Recent appointment marks Wood’s third leadership position to advance photonics to support applications in aerospace, defense, healthcare and medicine, information technology, and more
Travis Wood, president of Bozeman-based Lattice Materials (Lattice), a TPC company, has been elected to the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) Board of Directors. Wood will serve a three-year term, bringing valuable expertise in advanced manufacturing to the organization. A part of Montana State University, the MMEC supports Montana manufacturers of all sizes through training, workforce development and resource sharing to improve operations.
Lattice is one of the few U.S. manufacturers specializing in custom-grown silicon and germanium crystals, also known as boules, for infrared optics. These components are critical for aerospace, defense, and medical applications, from F-35 fighter jets to medical imaging devices. Lattice’s expertise in producing high-precision optical components exemplifies the kind of advanced manufacturing capabilities MMEC aims to foster throughout Montana.
Montana has emerged as the nation’s epicenter for photonics and quantum technology, with the highest concentration of related companies and research institutes in the U.S. This growth is powered in part by Montana State University’s strong engineering programs, which provide a steady pipeline of skilled talent and new research on the sector.
“I am honored to join the MMEC Board of Directors and contribute to strengthening Montana’s manufacturing ecosystem, with a focus on photonics,” said Wood. “This is a major opportunity to showcase and shape this mission-critical sector and equip the next generation of engineers and technicians right here in Bozeman.”
Wood’s appointment comes as Montana’s manufacturing sector gains momentum. Western Montana was recently selected as a tech hub under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, with an expected $41 million grant to accelerate the state’s photonics industry. The nationwide tech hub program is aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains in critical sectors like quantum technology and semiconductors.
With two decades of manufacturing leadership experience, Wood also serves on the board of the Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance (MPQA) and on the advisory board at Montana State University’s Gallatin College, where he works closely with the Photonic and Laser Technology Program. These connections, combined with his new role at MMEC, create powerful synergies between Montana’s traditional manufacturing base and its emerging technology sectors.
Photonics and Lattice Materials’ Role
Optics and photonics are the science and application of light. Photonics generates, controls and detects light particles, and is used in sectors like manufacturing, robotics, medical imaging, scientific research and measurement, information technologies, electronics, defense technologies, aerospace applications, and more. Throughout history, photonics has played an important role in driving scientific and technological breakthroughs that make people safer and healthier.
In operation since 1989, Lattice has been at the forefront of providing custom-grown and machined silicon and germanium optics and witness samples through the Czochralski method, which involves several steps to produce high-quality crystals with tailored properties for their specific end uses.
Customers from defense contractors and semiconductor fabricators to medical imaging equipment manufacturers rely on Lattice for the most intricate and critical parts of their operations. Lattice’s engineers and technicians are experts at growing these boules to demanding specifications, including hard-to-find sizes, unique orientations, custom electrical resistance, and special optical transmissions. The boules become finished parts through precision optical-curve generation, high-precision polishing, and machining.
The Future of Photonics
The photonics industry is primed for growth, driven by revolutionary applications across multiple sectors. The aerospace sector has emerged as a particularly dynamic force, specifically with the proliferation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. These satellites require sophisticated optical components for telecommunications, Earth observation, and advanced imaging systems. Beyond aerospace, photonics technology is becoming increasingly critical in medical imaging and diagnostic equipment.
This surge in demand coincides with a strategic shift in supply chain management. As geopolitical tensions rise, many companies are prioritizing U.S.-manufactured optical components to ensure supply chain security and maintain technological authority. This trend has created significant opportunities for domestic manufacturers with proven expertise in precision optics.
To capitalize on these opportunities, Lattice has increased its workforce by 40% over the past year and has made strategic investments in facility upgrades, enhancing its manufacturing capabilities to meet the exacting requirements of aerospace and other high-performance applications.
For Lattice, and Montana’s growing photonics cluster, these trends signal a bright future.
About Lattice Materials
Founded in 1989 in Bozeman, Montana, Lattice Materials is a leading global supplier of high precision silicon and germanium components made to help protect the warfighter. Lattice is one of the few U.S.-based companies in the world with the ability to custom-grow silicon and germanium crystals for optics, thin film materials, laser mirrors and semiconductor parts. It serves top defense, technology, security, research and renewable energy companies, providing optical blanks, precision optical curve generation, high-precision polishing and machining. For more information, visit latticematerials.com.
About The Partner Companies
The Partner Companies (TPC), a global diversified manufacturing company that creates mission-critical solutions for innovators in the aerospace, defense, clean energy, medical, and technology industries. Founded in 2010, TPC has grown into an international leader with 10 specialty manufacturers in the United States, China, Wales, and Mexico: E-Fab, Elcon, Fotofab, Lattice Materials, LT Precision, Microphoto, Optiforms, PEI, Pinnacle Precision and UPG. TPC’s specialty manufacturers specialize in photochemical etching, ceramic metallization, crystal growth and electroforming along with core manufacturing capabilities such as injection molding, machining, metal fabrication and finishing. TPC supports each member entity with expertise in business growth, operations, finance, human resources, supply chain management and more. For more information about TPC and its specialty manufacturers, visit thepartnercos.com.
About Montana Manufacturing Extension Center
The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is a statewide manufacturing outreach & assistance center staffed by full-time degreed professionals with extensive experience in manufacturing and business. Learn more at https://www.montana.edu/mmec/index.html
