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5 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,January 31,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca 85 BRIDGEPORT RD. E. WATERLOO (Across from the Bridgeport Rd. Plaza) SINCE 1971 519-893-8118 MON., TUES., WED. 10 AM - 6 PM THURS., FRI. 10 AM - 8 PM SATURDAY 9 AM - 5 PM SUNDAY 12 PM - 4 PM FURNITURE & MATTRESSES SINCE 1971 ONDISCONTINUED MERCHANDISE AND SELECTED DISPLAY MODELS 60%UPTOSAVE JANUARY CLEAN SWEEP EVENT CLEAN SWEEP EVENT MIDWINTER Services covered under extended health plans Serge Petrusic BSc, DCh, Chiropodist Visit kwfoot.com to learn more or call 519-884-4200 279 Weber St. N. Suite 17 Waterloo, ON N2J 3H8 519-884-4200 kwfoot.com Doctors referral not necessary Nail Regeneration Procedure People with damaged nails tend to be embarrassed and are consistently trying to find ways to hide them. Damage to the nail can be a result of infection, surgery, radiation, trauma, or a sports or childhood injury. In most cases nails have stopped growing or they are distorted, thickened or split. Now, there is a procedure available that can improve both the growth and the aesthetic appearance of the nail. Nail regeneration procedure is designed for people that have partially damaged nails. This procedure takes advantage of the healthy remains of the nail bed to stimulate nail re-growth. Even with a small portion of the healthy nail bed remaining, this procedure can be effectively used to initiate full nail regeneration. Removal of the damaged tissue is done gradually, in small elliptical portions stimulating cellular growth and nail elongation with minimum pain to the patient. This procedure is done in a clinical setting under local anesthetic with no down time and the patient can walk immediately after the procedure. WATERLOO - The ac- quisition of drone maker Aeryon Labs presents sig- nificant opportunities for both the company and Wa- terloo Region, its co-found- er believes. On Monday, Oregon- based Flir Systems Inc. an- nounced the acquisition of Waterloo's Aeryon Labs for US$200 million ($265 mil- lion Cdn). "We expect Flir to be in- vesting here," Aeryon's co- founder and chief technolo- gy officer Dave Kroetsch said. "It also starts the vir- tuous circle of reinvesting in the community," with the prospect of new start- ups and ventures springing up to support the growing unmanned aerial systems sector. Founded in 2007, Aeryon makes drone systems for international clients in the military, public safety and critical infrastructure mar- kets. The company current- ly employs about 220 peo- ple, with offices or staff in Waterloo, the United States and overseas. "What we bring to the ta- ble as a world-class manu- facturer of these small drones is a key piece of what Flir sees as a move to broader solutions as their company evolves," Kroetsch said. Flir takes its name from the acronym for forward- looking infrared, a camera technology typically used on military and civilian air- craft. The company designs and makes sensor systems for the government and de- fence, industrial, and com- mercial markets. "Aeryon brings to the ta- ble the ability to fly those sensors," Kroetsch said. In 2016, Flir made a move into the sector with the pur- chase of Prox Dynamics AS, a Norwegian firm spe- cializing in nano-class un- manned aerial systems; its Black Hornet Nano heli- copter weighs just over half an ounce. Aeryon has used Flir sensors in its drones for about eight years, Kroetsch said. "We've had a develop- ing relationship." Flir's global market reach means Aeryon can be introduced to regions it's not currently familiar with. The deal also marries work the two firms are do- ing in such areas as auto- mation and artificial intel- ligence, seen as the next trends in the developing market, Kroetsch said. "Our product road maps dovetail in a lot of very nat- ural ways," he said. Aeryon Labs is now part of the Flir Government and Defense Business Unit's Unmanned Systems and In- tegrated Solutions divi- sion. Aeryon equipment is al- ready in use by 20 militar- ies, including the U.S. De- partment of Defense; other applications include search and rescue, disaster re- sponse, collision recon- struction, and infrastruc- ture inspection. "The acquisition of Aeryon Labs reinforces our long-term strategy to move beyond providing sensors to the development of com- plete solutions that save lives and livelihoods," Flir president and chief execu- tive officer Jim Cannon said in a news release. "It's great to see that Ca- nadian technology and know-how is being recog- nized," said Mark Aruja, chair of Unmanned Sys- tems Canada, a national in- dustry association re- presenting stakeholders in business, academia and government. But such a deal under- scores the challenge of at- tracting domestic invest- ment capital into the sector, he added. That said, unmanned systems have international appeal and Flir has that WATERLOO DRONE MAKER AERYON LABS ACQUIRED FOR US$200 MILLION BRENT DAVIS bdavis@therecord.com BUSINESS global reach. "There's a real potential upside to this," he said. Aruja said we're on the cusp of technological devel- opments that will allow un- manned aerial vehicles to undertake a multitude of tasks at great economic val- ue. "I think the future is sig- nificant." Kroetsch acknowledged there may be a "negative stigma" associated with the sale of a Canadian compa- ny to an American firm. "In my mind, it's actually a very good thing," he said.