Products & ideas for the laboratory professional.
Issue link: https://opticallabproducts.epubxp.com/i/233472
NEWS ENLIGHTENING PATIENTS ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF BLUE LIGHT HOYA Vision Care, North America recently commissioned a consumer research study to assist eyecare professionals (ECPs) in providing blue light remedies to their patients. The study called "Strategies for Keeping Purchases at Independent Practices: Prescribing for Blue Light Overexposure," summarizes the research fndings and offers independent ECPs tactics that are easy to implement. The results of the study are summarized in the report which includes a section that outlines how HOYA's products like Sync and the Recharge AR treatment would be benefcial. HOYA'S LENSES NOW BEING PRODUCED BY ROCHESTER OPTICAL Rochester Optical in Rochester, NY is now offering HOYA iD Lifestyle & iQ Free-Form™ production. "As an independently owned lab, we feel it's important to offer our customers a wide range of quality products," comments Patrick Ho, owner. "We believe in HOYA lens technology. Likewise, we are confdent that our in-house processing of the HOYA iD Lifestyle and iQ series of lenses will provide the quality and quick turn-time our ECPs need." RUNDOWN FIVE MORE ACQUISITIONS FOR ESSILOR Essilor International has acquired two more U.S. wholesale optical laboratories— Katz & Klein and VIP Optical Labs—as well as Costa Inc. which manufactures high-performance sunglasses. In addition, Essilor's FGX International subsidiary has acquired Suntech Optics, a Canadian distributor of sunglasses and reading glasses which has annual revenues of $15 million. In November, Essilor took a 50% stake in Xiamen Yarui Optical Co. Ltd., China's leading supplier of midrange sunglasses and owner of the Bolon® brand. Xiamen Yarui Optical has 850 employees and generated revenue of $58 million in 2012. Katz & Klein, located in Sacramento, CA, generates annual revenue of around $4 million. The lab, founded in 1937 by Harry Katz and Russell Klein, is owned by Mike Francesconi and Corrine Hood. Hood served as president of the lab until her retirement last year. Francesconi remains as vice president. When asked why he sold the lab to Essilor, Francesconi told OLP that "All the change in managed care was the biggest reason. Work was being redirected to certain labs, work that we used to do. We needed a partner who could help us in that arena and Essilor was the perfect ft." VIP Optical Labs, situated in Linden, NJ, generates about $3.9 million in annual revenue, and is privately held. Costa designs, assembles, and markets sunglasses under the Costa and Native brands and reported revenue of over $100 million last year. Essilor said the deal will enable Costa to expand its distribution across the US and globally and to build its Rx sun sales. PIONEER OF ELECTRONIC EYEWEAR CLOSES ITS DOORS PixelOptics, Inc. with its empower! product was once a pioneer in electronic focusing eyewear, has fled for Chapter 7 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, DE. The court has appointed an executor to oversee liquidation of the company's assets, mainly an intellectual property portfolio of 400 patents and patent applications. In the past few months, the company had run into fnancial diffculty and was burdened with debt. Brett Craig, PixelOptics' president and CEO left the company on October 7. He had been head of PixelOptics since December 2011 having previously served as president of Transitions Optical, Inc. CARL ZEISS LABS ACHIEVE QUALITY STANDARD Three Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. optical laboratories have achieved the ISO 9001 Quality Management Certifcation for their commitment to quality and improvement. The evaluation was completed by the independent certifcation company, UL DQS, and consists of a four-step process: planning, implementation, results and analysis, and improvements. The three labs are located in Chester, VA, Hebron, KY, and Clackamas, OR. "This certifcation is an important milestone in our goal of delivering the most advanced products with the best quality and service," said Joe Donahoe, Carl Zeiss' president, North America. totallyoptical.com YET ANOTHER WIN FOR VISION-EASE'S MARKETING EFFORTS Vision-Ease Lens has won the Web Marketing Association's 2013 Best of Industry WebAward for its specialty website, VELVenue.com. The website was the overall winner in the portal category for its benefts-driven content, ease of ordering, and attractive, modern design. The company launched the Venue site in 2012. Through the portal, customers can order products and access specialty processing. The design is simple and streamlines the order process for customers who are logging in. For those new to Venue, the Rx range and shape guide can be downloaded. Digital backside progressives, mirrors, and AR (anti-refective) coatings are three of the specialties they offer. Venue can carry out a three-day turnaround on orders received by 3pm Central Standard Time. january 2014 17