Block Engineering, a leading manufacturer of Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) and FTIR Spectroscopy instrumentation, is strengthening its focus on commercial markets with the addition of SKAE Associate of Lexington, Massachusetts and Pembroke Instruments of San Francisco, California to its family of sales representatives.

“The addition of our two most recent channel partners uniquely positions us to further expand our Quantum Cascade Laser products into academic and industrial markets. Each company brings extensive experience in delivering high-end scientific instruments, optics and photonic solutions,” said Scott Riggi, Vice President of Sales for Block Engineering.

Based in Lexington Massachusetts, SKAE Associates will cover the New England states as an exclusive representative for Block Engineering’s line of QCL-based products. Building upon a strong customer base of research institutions in the Boston area and surrounding regions, SKAE Associates will now be able to offer solutions to meet the demanding needs of researchers.

Pembroke Instruments, located in San Francisco California, has been serving emerging markets within life sciences, semiconductor, R&D and academic research spaces for many years. Their commitment to 100% customer satisfaction by providing cost-effective solutions that solve problems has been key to their success. Pembroke Instruments covers the state of California as Block’s exclusive representative.

Block Engineering’s CEO, Petros Kotidis, is quoted as saying, “The addition of these two highly respected representatives is an important step in Block’s strategy to increase our focus on industrial and academic markets and enhance our presence in these commercially critical US locations. Our commercial QCL-based instruments are now enabling numerous applications in these markets and we look forward to enhancing our sales through these new representatives.”

About Block Engineering LLC:

Founded in 1956, Block Engineering, LLC is a leading manufacturer and marketer of high performance Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) and FTIR spectrometers for military, government, commercial, and industrial customers. Block’s Mobile Chemical Agent Detector (MCAD) system is a fixed site, passive FTIR spectrometer offered in partnership with Northrop Grumman Corp. Block’s PORTHOS™ is a portable, passive FTIR spectrometer system that remotely detects chemical threats as far as three miles and protects against chemical warfare agents and weapons of mass destruction. Block Engineering is also manufacturing and selling a line of unique QCL-based spectrometers, including the LaserScan Analyzer, for applications ranging from detection of explosives and liquid/solid chemical warfare agents to control of manufacturing operations and verification of surface conditions in a variety of industrial processes.

About Block MEMS LLC:

Block MEMS, LLC is an engineering and development company focusing on the R&D of high performance Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) and FTIR spectrometers for military and government customers. Following the success of its commercial-off-the-shelf passive FTIR products, such as MCAD and PORTHOS, Block MEMS has applied its extensive knowledge of spectroscopy and chemical detection towards the development of its high performance QCL based spectrometers, including LaserScan™. LaserScan has attracted high interest in the Department of Defense for detection of explosives and liquid/solid chemical warfare agents. In addition, Block MEMS is developing a revolutionary MEMS-based, miniaturized spectrometer, ChemPen™, which is a low cost, FTIR chemical gas detector the size of a fountain pen.

Block MEMS and Block Engineering are affiliated through common ownership and share headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA.