A Bit About Us
Thorlabs’ Mascots Since its inception in 1989, Thorlabs has developed a series of customer facing “mascots,” in the form of dogs, which represent our attitude and focus toward serving the photonics and life science communities. Many customers wonder why a dog was chosen as our main image and not a hammer or some other depiction of the Norse God Thor. The answer is that the company’s namesake is that of owner and founder, Alex Cable’s canine companion growing up, a Labrador retriever named Thor. The first piece of dog artwork, “Dog Eat Dog,” a painting by artist Peter Marco, was discovered by Cable during a trip into New York City. An artist himself, Cable appreciated the bold and slightly wacky look, purchasing it as well as its successor, “Hot Dog,” the second piece of dog artwork used by Thorlabs. After using Hot Dog for several years, Thorlabs adopted “Born to Serve,” the first of a series of dogs created to truly characterize Thorlabs’ goal within the industry: to serve customers’ needs by delivering products as quickly as possible, a strength the company has built upon through an extensive portfolio and same-day shipping on stocked items. At the same time Born to Serve was revealed, Thorlabs also launched “All Ears,” whose namesake is another testament to one of our core principles. Customer feedback is inherently important to the success of Thorlabs and our partnership with the photonics and life science communities. All Ears is a symbol of our commitment to offer an open dialogue and partnership with all our customers. Upon retiring Born to Serve, Thorlabs adopted its current dog and mascot, “Face Value,” whose name reflects our open and transparent stance in the market and towards our customers. Face Value has become a familiar icon through both the photonics and life science industries, appearing on hats, bags, water bottles, and t-shirts. Face Value stands to remind Thorlabs employees and customers alike that we are a customer-centric organization dedicated to offering service and support through a low-friction interface.
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