Finally - Meade has been bought...

[Wavytone]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/meade-instruments-corp-announces-merger-213327726.html

No surprise, but it has finally happened.

[gary]

Thanks for the link.

[LewisM]

So, now MEade is Chinese owned... along with Celestron.

Prices MAY come down, but...

This is just a sad reflection on the state of the USA. China already owns the US foreign debt, and now most companies. Just goes to show that they were WRONG about Communism in the US :) We won't go further than that :)

Have to wonder how many US astronomers will rebel and NOT buy Meade now - I seem to recall a similarish reaction when Celestron was bought by Synta, but they soon forget, or just learn to live with it.

[Ric]

It will be interesting to see what directions they will travel in.

[AG Hybrid]

Meade was only worth $4.5 mil. Damn.

[Ric]

That's an absolute bargain in todays world.

[AG Hybrid]

A house on the Sydney foreshore will often set you back twice as much Meade was worth. Once again. Damn!

[multiweb]

The brains and know-how from Celestron were long gone to Planewave. Ceravolo got his own gig as well.

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm
I wonder how much investment capital I'd have to raise to buy the Coronado division......

[JB80]

Hopefully the QC issues will improve, I can't see how this is a bad thing.

[mozzie]

will they stay in mexico or move off shore and go to china !!!!!!!!!

[Earl]

Didn't the FTC block a Meade/Celestron merger some years ago?

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/05/meadecelestron.shtm

[AndrewJ]

Gday Earl

Yep, but under this buyout
Meade and Celestron have different owners,
so its not a monopoly.

Andrew

[Regulus]

Yeah, what Adrian said. Really surprised at the price for a Global Optics Co. with their reputation.
So Meade is now part of the Explore Scientific and Bresser stable. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Trevor

[Earl]

Thanks - though interesting to see if a combined entity would have been able to survive on its own, or whether it would have been acquired by now.

In the long term though, competition is healthy for the consumer!