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VERVIERS, Belgium—Automation & Robotics, based here, has changed ownership. A&R’s Belgium employees will progressively purchase shares of the company from its founder, Christian Closset. Closset’s goal is to ensure continuity in leadership and sustain the success A&R Optical Machinery has achieved in the last 36 years, the company said in a statement. “A&R employees are thrilled to participate in the company’s ownership,” says Robb Kohn, president of A&R North America. “Employees investing their own hard earned money demonstrates how confident they are in the future of A&R.”

A&R’s corporate headquarters in Verviers, Belgium will remain unchanged, according to Kohn. He added, “Perhaps most importantly, A&R’s tremendously talented staff is locked in as well. For the North American market, it means business as usual, and our customer partners will continue to receive the world-class service that they have come to expect from A&R.”

A&R Optical Machinery specializes in the design and manufacture of inspection technology for the worldwide ophthalmic industry. Customers include large and independent optical labs, most major lens manufacturers and insurance companies.