Bookham finalizes move of headquarters to U.S

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, Sept 17, 2004

Bookham Inc., formerly Bookham Technology plc, completed its planned reincorporation in the U.S. this week, and began trading on the Nasdaq exchange on September 10.

Founded in the U.K. in 1988, Bookham perfected its concept of "ASOCs," or "application-specific optoelectronic circuits," in the 1990s. While the company was hammered by the 2001 telecommunications recession, it later benefited from the decision by many OEMs to halt internal optical component manufacturing.

Bookham acquired the manufacturing lines of Nortel Networks and Marconi Communications in 2002, and later acquired Ignis Optics Inc., the assets of Cierra Photonics Inc., New Focus Inc., and Onetta Inc., broadening its portfolio to a range of tunable lasers, thin-film filters, and erbium-doped fiber amps.

Bookham's board announced its plans for a U.S. reincorporation in July, and received approval in August from a shareholder meeting convened by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Bookham will maintain operations in Abingdon, U.K., in addition to its San Jose, California, headquarters. It also has manufacturers in Canada, China, and Switzerland.