Taylor Hobson

Taylor Hobson is an English company founded in 1886 and located in Leicester, England. Originally a manufacturer of still camera and cine lenses, the company now manufactures precision metrology instruments—in particular, profilometers for the analysis of surface textures and forms. 
Taylor Hobson is now part of Ametek's Ultra Precision Technologies Group.
History.
How surface texture analysis was invented.
William Taylor was convinced that to be a leader in optical lenses, he needed to have the best understanding and control of the surface quality of his lenses. As a result, he started to design instruments capable of helping him evaluate surface texture and roundness. After other manufacturers in various domains became aware of this, they requested to purchase these instruments. He refused, as the invented instruments were crucial to Taylor Hobson's optical lenses supremacy. After the company decided to market the instruments, Taylor Hobson became the major instrument manufacturer.