[6] While working at Bell Labs, Alex Cable bought a milling machine which he used to design and build optomechanical parts in his spare time.

In 2003 and 2004, Thorlabs began to expand its operations into Europe, acquiring companies based in Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

[16] In March 2012, the 3-story office building officially opened, allowing the consolidation of Thorlabs's manufacturing, R&D, sales, and customer service operations.

[20] In May 2012, Thorlabs acquired the Octavius line of ultrafast lasers from idesta Quantum Electronics, a member of its Strategic Partnership Program.

In a statement, the company said the Maxion and iGuide purchases were part of an effort "to become a vertical manufacturer" in the infrared equipment market.

[24] In October, Thorlabs acquired cytometry manufacturer CompuCyte, relocating the Westwood, Massachusetts company's operations to Sterling, Virginia.

[30] From 2015 to present, Thorlabs has acquired the following companies: Vytran, Cirtemo, Coda Devices, OPTEK, KMLabs, and Crystalline Mirror Solutions.

According to Cable, his time spent working as an engineer and being "a customer of all of [his] major competitors" gave him an intimate understanding of the market that has led to his success.

Cable has declined to move manufacturing to China or another cheap market in order to maintain the quick delivery schedule, and also because labor is not a significant portion of Thorlabs' costs.

[37] Thorlabs operates a Strategic Partnership Program which supports start-up manufacturers through shared knowledge and resources in exchange for an equity stake in the new company.

Additionally, the program helps Thorlabs stay on top of market trends as emerging technologies account for roughly 25% of its annual revenue.

Lab Snacks were created to support the famished grad student researching all night, serving as an occasional meal for someone hard at work.