In 1982, Rick Fiskum, an entrepreneur with Litchfield Precision Components, started a small company that focused on manufacturing custom, precision glass components. Calling themselves Industrial Research and Development, they set up business in a local commercial garage. Their initial manufacturing efforts centered on Zerodur components for the aerospace industry, and precision optics for a variety of regional customers in the electro-optic sensors arena, including the wafer and circuit board inspection capital equipment industry.