Echolab Corp., maker of the Opera series of dual-format production switchers, expanded its business by a whopping 48 percent over the past year, driven mainly by the launch of Opera, the company said.

Echolab, based in Billerica, Mass., reported doubling its international sales.

“The rapid acceptance of the Opera production switcher in the United States and abroad has sent a strong message that the product’s feature set meets market expectations for functionality and price,” said Chris Hackett, international sales manager at Echolab. “Our release of the HD-capable OvationMD production switcher also fueled this growth, helping us to realize tremendous growth and remarkable penetration of the global broadcast market.”

The company has kicked off its China marketing effort and reported a 13.5 percent increase in U.S. sales, also attributed in significant part to the launch of Opera.

The company also grew its executive, marketing, manufacturing, sales and engineering staff by 30 percent in 2007. That included the signup of industry veteran Nigel Spratling as president.