~2 min read · 497 words ·updated 2026-04-29
Company overview
Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR) is a US-domestic vertically-integrated optical-and-laser components conglomerate. The current entity is the result of three constituent companies merging across 50+ years: legacy II-VI Incorporated (1971 founding by Carl Johnson and James Hawkey, Saxonburg PA — first product was cadmium telluride; the “II-VI” name refers to CdTe periodic-table groups, with ZnSe expansion after the 1987 IPO), Finisar (1988 founding, optical-component leader, acquired Sept 24, 2019 for $3.2B), and the legacy Coherent Inc. (1966 founding, industrial laser leader, acquired July 1, 2022 for $7.01B and gave the combined entity its current name on September 8, 2022).
Identity
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | Coherent Corp. |
| Incorporation | Pennsylvania |
| HQ | Saxonburg, Pennsylvania |
| Exchange | NYSE |
| Ticker | COHR |
| CIK | 0000820318 |
| Former names | II-VI Inc. (1995-10-04 → 2022-09-08) |
| SIC | 3827 — Optical Instruments & Lenses |
| Fiscal year end | Saturday closest to June 30 (52/53-week fiscal) |
| Filing regime | US-domestic — Form 10-K + 10-Q + 8-K + Form 4 |
Operating segments (post-2022 reorg)
| Segment | Description |
|---|---|
| Networking | InP EML laser sources for fiber transmission; datacom transceivers; telecom transport components (ROADM, wave-shapers, optical amplifiers, tunable lasers); silicon-photonics integration |
| Materials | Silicon carbide (SiC) substrates for power-electronics; legacy II-VI compound-semiconductor materials (ZnSe, ZnS, GaAs); rare-earth optics |
| Lasers | Industrial fiber lasers (cutting/welding/additive manufacturing); life-sciences instrumentation; ultrafast/excimer for materials processing |
M&A history (load-bearing)
| Date | Target | Consideration | Strategic rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | n/a (II-VI founded) | Saxonburg PA, ZnSe IR-optics origin | Predecessor of current entity |
| Sep 24, 2019 | Finisar Corp. | $3.2B cash + stock | InP wafer manufacturing (Sherman TX), VCSEL fabrication (Apple Face ID second-source), datacom transceivers — the core photonics franchise |
| Mar 25, 2021 | Coherent Inc. (transaction race) | $7.01B winning bid (II-VI vs Lumentum vs MKS Instruments three-way race); Lumentum collected $217.6M termination fee | Industrial fiber-laser + life-sciences scale; rebrand opportunity |
| Jul 1, 2022 | Coherent Inc. closing | (above) | Combined entity continues under II-VI ticker until Sept 8, 2022 rename |
| Sep 8, 2022 | Renamed to Coherent Corp. | n/a (reorganization) | Retired II-VI brand; combined entity adopts the better-known Coherent name |
Sub-pages
- Timeline — chronological corporate history (1971 II-VI founding → 2019 Finisar → 2022 Coherent → 2026)
- Leadership — executive team and board (CEO Jim Anderson since Jun 3 2024 from Lattice; CFO Sherri Luther since Oct 11 2024 — 16-year alumna of legacy Coherent Inc. before her Lattice stint)
- II-VI legacy — the 1971–2022 II-VI Incorporated era
- Finisar acquisition — the September 2019 $3.2B optical-component-leader merger
- Coherent Inc. acquisition — the July 2022 $7.01B industrial-laser merger and the rename
- Governance — board composition, committees, PA corporate-law specifics