International Success Stories

Faces of Metro Orlando International Business

Metro Orlando: home to numerous successful business leaders who hail from all parts of the globe, and a U.S. headquarters base for foreign-based companies. Below are profiles of just a few of these leaders and organizations:

 

Dr. Najeeb Zuberi - neurologist. After nearly 10 years of R&D work, this Pakistani native and well known neurologist has patented a unique pillow designed to stop snoring and moderate sleep apnea. Zuberi, a board-certified doctor in neurology and psychology, received FDA approval for his ‘Sona Pillow,' which is manufactured and distributed through a local family company called Sleep Devices Inc.

Dr. Bruce Chai – Crystal Photonics. This Taiwan native came to the U.S., earned a PhD from Yale University and began his career with Allied Chemical in New Jersey, supervising the materials research center. It was there that he learned to grow crystals and earned a blossoming reputation as a leader in the industry. The University of Central Florida lured Chai to join its Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (one of only a few centers in the country) as a tenured professor. From here, Chai founded Crystal Photonics with $150,000. Today, the company is a world leader in manufacturing optical crystals for use in things like PET Scanners which detect cancer and missile early warning systems found in Apache helicopters. And, Dr. Chai has been recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Beat Kahli – developer, entrepreneur. This Switzerland-born developer and entrepreneur has become a major force in Metro Orlando’s community development. Kahli is the developer of one of the region’s new communities called Avalon Park—a $3.1 billion, 1,800+ acre community that has attracted more than 11,000 residents and hundreds of new homes and businesses. In addition, this successful entrepreneur owns and is involved with more than 50 projects and companies across the country, including concrete plants, a landscape company, restaurants and a newspaper.

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi – Productivity Apex, Inc. (PAI). Mollaghasemi is a native of Iran with an extensive background in industrial engineering. In 2001, she founded Productivity Apex, which resides in the University of Central Florida’s top-ranked Business Incubation Program. The company uses the sound principles of industrial engineering and operations research to help commercial enterprises and government agencies improve their productivity and maximize their efficiencies. PAI has a wide range of software development and consulting services in areas of simulation modeling and analysis, supply chain management, data mining and artificial intelligence, and process optimization. Clients include NASA, Duracell and Siemens Energy, Inc.

Dimitri Nikitin – Lazer Photonics (formerly known as PTG Industries). Nikitin, who comes from Russia, founded Precision Technology Group America (now Lazer Photonics) in 1997. The company is a world leader in laser-based material processing equipment and industrial laser cutting machinery. Clients include those in the industries of semiconductor manufacturing, telecommunications, aerospace and automotive. The company holds several worldwide licenses and patents for innovative and ‘unique to the industry’ laser products and technologies, and has offices throughout the globe. Prior to founding PTG Industries America, Nikitin owned and operated Prazisionstechnologie GmbH (PTG Industries Austria) and Fonon Technology Ltd. England.

Lina Viveros – Inter Bio-Lab, Inc. Lina, who is originally from Mexico, took over the company when her husband died. Founded in 1992, Inter Bio-Lab, Inc. is an established international provider of high-grade reconditioned diagnostic, laboratory equipment. The company distributes these refurbished instruments, which include hematology and coagulation analyzers, at an excellent value to hospitals and specialty medical offices around the globe.

Adacel. Adacel Technologies is a leading developer of advanced simulation and software applications and services for market segments including aviation, defense, telecommunications, corporate and government. The company was established in 1987 and listed on the ASX in 1998. Since then, it has grown rapidly and now has operations in North America and Europe, as well as Australia.

GENICON. GENICON is recognized as an emerging leader in the design, production, and distribution of patented surgical instrumentation focused exclusively on laparoscopic surgery, a form of minimally invasive surgery. Founded in 1998 and based in Orlando, Florida, GENICON distributes their products in the U.S. and abroad, including Western Europe, Central and South America, as well as through several countries in the Pacific Rim and the Middle East. GENICON is a privately held firm in which several of its shareholders are surgeons who utilize their products. GENICON remains today as it originated: a company driven to meet the needs of modern-day healthcare through the harmonization of clinical needs and the economic demands of a global healthcare system.

Indra Systems, Inc. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain with a worldwide employee base of more than 5,000, Indra Systems opened its first U.S. office in Metro Orlando. The company specializes in three main lines of business: information technologies, simulation and automatic maintenance systems, and defense electronic equipment. The U.S. Navy has awarded the Orlando office a contract worth more than $12 million to develop a complete mission simulator for the Marines’ AV-8B Harrier vertical takeoff aircraft.

Mitsubishi Power Systems, Inc. This Orlando-based division of Japan’s Mitsubishi corporation provides a broad range of products and services, including power systems, air-conditioners, machinery for industrial and general use, aerospace systems and more. In addition to the Orlando corporate headquarters, Mitsubishi Power Systems also operates a power systems service and manufacturing center in the region.

Quadrant Systems and Lightmaker. Both U.K.-based companies maintain their U.S. operation bases in Orlando. Quadrant is a industry leader in flight simulation for both the military and civilian markets. Lightmaker specializes in the development of Internet design, management, integration and application services. Its clients include Cartoon Network Europe, Nintendo Europe, Universal Pictures and Electronic Arts.

Siemens Energy, Inc. While Germany is the headquarters home for Siemens Worldwide, Metro Orlando is the headquarters for Siemens Energy, Inc. Siemens Energy is the regional entity in the Americas for the global fossil power generation business, which has an installed fleet of more than 697,000 megawatts worldwide. The company offers a full spectrum of innovative, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective products. In addition, the company offers an unparalleled level of service and support for the power generation market – including gas and steam turbine-generator technology, world-class process control and power management systems operations and maintenance support, power plant modernization and upgrades, wind power and air pollution control technology.