Bend
— Accent Optical Technologies may finally get the capital
it needs to grow, thanks to a pending buyout by Silcon
Valley-based Nanometrics. Executives at Accent Optical, which
makes manufacturing tools for the semiconductor industry,
looked hard at a public offering in 2004 but decided compliance
with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations was too costly and eventually
backed away. Nanometrics, traded on Nasdaq, had $68 million in
revenues last year; Accent had $42 million. Nanometrics has
offered Accent shareholders a 27% stake in the new combined
company and will assume $10.6 million in Accent debt, for a
total deal size of roughly $80.9 million. Bruce Rhine,
Accent’s CEO, is slated to become Nanometrics’
chief strategy officer. Nanometrics CEO John Heaton, based in
Milpitas, Calif., says the new company will keep Accent’s
small Bend office open if the deal is approved by Accent
shareholders later this spring.
