Sensor manufacturer Interlink Electronics Inc., a roughly $50 million-valued public company whose shares are traded in the over-the-counter markets, has moved its headquarters to Irvine from the Ventura County city of Camarillo to tap into the local business advantages.
“We are in the process of building out additional teams and Irvine allows us to draw from a talent pool that is rich with experienced technology professionals as well as surrounding universities and colleges,” Marketing Manager Garrett Hess told the Business Journal on Aug. 21.
The firm employed about 80 people as of late June, according to regulatory filings.
Hess added: “Irvine and the surrounding areas also provide us with more direct access to businesses in the industries we serve today.”
The company, which now has its main office in Irvine’s Jenner Business Park, where it currently leases about 5,000 square feet, has developed sensor applications for numerous industries, such as the automotive, medical, industrial, and robotics fields. The products include sensor components, subassemblies and modules.
The application of its Human Machine Interface technology platforms includes vehicle entry, vehicle multimedia control interface, rugged touch controls, presence detection, collision detection, speed and torque controls, biological monitoring and others.
Growth Plan
Interlink Electronics said on Aug. 19 that Chief Executive Steven Bronson, an investment banker with executive ties to several other companies he has invested in, has assumed the role of acting chief financial officer with the departure of former CFO Ray Li.
“We are coming off a great quarter and want to preserve that momentum,” Bronson said in a statement. He added taking on the extra duties “will allow us to remain focused on our growth plan and objectives while we immediately begin our search for a new CFO.”
Shares in Interlink (OTC: LINK) have increased about 50% so far this year, and were trading at $7.50 apiece as of Aug. 24.
The company said on Aug. 17 that net revenue for the second quarter ended June 30 was just over $1.7 million, a decrease of about 15% from the same period a year earlier, “primarily due to market challenges existing in many of the industries we serve.” After-tax net income was $13,000.
Qualstar Ties
“We are pleased with our results in light of the challenging environment created by COVID-19,” Bronson said. “We are continuing to make investments in our business supported by a new HQ in Irvine and a pending investment and expansion of our Camarillo, California location to include a world-class R&D and materials science lab.”
Interlink Electronics said it plans to have the Global Product Development and Materials Science Center in its former hometown of Camarillo be operational by the end of the year.
Bronson is also CEO of digital data storage company Qualstar Corp., (OTC: QBAK), which recently moved its headquarters from Camarillo to Irvine as well. Its market cap is under $10 million.
“We are adding to finance, sales, operations and product management in our Irvine footprint for both Interlink Electronics and Qualstar Corp.,” Hess said.
