About Us
Specialty Optical Systems, Inc. is our legal name — but it no longer describes what we are. The industry knows us simply as SOS, because today we’re built around one thing: keeping critical environments running.
SOS is a stocking distributor for cleanrooms and semiconductor manufacturing. We own and operate our facility, warehouse real inventory, and ship fast because product is on our shelves — not “virtual.” When you call, you reach experienced people who know the application and have advanced distribution software in front of them, ready to solve problems and move orders right the first time.
Built on Pivots. Proven by Performance.
SOS was founded in May of 1981 serving high-tech customers with microscopes, optics, and technical lighting. But our story is not about staying the same — it’s about staying essential.
- As optics demand shifted, we moved beyond microscopes to protect the future of the business.
- We expanded into semiconductor lighting, earning exclusive rights in 1985 to distribute Ushio stepper lamps for photolithography.
- When LEDs changed the lighting world, we pivoted again — doubling down on cleanroom customers and the consumables they depend on every day.
That mindset has kept SOS thriving for more than 40 years.
Cleanroom Consumables: A Growing Core
We’ve supported cleanrooms since 1990, and cleanroom consumables are now one of the fastest-growing parts of SOS. We stock the essentials that protect critical environments: wipers (dry and pre-wetted), swabs, sterile and disinfecting products, gloves and apparel, sticky mats, mops, and more.
We’re proud to be the only Texwipe Master Distributor in the United States and a trusted source of best-in-class cleanroom brands like Texwipe and Ansell. We do not supply inferior substitutes — critical environments can’t be compromised.
Semiconductor Lighting Leadership
Our semiconductor roots remain strong. SOS is the Ushio America sales representative for semiconductor lamp sales across Texas and the entire East Coast of the U.S., supporting fabs with reliable availability and deep photolithography expertise.
Scale That Keeps Customers Running
SOS supplies 4,500+ parts to the semiconductor industry and supports Supplier-Managed Inventory (SMI) with consignment stock in 17 locations across four states, plus recurring replenishment programs that prevent stockouts and simplify purchasing.
Our reliability shows in results — including 11 Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Awards earned over the years.
Who We Serve
- Semiconductor fabs and advanced manufacturing
- Cleanrooms and controlled environments
- Pharmaceutical, biologics, and medical device facilities
- Hospitals, compounding and nuclear pharmacies
- Research and educational laboratories
- Industrial manufacturing
Bottom line: SOS is a distributor built for environments where contamination and downtime aren’t options — with real inventory, best-in-class brands, experienced people, and the technology to deliver flawlessly.
Family-owned and operated for more than 40 years, SOS combines long-term accountability with the inventory, technology, and expertise critical environments require. If contamination or downtime isn’t an option, you can count on SOS to keep you running.