brothers Julian and Jeremy Goldstein purchased Navitar, Inc. from their father, and have continued his legacy through innovation and continuous improvement.

The company made a lasting impact on the world of optics in 1984 with its introduction of the Zoom 6000 lens system, which has expanded into a family of lenses ideal for dozens of applications. Over the next two decades, Navitar made strategic acquisitions of several companies. The purchase of Buhl Optical (Pittsburgh, PA) expanded offerings in the projection and video lens markets. In 2008, Special Optics in Wharton, NJ was purchased, leading to explosive growth in Navitar’s custom lens design capabilities.

Navitar employs workers in production and shipping, engineering, international and domestic sales, marketing, accounting and purchasing, and executive management. Employees average 15 years with the company.