Germany had also done work in infrared spectroscopy, but had put it aside to concentrate on more urgent military needs, enabling Perkin-Elmer to build a substantial lead. However, the company was also able to arrange for research that extended its optical know-how into a brand new field, coming out with its initial infrared spectrometer in 1944. The principal wartime products were instruments and components used in airplane range finders, bombsights, and reconnaissance systems. In 1942, it became the first optical instrument maker to win a Navy "E" (for Excellence). The onset of World War II made clear the importance of an American source for precision instruments, and Perkin-Elmer was able to operate at a profit from the start.
The company moved to Connecticut's Fairfield County in 1941-initially to Glenbrook outside Stamford, later to Norwalk and Wilton-its home area ever since. Perkin and Elmer started their optical design and consulting business in a small Manhattan office, but within a year they were producing optical components in Jersey City, New Jersey. They ordered equipment from Europe, and on Apthey formed Perkin-Elmer as a partnership. Deciding to set up shop in New York City, Perkin raised $15,000 in start up capital from his relatives, while Elmer was able to contribute in $5,000. They soon became friends and also recognized a common interest in turning their hobby into a business opportunity in precision optics. The two met when Perkin dropped in on an astronomy lecture Elmer delivered at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts & Sciences. Elmer, the head of a firm of court reporters who was already not far from retirement age, and Richard Perkin, a young investment banker who had left Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, after a year of studying chemical engineering to try a Wall Street career. Perkin-Elmer originated in the early 1930s when a common fascination with astronomy brought together an otherwise unlikely duo: Charles W. Kelley, a "global, yet compact, coordinated and efficient" provider of instrumentation and technology.
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Having undergone a series of restructurings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company remains, in the words of CEO Gaynor N. A key contributor to the development of such optical tools as the infrared spectrometer, the spectrophotometer, and laser retroreflectors, the company is also known for its work on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, an ambitious and ultimately unsuccessful project that has nevertheless provided scientists with some valuable information through space photography. The Perkin-Elmer Corporation is the world's leading producer of analytical instruments used in military operations, space exploration, and several areas of scientific research. Our dedicated team of about 13,000 employees is passionate about helping them work to create healthier families, improve the quality of life and sustain the wellbeing of people worldwide.SICs: 3826 Analytical Instruments 3559 Special Industry Machinery Nec We strategically partner with customers to enable earlier, more accurate insights, supported by deep market knowledge and technical expertise.
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We create the instruments, tests and software used by scientists, researchers, and clinicians to address the most critical challenges across science and healthcare. PerkinElmer is a $2.8 billion global company committed to innovating for a healthier world.