Company Description
Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) is a manufacturer of fiber optic and copper data communication cabling and connectivity solutions. The company focuses on products used in the enterprise market, various harsh environment and specialty markets (collectively described as non-carrier markets), and the wireless carrier market. Its shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol OCC, and it is classified in the manufacturing sector, within telephone apparatus and communications-related equipment.
According to company disclosures, OCC offers integrated suites of high-performing, high-quality products that function as a complete system or integrate with other components. These offerings are built around fiber and copper communications technologies designed to meet demanding performance requirements and high industry standards. The company reports that it operates through a single reportable segment focused on the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of its cabling and connectivity solutions.
Business focus and markets served
OCC states that it serves both enterprise and specialty markets, as well as the wireless carrier market. Its solutions are used in a broad range of applications, including commercial and enterprise networks, data centers, residential and campus installations, and customized products for specialty applications and harsh environments. The company specifically cites applications in military, industrial, mining, petrochemical and broadcast markets, as well as uses in the wireless carrier sector.
The company emphasizes fiber optic cable designs intended for demanding environments and applications, and copper connectivity designs that aim to meet high data communication industry standards. OCC describes its offerings as cabling and connectivity products and integrated solutions that are selected based on the performance requirements of each end-user’s application.
History, footprint and certifications
OCC was founded in 1983. The company reports that it is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, with offices, manufacturing and warehouse facilities located in Roanoke, Virginia, near Asheville, North Carolina, and near Dallas, Texas. OCC states that its facilities are ISO 9001:2015 registered, and that its Dallas facility, and in some disclosures both Roanoke and Dallas facilities, are MIL-STD-790G certified. These certifications relate to quality management systems and certain military standard requirements for manufacturing processes.
OCC notes that it is internationally recognized for its work in fiber optic and copper communications technologies. It highlights fiber optic cable designs for demanding environments and copper connectivity designs aligned with high data communication standards, as well as a broad product offering built on the evolution of these technologies.
Product and application overview
Based on company descriptions, OCC’s cabling and connectivity solutions are used across:
- Commercial and enterprise network installations
- Data center environments
- Residential and campus network deployments
- Specialty and harsh environment applications, including military, industrial, mining, petrochemical and broadcast uses
- Wireless carrier market applications
The company also references Passive Optical LAN installations and other customized applications in non-carrier and carrier-related markets. Its solutions are described as system-level offerings or components that integrate with other infrastructure elements.
Strategic collaboration and capital structure developments
In an 8-K filed on July 10, 2025, OCC reported entering into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Lightera, LLC. Under this agreement, OCC agreed to sell shares of its common stock to Lightera under an exemption from securities registration. The filing describes put and call rights related to those shares, designed to provide liquidity and flexibility to both parties, and includes references to representations, warranties and indemnification provisions. The company also reported, in a press release referenced in that filing, that this investment is associated with a strategic collaboration aimed at expanding product offerings and solutions, especially for the data center and enterprise sectors.
In multiple press releases in 2025, OCC highlighted a strategic collaboration with Lightera, LLC intended to combine portions of the product portfolios of both companies. OCC stated that, as part of this relationship, certain Lightera products would be offered and sold by OCC, with the goal of expanding integrated cabling and connectivity solution offerings in the enterprise, data center and other sectors. The company also disclosed that Lightera’s investment resulted in Lightera holding a stated percentage of OCC’s outstanding shares at the time of the announcement.
Financial reporting and operating profile
OCC regularly reports its financial results through press releases and SEC filings, including quarterly and annual results. In its communications for fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025, the company discussed trends in net sales, gross profit, gross profit margin, selling, general and administrative expenses, and net income or loss. It has described net sales contributions from both enterprise and specialty markets, as well as from customers in the United States and outside the United States. The company has also referred to order backlog or forward load levels at various quarter-ends, and to the impact of macroeconomic conditions and market demand on its results.
Management commentary in these releases has emphasized the impact of operating leverage on gross profit and gross margin as volumes change, as well as the effects of employee-related and shipping costs on SG&A expenses. OCC has also highlighted periods of market weakness in its industry and subsequent signs of general market improvement, including strength in its military and severe duty markets.
Regulatory filings and governance
OCC files reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The company’s 8-K filings referenced in the provided materials include disclosures of quarterly results and the strategic collaboration and stock purchase agreement with Lightera. In its forward-looking information sections, OCC notes that its outlook and expectations are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and it refers readers to risk factor discussions and forward-looking information sections in its SEC reports.
Trademarks and branding
OCC identifies several trademarks associated with its business, including Optical Cable Corporation™, OCC®, Procyon®, Superior Modular Products™, SMP Data Communications™, Applied Optical Systems™, and related logos. These marks are used in connection with its cabling and connectivity solutions and associated product families.
Position within the communications cabling industry
Within the broader manufacturing and communications equipment landscape, OCC positions itself as a manufacturer focused on fiber optic and copper data communication cabling and connectivity. Its emphasis on harsh environment and specialty markets, along with enterprise and wireless carrier applications, reflects a concentration on infrastructure used in data communication networks and related systems. The company’s quality certifications, military-related standards, and references to demanding environments are central elements of how it describes its role in the industry.