Intevac, Inc. (Nasdaq: IVAC), a leading supplier of thin-film processing systems and digital night-vision technologies, today sadly announces that Founder Norman H. Pond passed away last Wednesday at his Los Altos Hills home at the age of 82.
Norm Pond founded Intevac in 1991 as a spin-out from Varian Associates, and served as chairman of the board until his retirement in 2017. He was Intevac’s chief executive officer from 1991 until 2000, as well as during 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. Prior to founding Intevac, Mr. Pond served as the president of Varian Associates and previously was a group executive at Teledyne. Mr. Pond served on the boards of Varian Associates, Ebara Technology, the Electronic Industries Association, and IDEMA, the leading organization in the disk drive industry. Norm also organized and led the advisory group on electron devices for the Department of Defense. Mr. Pond received a BS in physics from the Missouri Institute of Science and Technology and an MS in physics from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of The Tube Guys (2008), the first book on the history of microwave tubes, and how their impact has been essential to our nation’s defense.
Intevac Chairman David S. Dury said of his passing, “Norm was a remarkable entrepreneur and a true visionary in the industry. He was a pioneer in developing the night-vision technologies that have become the standard for most all digital night vision programs for the U.S. Military as well as many foreign nations. His pioneering work in magnetic media sputtering spawned the processing technology and the equipment that produces the majority of hard drive disks sold in the world today. Norm is survived by his wife Natalie, three children and five grandchildren, all of whom are in our thoughts and prayers as we sadly say goodbye to a man of impact, who will be greatly missed.”
About Intevac
Intevac was founded in 1991 and has two businesses: Thin-film Equipment and Photonics.
In our Thin-film Equipment business, we are a leader in the design and development of high-productivity, thin-film processing systems. Our production-proven platforms are designed for high-volume manufacturing of substrates with precise thin film properties, such as the hard drive media, display cover panel, and solar photovoltaic markets we serve currently.
In our Photonics business, we are a recognized leading developer of advanced high-sensitivity digital sensors, cameras and systems that primarily serve the defense industry. We are the provider of integrated digital imaging systems for most U.S. military night vision programs.
For more information, call 408-986-9888 or visit the Company’s website at www.intevac.com.
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