P & T Consulting

What P & T Consulting does

P & T Consulting Limited is a privately held UK consultancy and sales representation firm founded in 2001 by Mike Pybus and Len Traub, both former senior executives of OCLI Optical Coating Laboratory Ltd. The company operates as a two-person micro-consultancy serving the European optical, opto-electronic and thin film communities with a portfolio of professional services including thin film coating design (spanning UV to Mid IR spectra), process optimisation using statistical methods such as Taguchi and SPC, product development support, market analysis, and business planning. Training is delivered through Masterclasses conducted by Professor Angus Macleod at a £1,750 per-participant fee, covering fundamental theory through advanced design synthesis.

The firm operates a dual revenue model combining fee-based consultancy with commission-based sales representation. It is the exclusive European representative for three principals: Materion Advanced Chemicals (formerly CERAC) for PVD materials, Thin Film Center Inc for the Essential Macleod and Concise Macleod optical thin film design software, and Research Electro-Optics Inc for precision optical components. It also represents the University of the West of Scotland's Thin Film Research Centre for commercial coating development services. Geographic coverage spans the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland), with consultancy engagements also delivered to clients in the United States and Far East.

Go-to-market is sales-led through direct engagement by the two founding directors, supplemented by regular exhibition at major European photonics trade shows (Photonex since 2006, Optatec, SPIE Europe, Laser World of Photonics) and direct email enquiry channels. The company has completed over fifty consultancy and training contracts since inception and continues to operate with no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no parent entity.

Name

P & T Consulting

Legal name

P & T Consulting Limited

Website

https://pandtconsulting.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

P & T Consulting is a UK two-person consultancy and European sales representative for the optical thin film industry, offering coating design, process optimisation, and training services while representing Materion Advanced Chemicals, Thin Film Center Inc, and Research Electro-Optics Inc across the UK, Ireland, and Nordics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Thin Film Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Optical thin film consulting
• PVD materials distribution
• Thin film coating design
• Optical components sales
• Photonics industry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dysart

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Commercial and technical consultancy services provided to manufacturers and end-users of optical coatings across Europe, United States and Far-East. Completed over fifty Consultancy and Training contracts.
2. Sales Representation: Commission-based sales representation for partner companies (Materion Advanced Chemicals, Thin Film Center Inc, Research Electro-Optics Inc) handling PVD materials, optical thin film software, and precision optical components in UK, Ireland and Nordic countries.
3. Training Services: Organisation and delivery of Masterclass training programs on optical coatings design and analysis, delivered by Professor Angus Macleod. Course fee of £1750 per participant with early booking discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

P & T Consulting Limited is a consultancy and sales representation firm serving the European optical, opto-electronic, and thin film communities. It delivers commercial and technical consultancy (coating design, process optimisation, product development, market analysis, business planning) and professional training, while acting as the exclusive European representative for partner companies supplying PVD materials, optical thin film design software, and precision optical components.

Product overview

P & T Consulting is a consultancy and sales representation firm established in 2001, serving the European Optical, Opto-electronic and Thin Film Communities. The company offers a portfolio of professional services including commercial and technical consultancy, thin film coating design, process optimisation, product development, training, market analysis, and business/strategy planning. Additionally, the company represents third-party products including Materion Advanced Chemicals' evaporation materials and sputter targets, Thin Film Center Inc.'s Essential Macleod and Concise Macleod optical thin film design software, and the University of the West of Scotland's Thin Film Research Centre services for material characterisation and coating development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial and Technical Consultancy Services
• Thin Film Coating Design Services
• Process Optimisation Services
• Optical Thin Film Training (Masterclass)
• Market Analysis and Business Planning Services
• Materion Advanced Chemicals PVD Materials (Sales Representation)
• Essential Macleod and Concise Macleod Software (Sales Representation)
• Research Electro-Optics Precision Optical Components (Sales Representation)
• UWS Thin Film Research Centre Services (Sales Representation)

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed over fifty Consultancy and Training contracts for clients in Europe, United States and Far-East over ten years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thin Film Center InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 September 2004Thin Film Center Inc, Tucson Arizona appointed P&T Consulting as European agent for its optical thin film software (Essential Macleod and Concise Macleod), training services, and consultancy services. P&T also accepts bookings for Professor Angus Macleod's Masterclasses covering optical coatings from fundamental theory to advanced design synthesis.
• University of the West of Scotland - Thin Film Research CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 May 2003The University of Paisley's Thin Film Centre (now University of the West of Scotland Thin Film Research Centre) contracted P&T Consulting to act as its sales representative in the commercial marketplace. The Centre provides deposition and analytical capabilities including microwave, RF and DC magnetron sputtering and electron-beam evaporation for development, characterisation and smaller scale production of coating designs.
• Materion Advanced Chemicals (formerly CERAC Inc)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2002P&T Consulting appointed as representative for CERAC's evaporation materials and sputtering targets to customers in UK and Ireland. This partnership was later extended to include Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland) from November 2005. CERAC was acquired by Williams Advanced Materials in 2006 and rebranded as Materion Advanced Chemicals in March 2011. P&T continues as the first point of contact for information and pricing for Materion's range of PVD materials used in precision optics and ophthalmics industries.
• Research Electro-Optics Inc (REO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2002Research Electro-Optics Inc of Boulder, Colorado appointed P&T Consulting as European representative for sales of precision optical components, optical sub-assemblies, thin film coatings, and Helium-Neon lasers. REO manufactures at its 106,000 square foot facility in Boulder, Colorado and is widely recognised as an industry leader in super-polishing and high quality ion beam sputtered thin-film coatings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Materion Corporation: Strategic partner and principal for P&T; large US-based advanced materials supplier with PVD materials, specialty inorganics, and coatings offerings. Materion's decision to maintain or terminate European agency relationships directly determines P&T's commission revenue trajectory.
• Edmund Optics Inc: Global optics manufacturer and distributor with broad catalogue offerings including optical filters and coatings. Operates direct European sales channels and provides design support, partially overlapping with P&T's vendor representation and consulting functions.
• Thorlabs Inc: Major US-headquartered photonics components and equipment manufacturer with extensive European direct sales operations. While much larger and vertically integrated, Thorlabs competes for P&T's customers with in-house coating design and supplies complementary products to the same thin film community.

Emerging players

• Optics Balzers AG: Liechtenstein-based manufacturer specializing in optical thin film coatings and components. While P&T is a sales agent rather than a manufacturer, both serve the same European optical coating customer base and compete for the same consulting/design services opportunities.
• ISP Optics / Research Electro-Optics (REO): Research Electro-Optics Inc is a Boulder, Colorado-based manufacturer of precision optical components and ion-beam sputtered thin film coatings. As P&T's longest-standing principal partner since 2001, REO exemplifies the kind of mid-sized US photonics manufacturer that depends on European sales agents for regional market access.

Direct peers

• Laser 2000 GmbH: Germany-based distributor of laser and photonics products across Europe. Operates a comparable business model of providing technical sales representation and consulting for international principals in the European market, similar to P&T's Materion and REO representation arrangements.
• AMS Technologies AG: European distributor of photonic, thermal management, and sensor components, headquartered in Germany. Provides value-added technical sales representation for multiple principal manufacturers across Europe, matching P&T's role as a regional sales agent for international optics suppliers.
• Laser Components GmbH: European-based distributor and manufacturer of laser and photonics components, including optical coatings. Operates a similar model of representing principal manufacturers' products across European markets with technical sales support, making it the closest analog to P&T's hybrid agency-consultancy approach.

Regional players

• Knight Optical (UK) Ltd: UK-based custom optical components manufacturer and supplier with strong thin film coating capabilities. Serves a similar UK/European customer base in precision optics and could either complement or compete with P&T's consulting offerings in the domestic market.
• Gooch & Housego plc: UK-based photonics manufacturer with significant optical coatings and components operations. Fellow UK-headquartered photonics company serving defense, aerospace, and life sciences markets with acquisition-driven growth, representing a potential strategic acquirer or competitor for P&T's customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about P & T Consulting