OPTEL’s 35-Year Journey: A Message from Louis Roy, CEO
35 years ago, OPTEL was founded with a vision for OPTics and ELectronics. I wanted to make a difference, but I never imagined we’d deploy over 6,000 vision/track & trace systems, tracking billions of products annually. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come!
Over the decades, we have experienced the ebbs and flows of growing a company. Today, OPTEL has 500 exceptional employees across 15 time zones that work for our 1000+ loyal customers.
2024 marks a renewed focus for OPTEL on our core strengths; we’re developing new solutions that optimize line performance, we’re enhancing our track-and-trace solutions, and integrating AI in our vision systems. This strengthens our commitment (and investment) to innovation, ensuring we remain industry leaders and deliver the service our customers expect for their mission-critical operations.
I’m excited about the future. We’re one of the few companies in the world that can trace a product and its attributes from the mine or field (Optchain) through to the factory (TrackSafe) and all the way to the government or consumers (VerifyBrand™ ), leveraging both hardware and software. But it doesn’t stop there—our ability to trace recycling now empowers our customers to fully embrace the circular economy and achieve, if not surpass, their ESG goals.
Whenever I read about counterfeit meds, food recalls, or lead in clothing, I remember why we built OPTEL. We’re here to make a difference. And our mission to develop traceability technologies for a better world has never been more important.
Thank you to our employees, customers and partners. Together, we’re shaping a safer, more sustainable future.
Milestones over the year
OPTEL is founded by Louis Roy
Louis Roy founded OPTEL in 1989 after graduating in electrical engineering and physics.
Opening of the office in Limerick, Ireland
Limerick was seen as a strategic hub for OPTEL’s global operations, particularly for its expansion into the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and technology sectors.
Opening of the office in Goa, India
OPTEL became the first North American company to set up a manufacturing base in Goa to serve its pharmaceutical customers in India and the APAC region. The availability of skilled pharmacy graduates and engineers in the Verna Industrial Estate made it an ideal location, along with Goa’s growing industrial reputation.
Opening of the office in Campinas, Brazil
Brazil was key to OPTEL’s mission, as the country was not only a major producer of pharmaceuticals but was also in the process of implementing pharmaceutical serialization legislation. Additionally, with Brazil being the most developed economy in the region, it served as an entry point into the Latin American market.
OPTEL acquires VerifyBrand™
This acquisition allowed OPTEL to not only complete its traceability offering and provide end-to-end solutions, but also expand its portfolio to cater to a wide range of diverse industries. “Our plan was to optimize supply chains to increase our customers’ performance while at the same time building a sustainable economy in the long term. This acquisition allowed us to quickly attain a crucial part of that goal: connecting the supply chain,” said Louis.
Louis Roy is Canada EY Entrepreneur of the Year
“Mr. Roy has shown that betting on innovation can fuel growth and lead to the creation of quality jobs around the world,” explained Luc Charbonneau, co-director of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Quebec. “His message deserves to be heard and adopted by other business leaders: it is possible to lead a profitable company while contributing to a better world.”
OPTEL obtains BCorp certification
At OPTEL, our goal is to develop and use traceability technologies to build a better world, but as individuals sharing a fragile planet with our fellow human beings, we strive to do so much more.
Everything we do, from our purchasing policies and partner choices to encouraging employee volunteerism and cultivating our rooftop garden, reflects our commitment as a Certified B Corporation—part of a global movement using business as a force for good.
OPTEL acquires GeoTraceability
The acquisition of GeoTraceability enabled OPTEL to close its end-to-end traceability loop, by completing its offer with the first link in the supply chain; i.e., raw materials and resource extraction.
OPTEL acquires Track and Trace Division of Korber
Acquiring allowed OPTEL to leverage the unit’s expertise in pharmaceutical and agrochemical track-and-trace technologies, provided the company with a second foothold in the European marketplace and contributed to its diversification plans.
Fondaction and BDC Capital support OPTEL
Very much aware of the importance of acting on the circularity and resilience of supply chains, Fondaction and BDC Capital are supporting OPTEL at a key moment in its growth. The financing helped the company to boost its commercialization activities and expand its digital traceability solutions to new sectors.
