United Kingdom-based augmented reality firm WaveOptics Ltd. announced Sept. 17 it will open its first United States operation headquarters in Manhattan Beach.

The smart glasses and AR wearable developer named Mike Lynch as the North American division president. Lynch will be stationed in Manhattan Beach but report to WaveOptics Chief Executive David Hayes, based in the United Kingdom. Previously, Lynch oversaw human resources and talent acquisition for Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and served as global services officer at Westlake augmented reality firm Daquri.

The office, located at 1240 Rosecrans Ave., will ensure “WaveOptics is ideally located in the middle of the thriving L.A. tech industry with easy access to customers in Southern and Northern California,” said WaveOptics spokesperson Suzie Smith, who added that the L.A. office is close to LAX to help “support our growing customer base around the country.” Smith said she expects Los Angeles to be a factor in “attracting top talent as we continue to build our team.”

Hayes said in a press release that opening North America office “is a substantial milestone for the business and allows us to leverage the significant opportunities in the region,” adding that “the U.S. is an important market for us as we continue to build our relationships with key customers and partners across the globe.”

Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.