1 - VisionMonday.com

Transcription

M
www.visionmonday.com
FEBRUARY 18, 2008
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Monday
FEBRUARY 18, 2008
VOL. 22 NO. 2 $15
The Newsmagazine for the Eye Care Industry
NEWS
VCA Launches
New Name and Logo
At the group’s Executive Summit in
Naples, Fla., The Vision Council of
America (VCA) announces a new
name and logo—The Vision Council.
page 22
SCENE & HEARD
PBA Celebrates
100 Years at Gala
Male Call
Vision Monday assembled a troop of eyewear suppliers and retailers to get their
take on the state of today’s men’s eyewear market. The experts agreed that men
are responding well to new brand collections and have an ever-increasing desire for
more fashion forward frames and an improved selection of styles.
WWW.KENMAR KOPTI CAL.COM
Page 39
800.627.2898
SEE PAGE 14 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION.
©2008 Kenmark Group.
Prevent Blindness America holds
its Centennial Gala in NYC celebrating 100 years of saving sight.
page 36
• A Q&A with Carl Zeiss
Vision’s Fred Howard, president, Americas.
page 20
• Sàfilo expands global retail
presence with acquisitions.
page 26
• New head of UnitedHealth
vision unit, talks about eyecare education.
page 10
FRAME STYLES: PAULINA No. 575/800 645 1300 ©2008 COACH®
THIS MONTH IN VM
VISION MONDAY/FEBRUARY 18, 2008
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
IN THIS ISSUE
Time to Stay Focused on CLs’ Potential
News
Vision Expo sets N.Y. event dates
through 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Luxottica and Chanel extend
licensing agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Jil Sander signs global eyewear license
pact with Marchon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Ostrov succeeds Zarella as B&L’s
chairman/CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Thoma & Sutton chain buys two
Ohio locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Scene & Heard
Transitions Optical holds 12th
‘Academy’ in Orlando . . . . . . . . . . .32
Execs tackle industry issues at Vision
Council Executive Summit . . . . . . .36
24
36
Exam Lanes
Managed vision gets spotlight during
2008 Transitions Academy . . . . . . . 46
Retail Dispensary
Launches
Transitions releases sixth generation
photochromic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Nouveau Eyewear introduces
Global ReLeaf eyewear . . . . . . . . . 52
REM unveils Lucky Brand
Spectacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Second Looks
Viva introduces City Landmarks from
Gant Eyewear for men . . . . . . . . . 52
Zyloware unveils Via Spiga eyewear
for Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
McGee dazzles with new Vera Bradley
sun and ophthalmic styles . . . . . . . . 56
Columns
F.Y.Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
46
Business Essentials
50
56
Employee retention tips for 2008 . . 66
Opinion
Don’t drop the ball on testing . . . . . .68
Balance Sheet
B&L issues preliminary ’07 results 70
Essilor posts reported 8.1 percent revenue increase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
And, while contact lens dispensing and fitting
are inextricably connected to the primary care
services eyecare professionals and fitters provide,
looking at the economics of that business is an
important element of maintaining them. All of
this comes at a time when new CL technologies
and options are driving category interest and
growth, as a part of a comprehensive vision correction solution to patients who want to wear contact lenses some or all of the time.
Thanks to systems technology and online capabilities which are gradually changing cost efficiencies and heralding new service opportunities for
all optical retailers and eyecare professionals in all
categories of products, there is no need for practices to take their eye off the proverbial ball here.
In fact, it’s a good time now to sit down, work
with suppliers, distributors and other resources at
the ready to revisit and calculate the best way to
maintain the comprehensive service, enhance
your operation and practice’s reputation with
your valued patients while creating an affirmative plan of action. ■■
VisionMonday.com and VMail Extra Garner
Finalist Status in Min’s Best of the Web Awards
Inside the Lab
VSP Sacramento lab to produce Crizal
coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The news of Wal-Mart’s new
alliance with 1-800 Contacts for
a new program to deliver contact lenses to patients is a formidable combination of two
major ‘brands’ to the consumer.
Much remains to be seen
about how the program will
Marge Axelrad actually unfold later this Fall,
Editorial Director
but as many experts in the
contact lens market discussed the move with
Vision Monday (with the exception of the contact lens companies, who stayed ‘mum’ for
now...), what the deal has the potential to do is to
allow ECPs and other retailers to reconsider how
they provide a key service to patients and re-analyze their costs of doing business in this important vision care category.
It’s common for many optical retailers and
ECPs to focus on ‘what they pay’ for eyecare
products, rather than really sit and assess the price
and consistent margins they can realize by selling
through those products.
60
NEW YORK—Winners will be announced at the
Min Group’s The Best of the Web Awards Luncheon on April 14 at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan to recognize the top magazines, digital campaigns, sites and people who are true pioneers
in the digital arena. Both winners and honorable
mentions will be honored in over 25 categories
for outstanding online efforts over the past year.
Selected from hundreds of Web site entries,
three Vision Monday online initiatives have
achieved coveted Finalist Status for the Min’s
Best of the Web Awards in the following categories: Design: VisionMonday.com; Email
Newsletters: VMail Extra and for Marketing Campaign: VisionMonday.com Ad Campaign.
Other Design finalists include:
•Condé Nast Publications for Portfolio.com
• eldr.com
• Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. for ELLE.com
• Hanley Wood Business Media for ARCHITECT Online
• Penton Media, Inc. for Reel-Exchange.com
• The Magazine Group for CDW’s BizTech
Other Email Newsletters finalists include:
• EW.com for What to Watch Newsletter
• IEEE Spectrum Online for Spectrum Tech Alert
• Instyle.com for Newsletters
• New York Media for nymag.com's Agenda
• Penton media for Broadcast engineering's
E-Newsletter Family
8
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Luxottica Targets Retail, Wholesale Growth
By Cathy Ciccolella
Senior Editor
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.—Senior
management of Luxottica Group and its
newly acquired Oakley subsidiary are
predicting strong sales gains and
expanded clout for both the retail and
wholesale segments of the Italian eyewear firm’s business with Oakley now
under the Luxottica umbrella.
Strategies for the near future include;
• Promoting operational synergies
between Luxottica and Oakley, with the
twin goals of enhancing their market
positions as well as cutting costs.
• Working harder to increase sales at
Luxottica’s retail chains in the U.S. and
internationally despite a lagging North
American economy, a move that
includes letting the company’s leasedoptical pact with host BJs Wholesale—
which “is not in alignment with the
Licensed Brands strategy”—lapse. A
third sunwear retail concept focused on
“sports premium” collections is also
under evaluation.
• Putting stronger marketing and
product-development support behind
Luxottica brands such as the venerable
Revo name, while broadening the Oakley brand’s reach into optical channels.
• Building upon the latest eyewearand lens-manufacturing technology to
boost retail as well as wholesale volumes.
In a special Investor Day program
here on Feb. 7, key executives of both
Luxottica and Oakley outlined some
Luxottica Posts Double-Digit Gains in
FY 2007, Despite Slide in Q4 Retail
MILAN—Luxottica Group achieved its
fourth consecutive year of double-digit
sales growth in 2007, despite a dip in
retail performance in the fourth quarter
that sent comparable-store sales sliding
for its North American optical operations.
For the full year, Luxottica’s consolidated sales reached €4,967 million, a 6.2
percent increase (up 12.6 percent at
constant currency rates). That total
includes €88 million in sales by Oakley,
which Luxottica owned for the last six
weeks of 2007.
Luxottica’s retail sales for the year
(excluding Oakley) were €3,234 million,
1.8 percent below FY 2006’s total (up
5.6 percent at constant currency levels).
Total worldwide comp-store sales rose
1.2 percent, “notwithstanding the continuous ups and down of sales in North
America due to consumers uncertainty
regarding the macro-economic scenario,”
a Luxottica announcement said. However, comp-store sales for Luxottica Retail’s
North American optical operations were
essential flat.
Within that North American optical
business, comp sales at LensCrafters
and Pearle Vision stores rose 1.2 percent in FY 2007, while sales at Luxottica’s Licensed Brands operations
dropped 5.4 percent for the year. Sunglass Hut’s worldwide comp sales rose
1.7 percent in 2007, although comp
sales for sunglasses at those stores
saw a 5.7 percent increase for the year.
On the wholesale side, sales exclud-
ing Oakley’s products increased by 16.2
percent (up 19.8 percent at constant
currency rates) for the full year, to
€1,993 million. Wholesale sales to third
parties rose 21.7 percent at constant
currency rates, while sales in emerging
markets were up 40 percent.
In last year’s fourth quarter, Luxottica’s
consolidated sales were €1,189 million
(including the €88 million contribution by
Oakley), up 7.1 percent (up 16.2 percent
at constant currency rates).
The company’s worldwide retail sales
dropped 7.2 percent in Q4 (but
increased 2.8 percent at constant currency rates) to €714 million; overall
retail comp-store sales fell 1.7 percent
in the quarter. Luxottica’s North American optical comps were down 3 percent
in Q4; in that period, LensCrafters and
Pearle saw their combined comp sales
fall by 3.2 percent, while the Licensed
Brands stores’ comps dropped 2 percent. Sunglass Hut’s worldwide comp
sales fell 3.1 percent in Q4, although
comp sales for sunglasses at Sunglass
Hut rose 2.6 percent.
Wholesale sales in Q4 increased by
15.6 percent (up 20.2 percent at constant currency rates) to €479 million.
Andrea Guerra, chief executive officer
of Luxottica Group, commented, “Today,
our vertical integration model is much
more efficient, we are stronger in all of
our markets and our brand portfolio is
richer and even more well-balanced in all
of our target consumer segments.” ■■
“It’s not just synergies, cost-cutting or
putting one organization into another. It’s
a new plan, a new business.”
—Andrea Guerra
plans for the future, while keeping other
strategies under wraps.
They presented a new, long-term
business plan said to have a clear objective: to create an innovative business
model with advantages for its consumers, employees and shareholders.
“The plan is based on the combination
of Luxottica’s vertical model, its wellbalanced brand portfolio and its capacity
to reach across the globe with Oakley’s
technological capability and undisputed
strength in the sports segment,” an
announcement said.
“The combination of Luxottica and
Oakley changes the future of our industry,” declared Andrea Guerra, Luxottica’s chief executive officer. Guerra heralded “the start of a new Luxottica
Group, of three to five years of development, new projects and the exploration
of new segments. Two complementary
models, two histories that are unique but
with much in common: Oakley’s extraordinary sun lens technology and its
supremacy in sport together with our
scale, links with the luxury and fashion
worlds as well as design and manufacturing excellence. The combination of
these strengths will enable us to create a
competitive edge on a global scale, at all
levels of the organization and with
unlimited growth potential.”
Guerra said Luxottica has spent the
last 18 months building “a great new
growth platform for the future.” And
despite an acknowledged “slowdown
and some instability” in the North
America retail market, Luxottica’s
strength across its eyewear brands and
retail channels “will allow us to go
through these tougher times and come
through stronger,” he declared.
Looking ahead, Luxottica executives
predicted total sales will top €6.1 billion
in the 2009 fiscal year, up 27 percent from
the company’s 2007 volume. Consolidated sales for FY 2008 are expected to be
between €5.6 billion and €5.75 billion.
Luxottica estimates that operating
synergies resulting from its $2.1 billion
acquisition of Oakley last year will deliver benefits worth €20 million in 2008,
€60 million in 2009 and €100 million in
2010. However, said Guerra, “It’s not
just synergies, cost-cutting or putting
one organization into another. It’s a new
plan, a new business.”
Some elements of that “new business” involves Luxottica’s worldwide
retail presence. Kerry Bradley, chief
operating officer of Luxottica Retail, said
the company’s total North American
retail revenues are approaching $4 billion; LensCrafters’ sales in North America and China alone should near the $2
billion level this year.
“In 2007, we grew and we built,”
Bradley stated. “It was one of the most
volatile years ever, but we did grow our
sales despite the volatility and instability.”
Sean McLaughin, senior vice president, consumer marketing, for Luxottica’s
North American retail operation, said the
company is currently evaluating a new
“sports premium” retail position for the
127 Sunglass Icon stores it got as part of
the Oakley acquisition. “We don’t know
what the name will be yet, but we
already have a prototype store we’re getting consumer feedback on,” he said.
“We plan to open an inline store [using
this new format] in a mall by May 1.”
Luxottica has already moved to create
synergies with Oakley by adding Oakley
ophthalmic and sunwear product to
LensCrafters’ stores, which did not carry
the brand prior to the acquisition. Oakley
eyewear, now in 25 percent to 35 percent
of LensCrafters’ stores, will be in 50 percent by the end of the second quarter,
McLaughin said. Oakley’s women’s sunwear styles were recently added to Sunglass Hut’s inventory as well and are
doing “very well,” he added.
In other retail news:
• LensCrafters’ previously announced
revamped operations model, including a
new merchandising approach and
streamlined lens offering, has generated
“tremendous results” and will be rolled
out chainwide. LensCrafters will open
30 new stores this year, and remodel a
number of high-volume locations.
• Digitally surfaced lens technology
(DST) is “the wave of the future, especially in progressives,” according to
Continued on page 10
10
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Luxottica Targets Retail, Wholesale Growth
Continued from page 8
“‘We are very strong in differBradley, and is seen as a way
of reducing Luxottica Retail’s ent retail chains, sun and optioverall lab and lens costs.
cal, which will allow us to go
DST is currently producing
through these tougher times
one-third of the progressive
and come through stronger.”
lenses sold by Pearle Vision,
and will roll out into
—Andrea Guerra
LensCrafters in 2008’s first half.
• Optimap digital retinal imaging, by Bradley as the “anti-optical,” with a
launched in Pearle Vision last year, is single recommended lens at a single
now used in half the Pearle stores, and price—is working well.
• With Sears Optical, the focus is on
continues to roll out through that chain.
Pearle also recently began scheduling “profit maintenance in a struggling
eye-exam appointments online, and is host,” according to Guerra. However, he
currently setting about 500 online said he has “absolute long-term confidence in the Sears’ brand and business”
appointments per week.
• Luxottica Retail’s licensed brands and has no plans to let Luxottica’s Sears
operation will add 30 more Target Opti- Optical licensing agreement lapse, as
cals in SuperTarget stores, bringing its will happen with BJs Wholesale.
total there to 326 locations. Its revamped
According to Guerra, “We are very
Target Optical store format—referred to strong in different retail chains, sun and
New Head of UnitedHealth
Vision Unit Speaks to Education
BALTIMORE—As
the recently named
head of UnitedHealth
Group’s vision network, OptumHealth
Vision Network (formerly Spectera), Laurie
Mackenzie sees an
Laurinda Mackenzie
opportunity to help
educate both employers and consumers
on the importance of eyecare as a means
of detecting other health challenges, both
vision-related and non-vision related.
In May 2007, Mackenzie took on the
position of executive vice president of
UnitedHealthcare Vision. In that role, she
is responsible for strategic sales, product
development, network and retail stores for
the company’s vision segment. Prior to
this assignment, Mackenzie was senior
vice president of vendor relations with
UnitedHealth’s Specialized Care Services
operation. She has also served as chief
executive officer of LifeEra, a UnitedHealth Group company, and held senior
executive positions at Working Solutions
and ACCESS Clinical Consulting.
Mackenzie also comes from a retailing
background, having gone through Dayton Hudson’s executive training program
early in her career, in addition to her
experience in the medical-related field.
“The products we offer through
OptumHealth Vision affect consumers’
health and well-being, and there’s a
‘product’ element as well through our
United Optical stores,” she told VM.
“That taps into my retail experience.”
An important part of her new position
has been meeting with the company’s
network of providers, at events such as
International Vision Expo, Transitions
Academy and the upcoming Optometry’s Meeting in June, as well in individual and group meetings with eyecare
practitioners. “It’s very important to us to
understand what’s important to them,
and how we can bring value to the relationship,” Mackenzie declared.
Mackenzie sees significant opportunities ahead for the concept of eyecare as
part of an overall health-care regime.
“Eye health is an industry with enormous potential,” she said. “Consumers,
especially Baby Boomers, are interested
in how to take care of themselves, live
an active life and be healthy. But many
people have not had an opportunity to
understand the importance of eye
health—with our ECP partners, we’re
offering an opportunity to educate consumers on their eyes and vision, today
and for the future. It’s an opportunity to
make a big difference in people’s lives,
and to let them know about the value of
primary eyecare in catching health challenges at an early stage.”
—Cathy Ciccolella
optical, which will allow us to go
through these tougher times and come
through stronger.”
On the wholesale side, Guerra noted
significant gains in Luxottica’s wholesale
performance, on a global basis. “Our
wholesale business has been successful
across all geographic areas, segments and
brands,” he declared, with the company’s wholesale operation registering its
fourth consecutive year of double-digit
growth in 2007.
Guerra said Luxottica’s wholesale business “has the opportunity to climb in
market share in North America” this year,
adding, “We have outperformed the market in wholesale in North America.”
In addition to the upcoming launch of
the Tiffany eyewear collection, Luxottica is planning to work this year to
strengthen its Revo brand, launching six
new polarized styles using an exclusive
lens-tint technology in November, said
Scott Bowers, Oakley’s vice president of
worldwide marketing. “We think we
can double Revo’s sales,” according to
Bowers.
Summing up, Guerra said, “Everything we need to put into our company
to [generate] growth over the next three
to five years is in house.” He added,
“This new company is the leader in an
industry that is growing.” ■■
Iacon President
Jeff Obstfeld to
Resign in March
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Jeff Obstfeld,
president of Oakley’s Iacon sunglass
retailing subsidiary, will resign in March
to devote his time to other interests,
including his sunwear wholesale business, Desert Sunglass of Scottsdale,
and his avocation, his thoroughbred
race-horse stable.
Oakley, along with Iacon, was
acquired by Luxottica Group in midNovember.
Obstfeld said that until March he
will “continue to assist Oakley and
Luxottica Retail in the transition of
functional responsibilities for the Sunglass Icon stores to the new organization, with a focus on real estate and
store development.”
He added, “I feel my job is done with
Iacon and wish Luxottica and Oakley all
my best in their efforts to create a new
retail brand that will be wildly successful.”
Then-privately held Iacon was
acquired by Oakley in late October
2001. Once Iacon became a wholly
owned subsidiary of Oakley, with founder
Obstfeld remaining as Iacon’s president,
the sunwear chain embarked on an
aggressive expansion program. ■■
FGX International Names Two
New Executive Vice Presidents
SMITHFIELD, R.I.—FGX International (NASDAQ: FGXI), a designer
and marketer of non-prescription reading glasses, sunglasses and costume
jewelry, has announced the appointment of Richard W. Kornhauser to
executive vice president and chief marketing officer and the promotion of
Robert Grow to executive vice president of product development.
Kornhauser was previously employed
as vice president of marketing by Chattem, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tenn. Prior to
Chattem, he held marketing positions at
Combe Incorporated and Del Laboratories, Inc. and worked at the Ted Bates
Advertising Agency in New York City.
“We are very pleased to have Rick
Kornhauser joining us to lead our marketing efforts,” said Alec Taylor, CEO of
FGX. “Rick brings a world of experience
in building brand equities to our company
and is a valuable addition to our team.”
"I'm very excited to join FGX International,” said Kornhauser. “I look forward
to capitalizing on the strength of the
existing management team, the company's portfolio of superior branded products and its leading market position."
FGXI also promotes Grow to executive vice president of product development. Grow has worked for FGX International for 20 years, most recently as
vice president of product development.
“Bob has made significant contributions to FGXI in the areas of optical
design and product sourcing,” said Taylor.
Based here, FGX International has
approximately 300 full-time employees
and offices in New York, Canada, England, Mexico, Arkansas and China. Their
portfolio of brands includes Foster Grant,
Magnivision, Anarchy, Angel and Gargoyles and licenses in certain product categories for Ironman, Levi Strauss, Body
Glove and C9 by Champion. ■■
‘‘
When you are on the
road all the irrelevant
things fall away – it
becomes the road, the
bike, and you. It’s about
dedication, motivation,
and moving forward.
Working together with
Luxottica compliments
my guiding philosophies
and has been essential
to my success.
‘‘
DR. ROBERT REED JR.
All Eyes, Optometry
St. Joseph, MI
Luxottica
&me
To learn more about Dr. Robert Reed and the advantages of partnering with Luxottica go to www.luxandme.com
sm
4(%05235)4/&!
15!,)49
,)&%349,%
Every American dream
is born on the hope
for a brighter future and the
objective to live the best in
life. As one of the first shirt
designers in the country,
Bernard Gant is among those
who have realized this dream,
leading to a legacy that has
been influential to American
fashion and lifestyle.
'ANT©S
"RAND(ISTORY
Bernard Gant arrived in America in 1914 armed with
an unwavering outlook for a promising future. Like most
immigrants of that time, Gant was determined to make
a new life for himself. His determination took him to
Manhattan’s garment district, where he found work
sewing shirt collars in a sweatshop. It is here where Gant
developed a true dedication to garment craftsmanship
and detail, enabling him to launch a family business in
1949. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, the family
manufactured exquisitely made shirts, selling them
to private label stores including Brooks Brothers and Manhattan Shirts. Gant was keen in
understanding the needs of American men, discovering that they were an active group. Men’s
style was trending towards a casual attitude as they were dressing less formally, yet remaining
well-dressed. Gant welcomed this trend, using it as starting point to launch the Gant brand.
The brand introduced a new concept in shirts, giving birth to the infamous “button-down”
sportswear shirt. Demand for these shirts increased, as men across the country embraced the
leisurely casual New England style that these shirts represented. In the years that followed,
Gant would go on to become one of the world’s largest shirt makers.
In 1980, the Gant brand expanded into the international market, resulting in worldwide
recognition. The brand developed beyond shirts, as a wide range of sportswear clothing
was introduced. While the brand’s main objective still projected the casual and comfortable
aspects of American east coast style, the international factor also brought in a European
influence – that of refinement and sophistication. The fusion of these two elements would
form what is today’s Gant.
'ANT4ODAY
Gant has evolved into a global premium lifestyle brand with 310 stores worldwide. Today’s
Gant collections consist of apparel for men, women, kids and accessories including shoes,
watches, fragrance, and eyewear.
Gant’s target audience is men and women in the 25-59 age demographic. Well-educated
and cultured, they are in the high average income category. The Gant customer travels often
and has worldly interests in music, literature and fashion. They lead a healthy, active life with
hobbies including golf, tennis, sailing and skiing. Quality of life is of the utmost importance
to the Gant customer and this is apparent in the products that they purchase.
They pay close attention to detail, gravitating towards products that
contribute to their quality of life. Because Gant is recognized as
a lifestyle brand, the Gant customer identifies strongly with the
brand, as Gant products are integral to satisfying
their lifestyle needs. Since eyewear has
become an essential lifestyle accessory
to men and women across the country,
Gant offers an exclusive eyewear
collection that ideally fits the Gant
customer profile.
3TYLE'(ELMSLY
3TYLE'&ORBES
3TYLE'73ARAH
4HE'ANT
%YEWEAR#OLLECTION
The Gant Eyewear Collection features styles for men and women
designed with the latest modern looks in eyewear and made with
the highest quality materials. From classic optical styles to oversized
sun shapes, each style is crafted with details that reflect designer
workmanship. The men’s collection features a variety of basic as well
as high fashion styles to choose from. Plastics with thick, laser-etched
temples and metals are prevalent, as well as metals with leather
temple inlays. The women’s line emphasizes styles that are bold and
avant-garde. The collection features a combination of handmade
plastic styles with thicker, laser-etched temples and metals in twotone colors with open air lens end pieces. All styles are available in a
variety of fashion-forward and contemporary colors.
The frames in the Gant Eyewear Collection incorporate design
elements that are true to the Gant brand image, originating from
the traditions and casual lifestyles of America’s east coast. Each
style is distinctly American, yet shaped with a European elegance
that has transformed Gant into the global premium lifestyle brand
that it is known for today. Gant Eyewear emanates confidence and
ambition, and is genuinely suited for men and women who aspire
to live the best in life – true to the very founding principles that the
Gant brand is built.
800.345.VIVA vivagroup.com
FEATURING G NEWTON
IN THE NEWS
14
NEWS VIEWS
VM’s Global Summit
Set for April 9 in NYC
s%YEWEARDESIGNEDFOR-EN
s-ODERN3HAPES
s#USTOM*HANE"ARNES0ATTERNSONTHE4EMPLES
s)NNOVATIVE#OLORSAND4ECHNIQUES
Industry leaders,
outside experts to discuss
technology, luxury and
health care trends
Andrea Guerra
%ACHFRAMEREmECTS*HANESCOMPLEXDESIGN
AESTHETICANDISANATURALEXTENSIONOFTHE
*HANE"ARNESLIFESTYLECOLLECTION
3TYLE4ANGENT
“
My eyewear
is inspired
by my love of
technology,
mathematics,
and
architecture.
3TYLE6ERTEX
“
– JHANE BARNES
DESIGNER
800.627.2898
WWW.KENMARKOPTICAL.COM
Jeff McAllister
Tomás Pförtner
Lynn O’Connor Vos
Erin Byrne
J. Robinson Lynch
John O. Agwunobi
NEW YORK—A unique and exclusive
roster of CEOs and speakers from within and outside the optical industry will
offer insights at Vision Monday’s 2nd
Annual Global Leadership Summit, set
for April 9 here.
“This year’s Summit is organized on
the theme, ‘Harnessing the Power of
Today’s Consumer Communities’ and
this one-of-a-kind special event will
bring together leaders to discuss trends
and provide thought-provoking ideas in
four sessions spanning technology and
digital media, the luxury marketplace
and the health care arenas,” said Marge
Axelrad, senior VP/editorial director of
Vision Monday.
The 2nd VM Global Leadership Summit is sponsored by Hoya, Transitions,
The Vision Council and DAC Vision.
The event is geared to senior-level
executives of U.S. and international optical retailers, ECPs, and suppliers.
On the topic of Technology affecting
consumers and health care, speakers
will include:
Lynn O’Connor Vos, president and
CEO, Grey Healthcare Group, New York
and Erin Byrne, chief digital strategist,
Burson-Marsteller, New York.
On the issues shaping the health care
field, speakers will include J. Robinson
Lynch, president and CEO, VSP Vision
Care and John O. Agwunobi, MD, president of professional services, Wal-Mart
Stores, Bentonville, Ark.
On issues facing the optical retail world,
speakers include Jeff McAllister, senior VP
of optical, Wal-Mart Stores, U.S. and
adding perspective from Argentina and
Latin America, Dr. Tomás Pförtner, CEO,
Laboratorio Pförtner Cornealent SACIF,
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
On the perspective toward today’s luxury consumers and points of view in this
market will be exclusive attitudinal
research on this market plus the participation of Luxottica’s CEO, Andrea Guerra.
The program will be held at Bridgewater’s (South Street Seaport) in New York;
registration begins at 8:00 a.m., with the
program from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Attendance fees, registration and information are
available at www.visionmonday.com. ■■
16
IN THE NEWS
ACTION / REACTION
CL Deal Can Be ‘Opportunity’ for ECPs
By Marge Axelrad
Editorial Director
NEW YORK—In the wake of WalMart’s announcement that it had forged
an agreement with 1-800 CONTACTS
to offer a new contact lens program for
patients this fall, optical retailers and
major contact lens distributors told
Vision Monday they view the alliance as
a major opportunity for ECPs and other
retailers to revisit how they provide lenses and replacement lenses to their own
patients and are emphasizing they have
the tools to help them do it.
In January, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
(NYSE: WMT) announced an alliance of
nearly 3,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs
and 1-800 CONTACTS for a program
which “will create efficiencies across their
call centers, Web sites, purchasing, and
distribution efforts—resulting in customer
savings the companies estimate could
reach $400 million over the next three
years," the companies said in a joint statement, noting the alliance "could save
these customers nearly 20 percent on
their contact lenses." The companies
expect to integrate store, Web, and phone
service this fall. (See sidebar this page.)
Stated Angel Alvarez, CEO of
ABB/Con-Cise, “As a stand-alone company, ABB/Con-Cise is the second largest
mail order company in the country, but
we are doing mail order on behalf of
14,000 eyecare independents—another
way to look at it is that what 1-800 is to
Wal-Mart, the distributors are for independents and optical retailers. 1-800 has a
distribution center that Wal-Mart will
leverage; we have a $30 million inventory in contact lenses and the capabilities
for ECPs to leverage to allow them to
retain their control of patients but be
more efficient in servicing them.”
He added, “Independents are still
responsible for 70 percent of the new fits in
contact lenses. Wal-Mart understands costs;
ECPs need to better understand costs and
we are a major assistance here. Our Your
Lens program is a turnkey one which
enables us to customize and embed our
system into the doctor’s site, so they have a
major service advantage with their patients,
earn their usual gross margin on lens
reorders and not lose sales to a third party.”
Alvarez added, “The alliance does
nothing to alter loyal relationships
between independents and patients,
which are based on personalized, enduring care that retailers have greater diffi-
culty delivering. The best defense, year, number of multipacks dispensed per
actually ‘offense,’ for independents is to patient). We take this historical informapresent annual supply packages to con- tion in many cases to show ECP that they
tact lens patients, using manufacturer are currently losing patient CL repurchasrebates, during the annual exam visit. es to alternate outlets (1-800, Costco or
Most ECPs accept
this concept, but
do not routinely
execute it well.
Most lens transactions continue to
be two boxes, not
four or eight. We
also encourage doctors to reduce their
own per box price
when annual sup- Through ODG's Net Results, accounts can control info and
plies are purchased patients can see reorder capabilities on their ECP's site.
and to quote this
price [after manufacturer rebate] to Wal-Mart ) and that now is the time to
respond to price inquiries from patients. secure these patients locking them into
Independents should also add contact their practice. By doing more annual
lens re-order functionality to their Web quantity dispenses, either at initial visit or
sites, neutralizing the convenience of on auto replenishment program like we
24/7 re-ordering with no office visit pro- offer through our online e-commerce soluvided by the Internet sellers.”
tion [ODG Net Results], ECPs can maxiCommented Jeff Rems, president of mize the number of multipacks dispensed
Independent ECP Soft Lens Retail Pricing
vs. Wal-Mart and 1-800 Contacts: 4Q
(unweighted average price per box of 22 leading brands)
Source: ABB Retail Price Monitor 4Q 2007
Westchester, NY-based Optical Distributors Group, “We're not overreacting to
this alliance as we view it as an expansion
of the existing doctor network for 1-800
and referral service. We have been and
continue to take a proactive approach
with practitioners relative to their interaction with their CL patients.
“We analyze purchase data from the
ECP/ customer to determine fitting patterns (types of products dispensed and
quantity initially dispensed versus total
to their patients. The result will be
increased patient retention, better patient
compliance and improved patient/doctor
relationships. The other benefit is obvious—increased revenue and profitability
for the contact lens practice.”
Steve Baker, president of Eyefinity,
said, “Ironically, the big guys see now
what we saw a few years ago. The consumer wants choice, ease of access and
convenience. It could be easy for indeContinued on page 44
Wal-Mart and
1-800 CONTACTS
Form Alliance
NEW YORK—The top executive at
Wal-Mart's optical division views the
company's new agreement with 1800 CONTACTS as a "key step in our
overall commitment to help Americans gain access to affordable health
care solutions."
Noted Jeff McCallister, senior vice
president of Wal-Mart's optical division,
including Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs, in
an exclusive interview with Vision Monday, "We truly believe our charge is to
cause a shift, a shift to help people
better understand preventative health
care solutions. And eyecare is one
area where we have so much education to do, where we have an opportunity to better educate the 130 million
to 150 million people who pass
through our stores. We're very excited
about the 1-800 CONTACTS and WalMart alliance. We think it's exactly
what patients want and need—convenience, access and greater value."
McCallister emphasized, "We see the
contact lens category as an important
one for our business. There are 36 million contact lens users today and a vast
majority shop our stores and clubs for
contact lenses and for contact lens
solutions. They see our stores as the
best place for values. This arrangement
gives consumers and patients what
they're asking for, such as, 'How do I
reduce the inconvenience? How can I
get the lenses I need?'"
He added, "Where state laws provide, we sell replacement lenses ourselves in our stores and in our clubs
and we have had a small business
online. As you know, contact lenses are
continuing to grow with technological
innovations, such as silicone hydrogels,
and we continue to benefit from that.
This is a category where consumers
have a lot of choice. Price does matter
and as we get into the planning
process, we'll look to see how we can
bring even more savings, taking the
efficiencies we both enjoy in the business to translate that into more savings to the consumer."
"Our $4 prescription program is
proof that Wal-Mart is committed to
meeting America's healthcare challenges. Our commitment to affordable
eyecare is no different," said Dr. John
Agwunobi, senior vice president and
president for Wal-Mart's professional
services division. ■■
18
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Signature Names Marketing Exec
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Signature Eyewear, Inc. (SEYE.OB) said that Paul
Cartwright has joined Signature Eyewear,
as director of marketing and licensing.
Cartwright’s background in media
and product placement, special events
and marketing partnerships will assist
him in guiding brand development and
increasing sales volume for Signatures
eyewear licenses, the company said.
His previous licensing success includes
Los Angeles-based jewelry company
Lucas Design, Playboy, Rocawear and
Disney Couture Jewelry. “His experience at American Eagle Outfitters, as
well as his media coverage for Tommy
Hilfiger, makes him a specialist in
brand building and a great fit for Signature Eyewear,” noted Michael Prince,
CEO of Signature.
He will oversee work on all of Signature’s licensed brands including bebe,
Cutter & Buck, Carmen Marc Valvo,
Dakota Smith, Laura Ashley, Hart
Schaffner Marx, Nicole Miller and
Hummer. “Cartwright will focus on
building sales of the existing brands
through unique and brand relevant marketing while at the same time searching
to expand the Signature family of eyewear brands. We are very pleased to
recruit an experienced senior-level marketing specialist to help drive our future
growth and facilitate our launch of the
Carmen Marc Valvo Eyewear Collection
in Spring 2008,” Prince added. ■■
Vision Expo Sets New York Dates to 2012
NORWALK, Conn.—Reed Exhibitions
and Vision Council have set future dates
for International Vision Expo East
through the year 2012. Each event will
be held at New York City’s Jacob Javits
Convention Center.
“We are pleased to be able to announce
our future dates to the industry,” said Tom
Loughran, Reed’s event director for International Vision Expo. “We have worked
diligently to secure dates that meet the
approval of our visiting and exhibiting customers, and that coincide with the buying
cycle for the industry.”
Future dates for International Vision
Expo are: 2009, Exhibits, March 27 to
29, Continuing Education, March 26 to
29; 2010, Exhibits, March 19 to 21, Continuing Education, March 18 to 21; 2011,
Exhibits, March 18 to 20, Continuing
Education, March 17 to 20; 2012,
Exhibits, March 23 to 25, Continuing
Education, March 22 to 25.
This year’s International Vision Expo
East is scheduled as follows: for Exhibits,
April 11 to 13 and Continuing Education,
April 10 to 13.
For more information about International Vision Expo, visit www.visionexpo.com. ■■
FDA to Extend
Comment Period
On Lens Guidelines
ROCKVILLE, Md.—Officials of the
Food and Drug Administration are
continuing to solicit comments on
the FDA’s proposed new guidelines
for lens impact testing. Although the
FDA had set Jan. 24 as the cut-off
date for comments, it plans to
extend the comment period for an
additional three months.
The Optical Laboratories Association
(OLA) has already stepped forward with
a series of recommended changes that
reflect the concerns of optical laboratory operators. OLA is contesting several
key provisions in the Draft Q&A. The
association recommends that the FDA
remove Question 5 from the Draft Q&A,
or revise the guidance to reflect data
indicating that lenses that pass impact
testing once remain safe for use. ■■
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To read the full story and view a
PDF of the OLA’s comments to
the FDA, go to New & Noteworthy
on www.visionmonday.com.
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20
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Carl Zeiss Vision Focuses on Precision Optics
By Marge Axelrad
Editorial Director
NEW YORK—Just over two years into
one of the vision industry’s largest global
mergers and integrations, between Carl
Zeiss GmbH and Sola International,
executives at Carl Zeiss Vision—The
Americas, have been appraising the
company’s heritage, unique technologies, brand names, distribution and customer relationships.
Bringing together distinct cultures, a
history that prioritizes R&D and technology innovations, the company is now
organizing, via its ECP and lab relationships, a more market-attuned approach
to sales and product positioning.
Fred Howard, who was named president and general manager of the Americas nearly one year ago, brings a new
mindset to the company. In the course
of a 25-year career with Procter & Gamble, where he was most recently senior
vice president and general manager for
North America, he successfully implemented sustained growth strategies for
product lines at Gillette, including the
Oral-B and Braun divisions.
In his role at Carl Zeiss Vision, he
reports to the CEO of the company, Dr.
Norbert Gorny. Carl Zeiss Vision is a private company held jointly by Carl Zeiss
AG and EQT III fund, globally headquartered in Aalen, Germany, with Americas
headquarters in San Diego, Calif.
Since his arrival, Howard acknowledges, he has been learning about the
world of optics and the unique structure
of the optical business in North and
South America.
In an exclusive interview with Vision
Monday, Howard sat down to talk
about the organization today and share
perspective on a range of subjects, from
technology, the company’s portfolio of
brands, distribution, the eyecare professional’s expanding role and the big
opportunity for the vision care field.
Overall, the emphasis is on the mix of
brands, ophthalmic lenses (particularly
customized or freeform), performance
coatings, the company’s Rx lab network
and new technology for the dispensary—along with an increased visibility
within the industry and a desire to be a
preferred partner to independent labs
and ECPs. Howard is positive about
Carl Zeiss’ business outlook.
VM: When you first arrived at Zeiss
and in the industry, what did you find?
Vision Monday discussed upcoming initiatives with Fred Howard, right, president, Carl Zeiss Visionthe Americas. With him, left, is Claude Labeeuw, vice president, business development.
Fred Howard: We were Our people are now equipped to
nearly two years into an integration of two companies and I sell across all three businesses.
found that the integration was
—Fred Howard
still going on, we were looking
inward to trying to pull together two great idents, one in charge of our relationships
assets, Sola and Zeiss. We were spending with ECPs and independent labs; the
time investigating and evaluating as other oversees managed care and retail.
opposed to getting in touch with our cusBack in the fall, we reoriented our
tomers and keeping pulse on the industry. sales organization. Our customer clearly
But we found an exciting business, one wants one contact point for our services
with great people assets, very talented and and products, one rep who can serve a
committed experts in the optical industry customer’s needs for lenses, lab services
and some really tremendous technology and equipment. We’d had multiple
from coatings to customized lenses to people calling on customers and it led to
advanced diagnostic and dispensing confusion and a less unified message.
equipment. And of course, we had four We’re listening and getting back to what
tremendous brands each with huge the customer wants.
potential: Zeiss, AO, Sola and Teflon.
This has resulted in a large, new, trainWe’re through the integration and ing initiative for our people, but it will
internal focus now—I declared the integration process over four months ago.
Seriously, you’re never fully over with
NEW YORK—The SUNY College of
integrations but now we can concentrate
on getting closer to the industry.
Optometry recently affiliated with two
My orientation, my belief, like any
medical institutions in China, the Wenconsumer marketer, is to start with the
zhou Medical College and Zhejiang
consumer, the patient and we have to
University.
On a recent trip to China, David Heath,
have our finger on that pulse. We now
OD, president of the SUNY College of
meet with consumers, we try to learn
Optometry, and Michael Heiberger, OD,
what’s on their mind. That’s what will
the college’s interim dean for academic
help us also with our doctors, our ECPs
affairs, signed affiliation agreements.
and independent labs, to make sure
Established in 1987, the Wenzhou
we’re delighting them with service.
Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang
VM: How is the company now
Province, was the first department in
organized in the Americas?
China committed to optometry and vision
Howard: I run the Americas, which
science research; China’s central governincludes North and South America. In
ment established the National Optometry
North America, we’ve established two
Research Center there in 1993. Under
senior customer development vice pres-
ultimately serve the needs of our customers. Our people are equipped to sell
across all three businesses.
VM: What have been some of
your observations, initial impressions
about the optical industry?
Howard: It’s a very complex industry—more than I realized and more,
sometimes, than it needs to be. There
are so many SKUs we manage and that
other suppliers manage and it’s very
competitive on all fronts—and sometimes the competition is the customer!
There are many dimensions but it’s fascinating and interesting.
Before I joined the industry, I focused
on the eyecare professional and looked
at that. I had some experience with professionals’ recommendations in the oral
care business.
Patients have an interest in knowing
more about their lenses; people want to
be educated about vision. We can better
help doctors educate patients. The doctor wants to talk about the life science,
about the optics. We need to scale our
messaging to all the Os, but the important thing is that patients are receptive
to information that helps them understand lenses better.
Looking ahead, the education and
excitement of the consumer or patient is
an opportunity for the industry. My first
concern is to participate in the industry,
with The Vision Council and other leaders, to build the health and wellness
message, send the message about the
wisdom of regular examinations, create
excitement about progressive lenses,
about sun Rx—we have to change the
dialogue with the patient. ■■
SUNY Affiliates With Chinese Schools
the terms of their agreement, SUNY College of Optometry and the Wenzhou Medical College will pursue collaborative education programs and cooperative
research, along with faculty and student
exchange. A delegation from Wenzhou will
visit SUNY Optometry in May, while fourthyear SUNY College of Optometry students
will begin participating in 10-week clinical
internships at the Wenzhou Medical College’s Eye Hospital in June.
The Affiliated Second Hospital of the
School of Medicine of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (also in Zhejiang Province),
will also host SUNY fourth-year student
interns in the hospital’s Eye Center
beginning in the fall of 2009. ■■
IN THE NEWS
21
NEWS VIEWS
Rodenstock Names ODC
Exclusive U.S. Distributor
MUNICH—Rodenstock GmbH and
the North American optics distributor,
Optical Distribution Corporation (ODC)
have finalized a long-term agreement for
the exclusive distribution of the Rodenstock brand in the U.S. market.
In a separate development, industry
veteran Dave Delle Donne has been
named chief executive officer of ODC.
The moves re-establish Rodenstock’s
presence in the U.S. following the collapse in 2005 of a U.S manufacturing
and distribution venture in which it had
a significant stake.
“Through our partnership with Optical Distribution Corporation [ODC], we
can continue to push ahead the expansion of the Rodenstock brand in the
internationally important U.S. market.
We are convinced that Optical Distribution Corporation [ODC] is the ideal
partner to expand the Rodenstock
brand in the U.S.,” said Petra Heesch, a
Rodenstock sales and marketing executive based at the company’s Munich
headquarters.
“Rodenstock lenses and frames have
been exclusively distributed by Optical
Distribution Corporation [ODC] since
early 2005 under an interim agreement.
This new agreement formalizes and
extends the Rodenstock commitment to
jointly investing in the U.S. market,”
stated Mike Morosky, partner of Lazear
Capital Partners LTD, owners of ODC,
which is based in Columbus, Ohio.
The agreement covers conventional
ophthalmic lenses and free form lenses as
well as frames, according to Rodenstock.
“With the newly signed distribution
agreement, Optical Distribution Corporation is focused on strengthening the
Rodenstock brand, we are pleased to
have Dave Delle Donne, a veteran in
the optical industry, as our new CEO
leading the effort,” said Morosky.
“I look forward to re-establishing a
premium brand like Rodenstock in the
U.S. market with the support of Lazear
Capital Partners, LTD and Rodenstock
GmbH.” said Delle Donne.
Delle Donne has previously held management positions at Carl Zeiss Vision, Eyefinity and Rodenstock North America. ■■
“The new lenses
now get very dark
and they get dark
much more quickly.”
Luxottica and Chanel Extend
Licensing Pact for 3 Years
MILAN, Italy—Luxottica Group S.p.A.
(NYSE: LUX; MTA: LUX) has
announced the signing of a new partnership agreement with Chanel for eyewear
collections under the Chanel brand.
“We are extremely pleased with this
key renewal for our brand group with
mutual satisfaction of both parties for the
terms and conditions of the agreement,”
said Leonardo Del Vecchio, chairman of
Luxottica Group. “More importantly, this
marks the further extension of an already
long-term relationship between our two
companies, which started in 1999 with
the launch of Chanel’s first-ever eyewear
collections and now looks to capture the
additional opportunities for growth that
exist even for this highly-exclusive and
iconic luxury fashion brand.”
The agreement is for three years and
will be automatically renewable for an
additional three years if certain goals are
met, according to a Luxottica spokesperson. ■■
Silmo Adjusts 2008 Show
Dates: Thursday to Sunday
PARIS—Silmo organizers have adjusted
the show dates of the French trade show in
October so that the show opens on Thursday and runs through Sunday, rather than
the traditional Friday-Monday timetable.
The 2008 edition will start Thursday,
Oct. 30 and run through Sunday, Nov. 2.
Organizers said the change “is a strategic
decision that optimizes business and
allows all professionals to benefit.” They
added that the change was made in con-
sideration of “the growing international
participation (more than 52 percent of
visitors), the increasingly demanding
expectations of French opticians with
respect to their trade fair, and to better
meet the demands of exhibitors.”
Silmo show manager, Eric Lenoir, also
pointed out to VM, “American attendees will have also this year one day
more to travel and be back for the elections on Nov. 4.” ■■
Jodie Duquette
Optician
Dr. Michael Rascati
22
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
VCA Launches New Name and Logo
NAPLES, Fla.—In a move reflecting a
new strategic vision, an evolving membership and a new era in its mission, the
Vision Council of America (VCA) has
formally announced a new name and
logo—The Vision Council.
Debuting at the group’s 2008
Executive Summit here, The Vision
Council identity and brand was unveiled
by The Vision Council chairman, Larry
Clarke, who said “Our new name and logo
are designed to present our organization as
inclusive, committed and authoritative.”
He talked about the group’s recent
strategic planning session last summer
which resulted in a new vision for the
future, “to be the leading voice for
enhancing life through better vision,
helping people to see and be seen.”
Added Ed Greene, CEO of The Vision
Council, “We are very energized by our
new direction. It’s our mission to provide
a forum to advocate better vision by promoting quality vision care products and
services in the global community.” The
Vision Council will continue to enhance
its meeting and events, such as the
International Vision Expos, the Executive Summit and divisional meetings, as
well as its training and education offerings. It will shift its focus to further promote the products its members make.
Noted Greene, “Encouraging regular
vision care for all Americans will remain a
top priority for The Vision Council.” In
addition the group will work to revamp its
research offerings, expand its government
relations outreach and “pursue alliances
with like-minded organizations to further
meet our members’ needs,” he added.
A new, contemporary logo has been
developed for The Vision Council. The
logo and a series of new branding materials will officially debut in April at
Vision Expo East in New York City.
At the Summit, as previously reported,
The Vision Council announced its merger with the Sunglass Association of America (SAA). (See related story on this page)
In addition, the group officially inducted its 2008 officers and board of directors.
Larry Clarke of Satisloh North America,
Inc. remains as chairman and will serve
with R. Michael Daley of Essilor Lenses
as vice-chair, Raanan Naftalovich of
Shamir Insight, Inc. as secretary/treasurer
and Andrea Gluck of Eyewear Designs
Limited as immediate past chairman. Currently serving on The Vision Council’s
board of directors are: James Anderson,
Legal Counsel; Martin Bassett, Walman
Optical; David Cole, Transitions; Pierre
Fay, Luxottica Group; Ed Greene, The
Vision Council; Donald Howard, Kenmark
Group; Richard Russo, Safilo USA, and
Gerard Santinelli, Santinelli International.
Joining the board, will be the SAA’s David
Beebe. Also new to the board, serving the
first of two possible three-year terms are:
Fred Howard, Carl Zeiss; Michael Hundert, REM Eyewear; Stephen Rappoport,
L’Amy, and David Cole, Transitions.
The division chairs serve on the board
and include: Eyewear and Accessories
Division: James Shyer, Zyloware Corporation; Lens Division: Douglas Hepper,
Vision-Ease Lens; Lens Processing Technology Division: David Beach, National
Optronics, Inc.; Low Vision Division: Geof-
Viva Int’l Group ‘Restructures’
Its Management Team
SOMERVILLE, N.J.—As part of what
management views as a “restructuring,”
two long-term senior executives—Gary
Podhaizer, most recently president of
sales, and Deborah Lochli, vice president of brands—are no longer with Viva
International Group, effective Feb. 1.
Podhaizer was with Viva for 16 years
and oversaw sales in the U.S. and internationally, for eyewear and sunwear.
Lochli was with Viva for 12 years, overseeing a staff of brand managers and others in the product development group.
Frank Rescigna, president and CEO of
Viva International Group, told VM, “Viva
finished up 2007 with very strong gains
and has posted a record January performance. We’ve spent the past months evaluating all aspects of Viva’s business and our
current organizational capabilities. We’ve
eliminated certain positions as part of a
broader restructuring that will streamline
the organization to provide new efficiencies in working with customers, licenses,
distributors and factory partners in the
U.S. and other parts of the world.”
He added, “We wish both Gary Podhaizer and Deb Lochli our best, and
thank them each for their contributions
and service to Viva over the years.” ■■
frey Moss, Eschenbach Optik of America; Better Vision Institute: Elaine Hathaway, MD, Brunswick Eye Associates .
Retiring from board of directors this
year are Al Berg of Marchon Eyewear
and Richard Bullwinkle of DAC Vision.
This year’s Executive Summit was
attended by nearly 181 representatives
from VCA member companies. (To see
photos of the Summit, go to page 36) ■■
The Vision Council Merges With
Sunglass Association of America
NAPLES, Fla.—The merger of two industry organizations, the Vision Council of
America (VCA) and the Sunglass Association of America (SAA) was announced
following the board meeting at the VCA
Executive Summit here.
According to Larry Clarke, chairman of
VCA, and David Bibbey, president of the
SAA, by joining forces, a new Sunglass
and Reader Division will be created within VCA to provide the infrastructure,
resources and support needed to grow
this area of the industry.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome the SAA members into VCA,” said
Clarke. “VCA and SAA have always had
a strong relationship and in working
together with the key leadership it was a
natural evolution for the two organizations to join together.”
VCA and SAA share many common synergies, from their membership base to the
programs and initiatives, such as optical
industry research, public relations outreach
and FDA communication, executives noted.
“The union of the SAA and VCA will
benefit the membership of both groups,”
noted Bibbey. “The new structure will create a larger, stronger and more vibrant
organization, with a broader array of
resources—while retaining the independence and freedom needed for members
to grow their businesses.”
Bibbey will head the new division and
became a member of the VCA’s board of
directors.
The Sunglass and Reader Division will be
open to all VCA members, in particular
those who distribute their products through
non-optical channels. Division activities will
address the unique needs of its members,
including consumer outreach, standards
development and regulation monitoring.
The addition of these companies raises VCA’s membership to 322 companies. This represents a 22 percent gain
since 2007 and a two-year increase of
36 percent, according to VCA. ■■
Jil Sander Signs Global Eyewear
License Agreement With Marchon
MILAN, Italy—The Jil Sander Group has
announced a strategic licensing alliance
with Marchon Eyewear, Inc., to create Jil
Sander men’s and women’s eyewear, starting with the 2009 collection.
The agreement will give Marchon the
exclusive license to design, manufacture
and distribute both the sun and ophthalmic collections for the Jil Sander
eyewear line.
“Jil Sander is a brand that has the aesthetic competence to create a total look.
I am looking forward to completing my
vision for Jil Sander with an innovative
eyewear line,” stated Raf Simons, creative director at Jil Sander, who will collaborate with Marchon on the collection.
He added, “The design and palette will
reflect the sophisticated and luxurious
world of the Jil Sander brand.”
“This new license is the next strategic
step to grow the Jil Sander business. After
the successful reorganization of the Jil
Sander Group, our focus is on developing
new business directions and luxury accessories to enhance the world of Jil Sander,”
said Gian Giacomo Ferraris, CEO of the
Jil Sander Group.
“The Jil Sander brand is very interesting, as it is clean and pure and also distinctive and assertive. This design philosophy will make the Jil Sander
eyewear collection extremely appealing
and enduring to men and women,” said
Al Berg, president and CEO, of
Melville, N.Y.-based Marchon. “We’re
pleased and excited to have the exclusive Jil Sander collection in our expanding brand portfolio.”
The sunwear collection will debut at
retail in January 2009; and the eyewear collection in April 2009. Both collections will
be sold worldwide in select department
stores, specialty and optical stores. ■■
IN THE NEWS
23
NEWS VIEWS
Ostrov Succeeds Zarella
As B&L’s Chairman/CEO
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—
Late last month, Bausch
& Lomb (B&L) named
Gerald Ostrov its chairman and chief executive
officer, succeeding Ronald
Zarella. Ostrov was previously company group
Gerald Ostrov
chairman, worldwide vision
care, for Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where
he led J&J’s global Vision Care businesses
from 1998 until his retirement in 2006.
Zarrella, will retire in March and serve
as chairman emeritus, according to B&L.
Ostrov first joined J&J in 1976, before
leaving for Ciba-Geigy AG in 1982. He
was named president, Ciba Consumer
Pharmaceuticals, in 1985. In 1991, he
returned to J&J as president of its personal products business, then became company group chairman for its North American
consumer and personal care businesses.
“It’s an honor to lead Bausch & Lomb
into a growth period, one that we
believe will be marked by considerable
success across the vision care, pharma-
ceutical and surgical businesses,” Ostrov
said. “We’re going to build upon an
unparalleled 155-year-old foundation of
trust and innovation.”
Added Ostrov, “Warburg Pincus’ commitment to a long-term investment horizon, and the collaborative relationship it
has quickly built with B&L, is empowering the company to grow. This week’s
eyeonics acquisition announcement is
testament to our positive momentum.”
(See related story on page 24)
Warburg Pincus completed a $4.5 billion acquisition of B&L in late October,
taking the company private.
Zarrella was named B&L’s chairman
and chief executive officer in 2001, after
having preivously held several executive
positions at the company—including president, chief operating officer and a member of its board—from 1985 to 1994. He
was with General Motors North America
from 1994 to 2001. Zarella was at the helm
of B&L in 2006, when the company faced
a major recall of its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution. ■■
“Better than
clear lenses for
everybody–
young and old.”
Bishop Named President,
CEO of Sunland Optical
EL PASO, Texas—Gordon A. Bishop has joined
Sunland Optical, based
here, as the company’s
new president and CEO,
according to an announcement by Alan Abbott,
Sunland’s chairman.
Gordon A. Bishop
Sunland has a full surface and coating lab to service their 65
Armed Forces locations along with five
Veteran Affairs outlets across the U.S.,
including offices in Hawaii and Alaska.
The company was started in the early
1950s by Dr. S.L. Abbott.
Bishop was most recently senior vice
president of Schaeffer Eye Center. Prior
to that he was with Opticare Health
Systems, Inc. as president of the consumer division and president of Opticare’s buying group.
“Gordon has been in the optical business for over 30 years and brings a great
deal of knowledge and experience to us
in all phases of the industry, from retail
to lab and distribution,” said Abbott. ■■
Gains in Eyecare Sales
Help Allergan Post Increases
IRVINE, Calif.—Double-digit increases in
sales of eyecare pharmaceuticals help
boost Allergan’s (NYSE: AGN) total product volume in both the full 2007 fiscal
year and the year’s fourth quarter.
In FY 2007, Allergan’s sales of eyecare
pharmaceuticals for the year reached
$1,776.5 million, a 16.1 percent increase
(up 13.1 percent at constant currency
rates). For the full year, the company’s
total product net sales rose 28.9 percent
(up 26 percent at constant currency rates)
to $3,879 million, with 65.7 percent of
that volume coming through U.S. sales.
Net earnings for the year were $499.3
million, up from $173.6 million in FY
2006. In 2007’s fourth quarter, sales of
eyecare pharmaceuticals totaled $484.4
million, up 25.5 percent (up 20.8 percent at constant currency rates). ■■
Michael D. Camp
O.D.
The Eye Associates
24
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Bausch & Lomb to Acquire eyeonics, inc.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. and ALISO
VIEJO, Calif.—Bausch & Lomb, the
global eye health company, announced
on Sunday that it has entered into a
definitive agreement to acquire eyeonics, inc., a rapidly growing, privately held
ophthalmic medical device company
headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Financial terms of the transaction, which
is expected to close during the first quarter of 2008 subject to standard regulatory
approval, were not disclosed.
Upon completion of the acquisition,
eyeonics’ operations will become part of
Hirsch Optical
to Distribute
Marco Polarized
Sunwear
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—Marco Polarized
Eyewear, a division of the European
company, Merchamp Ltd., has
announced that Hirsch Optical Corp.,
based in Farmingdale, N.Y., will distribute its line of fashion-conscious, Rxable, polarized sunglasses in the U.S.
“This is an exciting opportunity and
we are looking forward to building our
relationship with Hirsch Optical,” said
Cornelius Daly, marketing manager for
Marco Polarized, based here. “From the
beginning, the team at Hirsch really
understood what our marketing model
was all about.”
The Marco Polarized collection is
meant to targets consumers looking for
an affordable prescription-ready frame
with style and quality. The 21-piece collection, which is already being distributed in Europe, will be presented to a
select group of U.S. optical laboratories to offer an opportunity for labs to
generate additional new sales and create a continuous revenue stream.
“This is a unique collection, and a
comprehensive marketing program,”
said Michael Rothstein, vice president
of Hirsch Optical. “The product quality
and style selection is ideally suited to
our market.”
Founded in 1978, Hirsch Optical
serves the New Jersey, New York
Metro, Long Island and Connecticut
markets and has been ranked among
Vision Monday’s Top Independent Laboratories for over 10 years. ■■
Bausch & Lomb’s surgical business, which
offers a complete line of standard intraocular lenses, phacoemulsification equipment, vitreoretinal and refractive products
to ophthalmologists worldwide. The U.S.
surgical business division will be led by J.
Andy Corley, eyeonics’ co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer.
Eyeonics, founded in 1998, developed and markets the crystalens intraocular lens (IOL), the first and only U.S.
Food and Drug Administrationapproved accommodating IOL for the
treatment of cataracts. The crystalens
IOL replaces the eye’s natural lens and
has been implanted in more than 95,000
eyes worldwide.
Accommodation is the eye’s method to
achieve near-distance focusing by altering the curvature of the natural crys-
talline lens, allowing a person to easily
read small type used in books, restaurant menus, and on computer monitors.
As the natural lens ages, accommodation decreases. This results in a condition known as presbyopia for most people over age 40, for which reading
glasses are commonly required. Other
approved IOLs only permit focusing at
a fixed distances, while the crystalens
IOL mimics the accommodating characteristics of a natural lens.
“This represents our first acquisition
since Bausch & Lomb became a private
company in a transaction led by Warburg
Pincus,” said Ronald L. Zarrella, chairman and CEO, Bausch & Lomb.
“We are excited to enter a new phase
of growth and innovation, and believe
the eyeonics acquisition is another sign
Essilor Honors Top Varilux and
Crizal Labs for Sales Performance
DALLAS—At its national sales meeting held in January in New York,
Essilor of America honored wholesale
labs in its Independent Distribution
Division that had outstanding sales of
Essilor products in 2007.
Davis Vision of Plainview, N.Y., was
named Varilux Lab of the Year. Four
other labs—Italee Optical of Los Angeles, Harbor Optical of Traverse City,
Mich., Enterprise Optical of Madison
Heights, Mich., and Optical Prescription
Lab of Pelham, Ala.—were honored for
their outstanding performance in Varilux.
Continental Sales Corp. of Watsonville,
Calif. was named Crizal Lab of the Year.
In addition, Davis Vision of Plainview,
N.Y., Pech Optical of Sioux City, Iowa;
Optical Prescription Lab of Pelham, Ala.
and RD Cherry Optical of Melvindale,
Mich. were recognized for their outstanding performance in Crizal. ■■
Thoma & Sutton Chain Buys Two Ohio
Locations; First Independent-Office Deal
CINCINNATI—The Thoma & Sutton Eye
Care Professionals chain have purchased two of the four independent
optometric offices owned by Joe Chatfield, OD—the first time the regional
chain has expanded through the acquisition of independent locations, according to Thoma & Sutton’s chief executive
officer, Lance Snarr.
The two offices—Blue Ash Vision Care
in Blue Ash, Ohio, and Loveland Vision
Center in Loveland, Ohio—were acquired
Jan. 14. With these two, Thoma & Sutton
now has 22 locations stretching from
Cleveland, Ohio, to northern Kentucky.
Snarr said the two offices will continue to operate under their existing names
for at least the near future.
The chain sees additional opportuni-
Joe Chatfield, OD (l), and Thoma & Sutton's
Lance Snarr shake to seal the deal on the sale
of two of Chatfield's locations to Thoma &
Sutton Eye Care Professionals.
ties for expansion and/or upgrading
ahead this year, he noted. One existing
Thoma & Sutton store in the Tri-County
area is moving to a newly renovated
location on March 1; in addition, “we are
actively working on a couple of other
deals,” Snarr told VM. ■■
of our commitment to delivering innovative, high-quality products to ophthalmologists and patients worldwide.”
Zarrella continued, “This acquisition
immediately places Bausch & Lomb
into the rapidly expanding premium
IOL market. The crystalens technology
complements our existing cataract surgical business, including our Stellaris
Vision Enhancement System and our
portfolio of monofocal IOLs. The acquisition also adds leadership depth, as
Andy and his team bring a strong track
record of product innovation and growth
to the company. We look forward to their
contributions as part of the Bausch &
Lomb family.”
In 2007, eyeonics generated revenues
of approximately $34 million, an increase
of 100 percent over the prior year revenues of approximately $17 million. Its
crystalens IOL is estimated to represent
approximately 30 percent of the presbyopic IOL market in the U.S.
The crystalens IOL was approved by
the FDA in November 2003. ■■
Primary Eyecare
Network Sets
Meeting for March
SAN RAMON, Calif.—Primary Eyecare
Network (PEN) will present the third in
its series of programs focused on
“Preserving Independent Optometry”
with PIO 2008, scheduled to take
place from March 28 to 30 in Monterey, Calif., according to an announcement from PEN.
PIO 2008 will focus on expansion
and growth possibilities for private
practitioners. Program highlights will
include: supercharging practice growth;
boosting profits to the bottom line;
increasing patient revenue; marketing
and branding strategies, and current
legal practices.
To register or request program information, call PEN at (800) 444-9230 or
visit their Web site at www.PrimaryEye.net.
PEN provides a broad spectrum of
services to optometric practices and
produces a variety of practice management guides, paraoptometric training
guides, patient information brochures
and office forms. ■■
IN THE NEWS
25
NEWS VIEWS
Opsales’ Dean Friedman
Firm’s Co-Founder, Dies at 49
ATLANTIC BEACH, N.Y.—Dean M.
Friedman of Opsales, died unexpectedly
on Jan. 5 of natural causes at his home
here. He was 49 years old.
Friedman was co-founder of Opsales,
an Island Park, N.Y. manufacturer of
polarized clip-on sunglasses and optical
products. During his 27-year tenure at
Opsales he created 20 patented optical
products, and was responsible for contributing to numerous other patents,
according to Opsales.
Friedman was an avid sport fisherman
and accomplished boat captain. He is
survived by his father, Sidney Friedman,
of Oceanside, N.Y. and his mother,
Myrna Goodman of Boca Raton, Fla.
Funeral services were held at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Hewlett, N.Y.
on Jan. 11. In lieu of flowers, donations
can be made to the American Heart
Association in Friedman’s memory. ■■
“I’m very confident
in recommending
them to everyone.”
VSP, Alcon Again Make Annual
Fortune Magazine List
NEW YORK—Two eyecare companies—Vision Service Plan and Alcon
Laboratories (NYSE: ACL)—appear
again this year on the 2008 edition of
Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” listing. VSP is 53rd on
the Fortune list; Alcon is ranked 60th.
This is the ninth consecutive year VSP,
listed with 2,052 U.S. employees, has
made Fortune’s “Best to Work For” rankings; last year the company was in 23rd
place. Alcon, with 6,848 U.S. employees,
was ranked 65th on the 2007 list.
The magazine cites VSP for having contributed 15 percent of pay to its employees’ 401(k) plans every year since 1970.
Of Alcon, Fortune said the company
“may offer the richest retirement program in U.S. business, with employee
contributions matched 2.2 to one.” The
complete list and related stories appear in
the Feb. 4 issue of Fortune, available on
newsstands Jan. 28 or by going to Fortune’s Web site at www.fortune.com. ■■
Investor in AMO Increases
Its Stake in Company
SANTA ANA, Calif.—Investment and
technology-development firm D.E. Shaw
recently increased its stake in Advanced
Medical Optics (NYSE: EYE) to 9.5 percent of the company’s stock, according to
a filing this week with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) .
D.E. Shaw now owns about 5.7 mil-
lion shares of Advanced Medical Optics’
stock. In November, the investment
firm reported owning about 3.6 million
shares, representing 5.9 percent of
AMO’s stock.
The SEC filing indicates the shares
were not acquired to change or influence
control of Advanced Medical Optics. ■■
Services Held for Jenny Lynn
McGee of The McGee Group
Marietta, Ga.—Jenny Lynn McGee, 59,
of The McGee Group died here on Jan.
23, 2008. Jenny Lynn, along with her
husband Wayne McGee, established
The McGee Group, an optical supply
business, in Marietta, Georgia in 1976.
She is survived by her husband of 34
years, Wayne McGee, sons Matthew and
his wife, Jessica; Weston and his wife
Veronica; grandson Asa Matthew and
granddaughter, Carys Winifred. Preceded
in death by her step-father, Charles Leon
Andrews, she is also survived by her
mother, Virginia Cartey Andrews.
A service to celebrate her life was
held on Saturday, Jan. 26 at Johnson
Ferry Baptist Church, 955 Johnson Ferry
Road, Marietta, Georgia 30068.
The family requests in lieu of flowers,
donations be made to the Vera Bradley
Foundation for Breast Cancer, PO Box
80201, Fort Wayne, Ind. 46898. ■■
Benita Tillett
Optician
Dr. Melissa Hammond
26
IN THE NEWS
NEWS VIEWS
Sàfilo Acquisitions Expand Global Presence
CEO Gottardi: Firm formulates optical retail brand for some markets
PADOVA, Italy—Sàfilo Group (SFL:
MI) has acquired the retail chains Sunglass Island in Mexico and Just Spectacles in Australia.
Sàfilo CEO Claudio Gottardi told
Vision Monday that these most recent
retail acquisitions are part of Sáfilo’s intention “to build a retail organization worldwide, via acquisitions and some organic
expansion.” Gottardi said expansion averaging 100 to 200 stores annually for the
next five years will bring the company to
the point where retail revenues represent
about 20 percent to 25 percent of total
group revenues by 2011-2012.
The majority of Sáfilo’s worldwide
stores will be sunglass-only, he said. However, the company has engaged an outside brand-consulting firm to evaluate a
new ophthalmic-eyewear chain approach,
which will debut “in certain markets.”
Gottardi told VM, “We are at the end of a
very long process and are determining our
final steps on this, and we’ll probably be
ready to talk about the new optical brand
in about a month’s time.”
Gottardi pointed out that with the
new acquisitions, along with the group’s
Loop chain in Spain and Solstice Marketing Concepts in North America, the
company now has four operative organizations in the world’s principal continents, “allowing us to pursue our longterm strategic project.”
He said, “Our expansion is not focused
in any particular country; rather, we are
looking to build a regional presence where
it makes sense. We feel it’s important,
with the brands we represent, that we
have a retail environment that can present
these collections as we need them to be.
“Much as we did with Solstice in the
U.S.—where we saw the need to consistently provide our sunwear brands with
the right high-end retail presence 12
months of the year—many of the same
The Signs Look Good
for Selling Your Business
“Our expansion is not
focused in any particular
country; rather, we are
looking to build a regional presence where it
makes sense.”
—Claudio Gottardi, Sàfilo
market factors exist
in other countries
around the world.”
Gottardi added,
“We have spent
much of the past
year putting together the experienced
management team and infrastructure to
help us do this. We found key managers
who come to us with a great deal of
experience to grow our organization on a
worldwide basis in the U.S., Australia/
South Pacific, Europe and China.
The Mexican retail chain Sunglass
Island manages 38 Sunglass Island stores
and 7 Island Optica stores, two of the
main luxury brands in the prescription
frames and sunglass market. They have
been operating in the market for 15
years under the direction of the
Krantzberg family which will continue to
work with Sàfilo Group in the manage-
ment of the business. The chain’s sales
at the end of 2007 amounted to approximately $26 million. Sàfilo said it has
acquired 60 percent of the company.
Sàfilo Group acquired 100 percent of
the Australian retail chain Just Spectacles, headquartered in Perth, Australia,
including 44 stores (12 of which are franchised) located mainly in the Western
and Southern territories of Australia.
Just Spectacles, present in the Australian market for over 20 years, has sales
of approximately 24 million Australian
dollars (equal to approximately 15 million Euro). ■■
SUNY College of Optometry to Honor
Elias, Gangolli at N.Y. April Gala
NEW YORK—At its annual industry
event which benefits the Optometric
Center of New York, SUNY College of
Optometry will honor two industry executives during the group’s “Eyes on New
York” gala to be held April 11 at the
Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.
SUNY’s 2008 honorees will be Rick
Elias, chief executive officer, Transitions
Optical Inc., and vice president, optical
products, PPG Industries Inc. as well as
Julian Gangolli, corporate vice president
and president of North America pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Inc.
The event will include a cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment, from
6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, April
11. Additional information will be forthcoming and other details including ticket
and journal participation are available
from SUNY at (212) 938-5600 or via
email to awarwick@sunyopt.edu. ■■
Signature Reports Increase in
Net Income, Sales for Fiscal ’07
Looking to sell your business? Look to Emerging Vision. We have pre-qualified prospects all set
to buy in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Now is your chance to sell
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LOS ANGELES—Signature Eyewear
(OTC BB: SEYE.OB) achieved an
increase in net income and net sales for its
fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended
Oct. 31, 2007. The company has achieved
12 straight quarters and three straight years
of profitability, an announcement said.
For the full year, Signature’s net sales
reached $25 million, up 8 percent. Net
income for the year was $2.7 million, up
from income of $683,000 in FY 2006.
In Q4, Signature’s sales were $6.4 million, up from $6 million in the same
period in 2006. Net income in the quar-
ter was $1.7 million, vs. net income of
$27,215 in FY 2006’s Q4.
“Our sales in 2007 were higher primarily due to an increase in sales of bebe
eyes and Nicole Miller Eyewear,” said
Michael Prince, Signature’s chief executive officer. “Sales also increased from
the introduction of Cutter & Buck Eyewear in October 2006 and the launch of
the Nicole Miller Luxury Collection in
January 2007. Both bebe and Nicole
Miller Eyewear contributed to our international and domestic chain growth in
2007.” ■■
“We couldn’t have said it
better ourselves.”
introducing
New Transitions VI lenses:
1
#
recommended
30
WaveTouch Technologies Names New
Management Team; John Ferro Now CEO
SAN JOSE, Calif.—John Ferro has
been appointed chief executive officer
of contact lens supplier WaveTouch
Technologies. In his new role, he will be
fully responsible for the commercialization of the company’s wavefront-guided
contact lens programs along with the
day-to-day requirements of running its
other CL and research businesses, an
announcement said.
Noted WaveTouch chairman Vincent
Zuccaro, OD, “In keeping with our
strategic goals of making wavefrontguided contact lenses a market reality as
well as marketing a full line of CLs, I
am delighted to state that John Ferro
has agreed to serve as our CEO. John
has been a management leader in the
ophthalmic industry for over 25 years
and has expertise in all aspects of optics
including wavefront guided lenses.”
Also at WaveTouch, industry veteran
Kevin Bligh, a founder of the company,
has been appointed executive vice president, with primary responsibilities in
the areas of business development, sales
and marketing. Malcolm McLaughlin,
another WaveTouch founder, continues
as chief financial officer.
In addition, Sandra Zuccaro-Keyes, a
licensed master optician, was named
executive director of professional services at WaveTouch, and Gary Klein, OD,
currently in private practice in San
Diego, has been retained as clinical
research consultant.
Ferro said the company’s WaveTouch
lenses, “made for each individual patient
from aberrometry measurements taken in
their practitioner’s office,” are currently in
Beta testing, with market rollout planned
for “the very near future.” He added,
“We at WTT are confident that this
technology will soon be benefiting doctors and their patients in the U.S., later to
follow throughout the world.”
SynergEyes Names Kammann
as Chief Financial Officer
CARLSBAD, Calif.—The board of
directors of SynergEyes, Inc., the high
Dk hybrid contact lens manufacturer,
has appointed Paul Kammann as chief
financial officer.
Kammann brings to SynergEyes
more than 25 years of financial and
management experience with medical
and high-technology companies. Most
recently, he was the CFO of Airgain,
Inc., an early stage company developing
smart antenna technology and products
for the wireless and home entertainment industries.
PEOPLE
Previously, he was CFO and COO of
Kinetikos Medical, Inc. (KMI), which
was acquired by Integra Life Sciences
(IART). Kammann was with KMI for
five years and managed its successful liquidity event valued at over $40 million.
“There is a real need for hybrid contact lens technology in today’s market,
and I am excited to be joining the SynergEyes management team to help the
company meet the market demand for
this innovative product,” said Kammann.
SynergEyes manufactures a hybrid
contact lens that combines two materials—a rigid gas permeable center and a
soft, hydrophilic outer skirt, resulting in
a durable “hybrid” lens. The SynergEyes lenses with FDA market clearance include SynergEyes A for naturally
occurring ametropia, targeting patients
with astigmatism, current gas permeable
lens wearers, and patients demanding
optimized vision, SynergEyes KC for
keratoconus, SynergEyes Multifocal for
presbyopia and SynergEyes PS for post
surgery and post trauma refractive errors.
Canadian Ophthalmologist William
Astle, MD, Elected to Head Certifying
Group JCAHPO
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Canadian ophthalmologist William Astle, MD, was elected president of the Joint Commission on
Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO), for a term running until
Aug. 1, 2009.
JCAHPO is a non-profit organization
that has provided certification and training for eyecare excellence since 1969.
More than 15,000 ophthalmic assistants,
technicians and technologists worldwide are JCAHPO-certified, according
to the organization.
Astle currently serves as director of
pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus
at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. He also is a professor of
ophthalmology in the department of surgery at the University of Calgary, and a
consulting ophthalmologist at Peter
Lougheed and Foothills Provincial hospitals, both in Calgary.
A member of JCAHPO since 1995,
when he was appointed to represent the
Canadian Ophthalmological Society,
Astle was elected to the JCAHPO board
of directors in 1999. He has served as
chair of the group’s international relations
committee and secretary of JCAHPO’s
education and certification committees.
Luxottica Names Binetti Group
Sales Manager of the Year
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—Luxottica Group has announced that Pat
Binetti was named will be very beneficial.”
Epic Labs currently employs 24 peoRegional Sales Manager of the Year for ple and works exclusively as a sub-con2007. The honor is tractor for other wholesale labs throughbestowed on the indi- out North America.
vidual who not only
exhibited a top unit Eggbeer to Represent DAC
and dollar increase for International in Midwest
Pat Binetti
the year, but also CARPINTERIA, Calif.—Charles (Cj)
demonstrated superior proficiency in Eggbeer recently re-joined DAC International’s sales force as
communication and organizational skills.
surfacing systems sales
“The Manager of the Year Award is not
engineer covering the
just about having one great year, it is
Midwest.
something a manager needs to build over
Eggbeer has been an
the years,” said Pierre Fay, executive vice
optical industry profespresident of wholesale for North Amerisional for over 30 years
ca. “Pat has built a strong, stable sales
and has extensive
team which continues to contribute
greatly to the overall success of our com- C.J. Eggbeer experience in capital
pany. Pat and his outstanding sales team equipment sales and service. Prior to
have demonstrated to us all what Work- becoming sales engineer, he was surfacing systems product manager at DAC’s
ing Together can truly accomplish.”
Binetti’s team covered the five New Carpinteria facility, where he was instruYork City boroughs, as well as Long mental in helping to bring the compaIsland, Westchester and New Jersey. It ny’s product line to market. His expertwas their teamwork, synergism, and the ise includes the emerging digital lens
ability to work under pressure, together design technologies.
In his new role, Eggbeer will service
with high levels of performance and
support from their partners, which were ophthalmic laboratories throughout the
among the key factors that led to nam- Midwest.
ing Binetti Manager of the Year.
“The N.Y./N.J. team succeeded this Gaber to Represent X-Cel Optical
year by stepping up when called upon SAUK RAPIDS, Minn.—X-Cel Optical,
and working as a team,” said Binetti. based here, has appointed C. Scott
Gaber, owner of Inno“Their maturity and professionalism
vative Visual Products
allowed me to search for new business
(IVP), to represent
on my own as well as develop existing
its product line in
businesses. I could only accomplish this
Arkansas, Louisiana,
by trusting them to work independentNew Mexico, Oklaly and aiding their efforts only when
homa and Texas. IVP
absolutely necessary.”
is an independent
Jesse Arndt Named Vice
contractor group repScott Gaber
President of Epic Labs
resenting a limited line of high-quality
WAITE PARK, Minn.—Epic Labs, a manufacturers. X-Cel’s extensive line of
specials lab located here, has appointed lenses complements Gaber’s portfolio of
Jesse Arndt vice presi- optical products.
dent. In addition,
Arndt has also pur- Christensen Named
chased a portion of the Production Manager at Precision
company’s stock.
CRESTON, Iowa—Lance Christensen
Arndt has been has joined the management team at Preemployed with Epic
cision Optical Group
Labs since 1998 workin Creston, Iowa, as
Jesse Arndt
ing in production, cusproduction manager.
tomer service and most recently as the
Christensen comes
company’s sales and marketing managfrom a similar position
er. He joins Epic’s current president,
at Midwest Uncuts in
Brian Stene and CEO Ron Stene as a
Indianola, Iowa, and
third member of the ownership team.
has 18 years of optical
Lance
“We are proud to welcome Jesse into
experience. In his new
Christensen role, Christensen directs
his new role with the company,” the
Stenes said. “His contributions to Epic the day-to-day activities of the surfacing
have been significant and we are confi- lab, finishing department, and quality
dent his addition to the ownership mix control. ■■
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32
IN THE NEWS
SCENE AND HEARD
‘SCHOOL’ DAYS
Transitions Optical Holds 12th ‘Academy’ in Orlando
ORLANDO—More than 1,100 people attended Transitions Optical’s 12th Transitions Academy here last
month. The event included the launch of the company’s new Transitions VI photochromic lens, as well as
the annual Lab of the Year celebration, at which Soderberg Ophthalmic Services was named Transitions’ U.S.
Lab of the Year for 2007. Also recognized were Riverside Opticalab of Ottawa as 2007 Lab of the Year in
Canada; Fhocus of São Paulo City as 2007 Lab of the
Year in Brazil; and Argentina’s Augusto Express as Lab
of the Year in Latin America.
This year’s Transitions Academy included a managed vision care track for the first time, offering information on today’s managed-vision climate to more
than 60 participants.
Transitions’ Grady Lenski has
all the right dance moves while
previewing the company’s
2008 marketing campaign.
In keeping with the Africa
safari theme of the Lab of
the Year ceremony, Transitions’
Dave Cole dons his pith helmet
for the event.
Enjoying the Academy opening
reception are (l to r) Leslie Colopy
of Carskadden Optical, Zanesville,
Ohio; Debbie Art and Tom Risacher
of Interstate Optical, Mansfield,
Ohio; and Carskadden’s Tom Colopy.
Elliott Reshard (l) of Transitions catches
up with Laurinda Mackenzie and Steve
Brewer of OptumHealth during the
opening reception.
Transitions Academy’s keynote speaker,
entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki (l), chats on
stage after his presentation with Brett
Craig, president of Transitions Optical.
Transitions Optical’s Rick Elias (c) and
his wife Linda welcome Nathan Troxell
of PPG Industries to the Academy’s
opening reception.
@
To view a slide show of the Academy, go to
the Slide Show Tab on www.visionmonday.com
Sue Swanson (l) and Candace Harris
of Marietta Eye Clinic in Marietta, Ga.,
share a laugh at the reception with Hilaire
van der Veen of Shamir Insight.
Essilor’s Brian Winslow (l) and Al
Villavecchia of Villavecchia Buying
Group, River Vale, N.J., chat with
Sherrie Rogerson of Doctors Vision
Centers at the Transitions reception.
IT’S SNOWTIME!
Ray-Ban Rocks the 17th Annual Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY, Utah—Ray-Ban hosted five nights of music
and movies, as well as honoring Quentin Tarantino with
the 2008 Ray-Ban Visionary Award during the 17th Annual Sundance Film Festival held here from Jan. 17 to 21.
Festival visitors braved the snowy streets to visit the
Ray-Ban Rock Bar housed inside The Monkey Bar on
Main Street, where Ray-Ban, as one of the festival’s official sponsors, featured musical acts, free 3D movie
screenings and rock band karaoke.
@
To view a video of the event, go to the Scene &
Heard channel on WebTV at www.visionmonday.com.
To see more photos of the festivities, go to Eye On.
On Jan. 20, Ray-Ban, in partnership with The Creative
Coalition, a nonprofit, social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community, honored
Oscar-winning screenwriter and Palme D'Or-winning
director, Quentin Tarantino with the 6th Annual Ray-Ban
Visionary Award. Introduced by Academy Award-nominated actor and film-maker, Dennis Hopper, Tarantino was
awarded the honor for distinguishing himself as one of the
industry's most original talents due to his work on films
like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Grindhouse, Jackie
Vittorio Verdun and Pierre Fay of Luxottica (second and third
from left) posed with contest winners Menashe (far left) and
Anita Mizrachi (fourth from left) of Eyeland in Voorhees, N.J.,
Dave and Andrea Stewart of Eclipse Eyewear in Coronado, Calif.
and Tempe, Ariz., and James Cook (second from right) of
Luxottica with wife Monica (far right).
Actor and film maker Dennis
Hopper (r) presented the 2008
Ray-Ban Visionary Award, a gilded pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers,
to Quentin Tarantino.
Sam Endicott, lead singer of
The Bravery, and the rest of
the band wowed the crowed
with an energetic and hit
filled set after the ceremony.
Brown, and Kill Bill. New York City synth rock band The Bravery performed after the award ceremony.
Luxottica also sponsored a Ray-Ban promotion and sweepstakes in which both customers and Ray-Ban sales reps
were eligible to win a Grand Prize trip to the opening weekend of the film festival. As part of the prize, winners
received tickets to movie screenings, spa treatments, lift tickets and the opportunity to dine with Luxottica management, including Pierre Fay, senior vice president and CEO of Luxottica Wholesale for North America, Vittorio
Verdun, vice president of marketing for North America, and Marcello Favarossa, global brand director for Ray-Ban.
For Drivers
Now available in Flat Top 28
Of All Kinds
And All Kinds of Optical Professionals:
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36
IN THE NEWS
SCENE AND HEARD
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
NETWORKING IN NAPLES
Execs Mingle, Tackle Issues
At Vision Council Summit
Prevent Blindness America
Marks 100 Years at NYC Gala
NAPLES, Fla.—It was a well-attended
Executive Summit meeting, as 180
representatives from member companies in all sectors of the vision care and
eyewear industry met here to talk
about industry issues, listen to provocative speakers discuss the economy, and
network together at meetings, a gala
dinner, and some golf.
The group also saw the “Vision Enjoying a moment, are left to right, SignetCouncil” new brand identity and cor- Armorlite’s Bruno Salvadori, Vision-Ease’s
porate logo revealed, a new moniker Doug Hepper, Shamir’s Hillaire Van Der Veen,
and Walman’s Marty Bassett.
which will be rolled out to the industry
in April. And they heard the news of the Vision Council’s merger with the Sunglass Association of America. (see related story, Page 22)
Speaker Jeffrey Rayport of Marketspace, LLC, led a discussion about how
“process” must reflect company strategy. Forbes’ publisher, Rich Karlgaard,
talked about the current economic and political climate.
NEW YORK—Prevent Blindness
America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, held its Centennial Gala
last month at the historic Waldorf
Astoria in New York City. The
event celebrated the 100th
anniversary of the group. Actress
Jane Seymour and Chicago Cubs’
first baseman Derrek Lee were
presented with the 2008 Visionary
Awards. Corporate partners Alcon,
Allergan, Novartis, Pfizer and VSP
Vision Care were presented with
the Centennial Circle Awards for
their continued support of Prevent
Blindness America and its mission.
The event raised more than
$600,000 to support Prevent Blindness America’s ongoing programs.
Seymour and Lee were chosen
for their outstanding dedication
Nearly 400 guests celebrated PBA’s history in the
and commitment to preventing
iconic Waldorf-Astoria ballroom.
vision loss. Seymour’s “Don’t Lose
Sight” campaign raised much needed awareness of the steps adults can take to
minimize the effects of macular degeneration. Once Lee’s daughter was diagnosed with Leber's congenital amaurosis, he sprang into action and through Project 3000, an organization he co-founded, has already raised more than $1 million in much needed research funds.
The Centennial Circle Award winners were recognized for their generous support of Prevent Blindness America through the years. Alcon, Allergan, Novartis,
Pfizer and VSP have donated to funds that have supported Prevent Blindness
America’s vision screening and public health programs, advocacy work and research initiatives.
“Back in 1908, Prevent Blindness America
began as an organization to prevent infants from
suffering from unnecessary blindness,” said Hugh
R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness
America. “And now, 100 years later, we have
expanded that mission to include all ages. We
thank all of those who have worked with us over
the years to help us reach this amazing milestone
of a century of saving sight.”
Alexander Mingling at the cocktails before the
VCA gala, are left to right, A&A Optical’s Rodney
Hayes, REM Eyewear’s Steve Horowitz, Kaiser
Permanente-Northern California’s Steve
Levenson and EyeQ Eyewear’s Jeff Frumkin.
Vision Council’s CEO, Ed Greene, right,
with guests Kevin Alexander, OD, current
president of the AOA, and AOA’s president-elect Peter Keyoe, OD.
Speaker Jeff Rayport holds the
room’s attention with his talk about
strategy and internal process.
As they exited the Board of Directors, the group acknowledged the contributions of Marchon’s Al Berg, above left,
and DAC Vision’s Dick Bullwinkle, both receiving recognition awards from Vision Council chairman, Larry Clarke.
Catching up, are left to right, Balester Optical’s
Dale Parmentieri, Vision Council’s Greg Chavez
and Santinelli’s Gerard Santinelli.
The news of the Vision Council’s
merger with the Sunglass
Association of America was
revealed at the meeting. Here, SAA
representatives Tibor Gross, immediate-past president; current SAA
president and new Vision Council
board member, Dave Bibbey.
From left to right, are The “Today” Show’s Willard Scott,
emcee, Hugh Parry, President and CEO of Prevent
Blindness America, Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs, Actress
Jane Seymour and Actor Tom Sullivan.
Among those accepting the Centennial
Circle Awards were, above, Rob Lynch,
president and CEO, Vision Service
Provider (VSP) and Julian Gangolli,
president, Allergan at top.
16
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COVER STORY
Photos courtesy of iStockphoto®
39
Male Call
Vision Monday
assembled a
troop of eyewear
suppliers and
retailers to get
their take on the
state of today’s
men’s eyewear
market directly
from the front line.
By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor
NEW YORK— Historically the men’s
fashion market has been slower to
change than the women’s, but these days
it seems the gap has narrowed considerably. The truth is, as one market observer noted, the men’s market doesn’t move
slower, it just moves differently. From
season to season, there is always movement in men’s eyewear business and
retailers who give men options and present them with change will inevitably fare
better than those who assume a oneframe-fits-all mentality.
As Aaron Schubach, vice president of
16 Standard Optical retail locations based
in Salt Lake City, pointed out, the new
challenge in the men’s eyewear market
is no longer in attracting the customer,
but in servicing mens’ ever increasing
desire for stylish and functional eyewear.
He said, “I believe the men’s business is
not so much about attracting men now,
as it is about capitalizing on them when
they walk into the dispensary.”
Vision Monday interviewed eyewear
suppliers and retailers to get their view on
the current state of the men’s eyewear
business. Our experts agreed that men are
responding well to new brand collections,
to the increased representation of males in
POP and advertising and are expressing
an ever-increasing desire for more fashion
forward frames and an improved selection
of trendy larger-sized styles.
It’s a Man’s World
The most recent results from VisionWatch, a study conducted by Jobson/
Vision Council, reported that in the 12
months ending Sept ’07, 67.9 percent of
men over 18 currently wear eyeglasses
and, according to the experts we spoke
to, huge segments of that population
have finally begun to embrace eyewear
as a true fashion accessory.
“There has been a strong emphasis
placed on eyewear as an important
accessory from the fashion houses themselves, which has been a major factor in
raising the male consumer’s consciousness,” stated Vittorio Verdun, vice president of marketing for Luxottica.
“The whole luxury movement with
accessories in general has had a big
impact on optical eyewear,” said Lisa
Gear, director of product management
for approximately 900 LensCrafters
locations in North America. “Just as in
the women’s market, men are looking at
optical eyewear as an accessory that is
part of their personal style. As the trend
becomes less unisex and more gender
40
COVER STORY
Ten Trends to Watch
With so many brands expanding their men’s offerings
to reflect the growth in the market, Spring ’08 is
revealing some very clear trends for men’s eyewear.
Here are the top 10 culled from our experts.
4
3
Fabric
inspired
detailing
More
customization
options
5
10
Ecologicallyfriendly
eyewear lines
Retro-influenced rounder
shapes and classic styling,
like in this Michael Kors
frame, hits two big Spring
trends.
Geoffry Beene
ties as POP. Fabric will
be a big inspiration for
men's eyewear details.
Dual-tone
color treatments
8
>>
9
Vintage and
retro influenced
ovals and rounds
>>
Example of
new POP that
features men
and women
paired together.
Multi-laminate
acetates
>>
Increased range
of sizes for the big
and tall customer
7
Continued
reinterpretations
of classic styles
>>
1
2
Sports-inspired
accents
6
Styling for men's eyewear
collections, which can even
be seen in brand's POP, is
becoming more masculine.
Clearly
masculine
styling
>>
Dual color treatments, like these
frames from Jhane
Barnes, make a big impact.
Merchandising imagery from Standard Optical’s
private label men’s collection, Schubach originals, designed by Aaron Schubach.
specific, [today’s man] also wants to be
sure that the style he selected cannot be
mistaken as at all feminine.”
“The men’s eyewear market has
evolved in much the same way the overall
eyewear market has evolved, it is much
more fashion focused,” added Dr. Ned J.
Steinfeld, owner of four Bronx Eye Care
Centers and the Westchester Vision Center in the Bronx and Westchester, N.Y.
“Certainly, many men are interested in
glasses that make a fashion statement, or at
least project the image they have of themselves. These changes are mostly due to
the changes in the general culture. We are
a more fashion oriented, celebrity watching population. It stands to reason that this
would impact areas such as eyewear.”
“The male eyewear consumer is in a
word, ‘educated,’” agreed Blake Kuwahara, creative director of Base Curve and
REM Eyewear. “They are design and
fashion savvy and concerned about quality and value.”
“Men are looking for sophistication
especially,” said Schubach. “Something
that says, I’m modern, smart, and ‘I made
it,’ but isn’t outlandishly flashy or exuberant. It is often easier to identify what they
don’t want, things like large logos, blingbling, bright colors, lots of temple detail,
and frames that are delicate.”
“Men are generally more youngthinking than in previous generations,”
stated Marj McGraw, co-president of
Nouveau Eyewear. “‘Fifty is the new
40,’ and men now tend to look for styles
that correspond to their psychographic
age, not just their chronological age.”
“In the past year, I’ve noticed an
increased interest in designer names and
styles that help men look younger,” confirmed Anita Mizrachi of Eyeland in
Voorhees, N.J. “We see younger men
not being afraid to try hipper, metro
looking plastic styles,” added Steinfeld.
“There is such a wide range of styles out
there that makes it very easy to satisfy
every male patient’s eyewear needs.”
In fact, since men today are more conscious of their overall look and open to
trying more things, eyewear designers
are capitalizing on these changes to
broaden their men’s offerings.
“Men want to look modern and updated but not stand out,” said David
Duralde, vice president of creative development for The Kenmark Group. “The
designs for men do involve more innovative techniques and utilize the latest technologies but the eyewear market for men
has moved from purely a function and
technology story now to individual styling,
more fashionable designs—wardrobe
options. Men’s eyewear is now more
unique and offers more segmentations.”
“The almost universal disappearance
of the male office ‘uniform’ has helped
men find their own unique styles,” concluded McGraw. ”At Mido this year, a
new buzzword was customization. Men
are still looking to fit in, to look professional, but they’re also looking for details
that distinguish their look.”
“Bronx Eye Care has responded to
these changes by carrying more fashion
forward men’s frames. We still carry the
more traditional men’s selection, but we
have a large selection of designer men’s
eyewear too,” stated Steinfeld. “Also, we
try not to prejudge the patient. Just
because the patient may be a man, we
don’t assume that he isn’t looking for
fashionable eyewear.”
“Men want a fresh look that speaks to
the person they want to project,” added
Mizrachi. “We try to have them try
something different from what they
came in wearing.”
Talking About Style
Vintage and retro-inspired styles have
become such a part current fashion trends
that classic shapes, like the wayfarer, are
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42
COVER STORY
it comes to eyewear
meant for activities. In
fact, men are still
focusing on functionality across the board.
“Function, comfort, fit
and durability are still
overwhelmingly large
draws for men,” said
Verdun. “But function,
if it is attached to a
brand name, is a huge
plus. Providing those
characteristics on top of
your crazy cufflinks
the reassurance of a
let you whisper your rebel yell,
brand can close a sale.”
do your glasses?
“Men often focus
on features and benefits, functionality and
A recent print ad from LensCrafters that targets male customers.
durability,” agreed
Schubach. “Flat-metals, matte finishes
now considered fashion-forward and hip. and titanium work well for men. But we
Ovals, rounds and circles, as well as, more need more men’s zyls and I see this segmedium sized shapes with flatter bases ment continuing to grow. It offers the
and textured details are the direction dispenser a chance at a multiple pair
men’s eyewear is headed in.
sale, as a zyl may not likely be an ‘all“I think many people are tired of the the-time’ men’s material.”
rectangle,” stated Mizrachi. “Different
“Traditionally, the older man is more
face shapes demand a variety of options. functionally oriented and the younger
A little larger frame, though not huge, man more technically and fashion drivgives a sense of presence. A tweed look en,” stated Steinfeld. “But these lines
or herringbone temple treatment goes are changing. Brand recognition is
over well and is still masculine. The important to many men. Just like the car
combination metal front with thicker zyl a guy drives, his eyewear can speak to
temples is popular and sleek rimless, or his self image and a Prada frame is a lot
drill-mounts, with a little more temple more affordable than a new Ferrari.”
thickness seems to generate interest.”
“Function generally is the closer
“Although men are also stepping out, between choices,” added Mizrachi. “But
the color tends to be on the backside of if they like a style and feel empowered
the frame—similar to a jaunty inner lin- in a certain look, as long as they know
ing of a jacket,” said Gear. “’Décor’ on and trust that they will be satisfied with
the temple is increasingly popular for the quality, they can be convinced to try
men, as long as the frame itself remains style over pure function. Men do notice
masculine.”
what other men are wearing and want to
Schubach added, “Kenmark’s Jhane be a player in the fashion game.”
Barnes collection is spot on. It features
“More and more men are becoming
good men’s sizes, great dual coloration label-conscious brand shoppers,” agreed
that’s not too flashy, combination zyl and McGraw. “Brands assure men of a cermetal frames and smart detailing. It gen- tain degree of quality. They want to look
tly shouts sophistication.”
good, and they want to purchase smart.
“Men are demanding more fashion They’re interested in the tangible differstyling, but in the larger eye sizes they ences that make frames perform better.
are comfortable with and we’ve begun Ask questions to help them zero in on
seeing great styling in larger eye sizes. the features and the look they want.”
Oakley Ophthalmic is a great example,”
POP Culture
added LensCrafters’ Gear.
As styles have become more sleek,
“Larger men are delighted to find
something that fits them well and looks retro and colorful, marketing and merfresh,” said Mizrachi. “Understated ele- chandising has become a big part of
gance is a common theme with men and communicating the brands’ story. There
A&A Optical’s XXL line is great for styl- has been a movement toward a bigger
offering of POP and providing more
ish larger men’s eyewear.”
images that feature men and women
Function vs. Fashion
paired together. Pieces that feature both
Function is still most important when men and women not only attract male
LWB-4
14B
-Ban 6124
© 2007 LensCrafters, Inc. All Rights Re
consumers to brands they may have that target men and we’ve noticed as a
once perceived as predominately female whole that the total number of pages with
but also allows retailers to merchandise eyewear has definitely grown.”
for an entire collection without too much
“We have responded to the everclutter, according to market observers.
changing fashion landscape of the men’s
“Designers such as Armani, Ralph business by concentrating on our frame
Lauren, Prada, and Ray-Ban have clearly collections and advertising to the male
identified their specific niche and their consumer,” stated Schubach. “We do
posters and modeled pieces of advertis- some targeted media in radio and TV
ing speak well to the individuals looking and at Utah Jazz games against popular
to be a part of the lifestyle those images teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and
portray,” said Mizrachi. “Most compa- Spurs. We also do some direct mail
nies will offer you some male point-of- media for ‘Men’s Only’ trunk shows.
purchase pieces, but you have to make a This coming year, subliminally, our TV
statement in your dispensaries that let’s spots will show more men.”
that man know you have what he
“Men’s frames and male images are
wants,” added Schubach. “Male mer- an integral part of all of our marketing,
chandising needs to reflect the everyday from our TV and print ads to direct mail,
male, the business man, part-time ath- our front door and in-store images to the
lete, fun fashionable father, etc.”
lenscrafters.com Web site and more,”
“At LensCrafters, men can either shop stated Gear. “Our advertising also
by eyewear brand, or in the LensCrafters includes male focused versions of our
male-specific section we call ‘Men’s Clas- ads in male oriented magazines such as
sics’,” explained Gear. “This is a specially Golf Digest and Men’s Journal.”
curated section with more conservative or
“To target men we do local restaurant
traditional looking male styles. Our Web guide advertising with clip art from
site, lenscrafters.com, also devotes a sec- A&A’s XXL line and sponsor our local
tion entirely to frame suggestions for men semi-pro baseball team, the Camden
to help them do their research.”
Riversharks,” added Mizrachi.
Marketing and advertising across the
“We continue to carry a large selecboard is getting more aggressive as men tion of men’s frames and are always
have become just as subject to the images shopping the lines for new men’s eyethey see in the media as women are. wear, which we advertise both in print
Actors, musicians, politicians, sports figures and on cable TV,” volunteered Steinand prominent businessman, all have an feld. “We recognize men as an imporaffect in forming a man’s personal expres- tant part of our business.” ■■
sion of style.
“Certainly, Hollywood has an
impact on what we wear, but
today’s man wants to look and
feel good,” said Schubach.
“Taking part in the Sundance
Film Festival phenomenon has
helped us understand what the
celebs are wearing, and what
might hit our market next.
Celebrities have also become
our fashion icons and influencers. The Young Hollywood
Generation is very much in
touch with fashion, as are musicians. The relationship between
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is a very direct one.”
Since men are also influenced
exceptional eyecare. We at Eyeland believe that our unique
eyeglasses represent the future of
by the images in the advertising
see better.
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look better.
The consumer seeing perfect lightweight
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design and exquisite craftsmanship
love coming back.
will find an unparalleled solution to a
publications and programming
timeless need in our products.
has also had an impact on the
Quite simply, together we give eyeglass
men’s eyewear market.
wearers a better experience.
“There has been a big
increase in advertising eyewear
for men,” said Verdun. “We do A male specific ad from Eyeland in Voorhees, N.J.
a lot of placements in magazines featuring A&A’s XXL collection.
XXL and XXLTi are registered trademarks of A&A Optical
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44
IN THE NEWS
SCENE AND HEARD
WINTER WONDERLAND
ClearVision Hosts Holiday Party and Silent Auction
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.—Last month, ClearVision Optical hosted a WinterVision Wonderland cocktail party to kick off the New Year
and a silent auction to benefit the Newsday
Charities at their corporate offices based here.
Over 150 guests attended the event where
informal tours were given, guests mingled,
networked and enjoyed a buffet.
During the event, attendees bid on photography from Steve Horowitz, executive vice
president of REM Eyewear in Sun Valley, Calif.
during a silent auction where all proceeds were David Friedfeld (left) and Peter Friedfeld
used to benefit Newsday Charities’ Help-A- (right) pose in front of their guests
Family campaign. The photographs showcased silently bidding on the auction pieces.
his travels over the last seven years to U.S. and global destinations.
The Newsday Charities Help-A-Family campaign helps children and youth
who live in “at risk” environments on Long Island. Every dollar raised by the auction received a $.50 match by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, of which the
Newsday Charities is a fund. The silent auction raised approximately $4,000,
therefore providing nearly $6,000 in support of people in need on Long Island.
CL Deal Can Be ‘Opportunity’ for ECPs
pendents to overreact to this deal, but they
have companies like ours that are lined up
and ready to help them compete. Eyefinity’s Reorder Contacts is specifically built for
a doctor to manage their patients, allow
patients to reorder lenses and keep control.”
Reflecting on the growing interest in
ECPs’ participation in systems, Baker said,
“We have data that show when doctors
choose to compete, they can do so effectively: In 2007, between 55,000 and 60,000
patients have been registered by the practices of the ECPs who’ve chosen to use
ReorderContacts.com, that’s nearly 50 percent more than the prior year when we
launched it.” Robert S. Hammond, OD,
who owns and practices at three locations
and acts as product manager overseeing
contact lens business at Doctor’s Vision
Center/Eye America’s 58 locations in North
Carolina, offered a similar outlook. “Our
contact lens business is an integral part of
our patient care. We offer all phases of eyecare from primary to tertiary care. Our
offices are always looking for new cutting
edge products and we fit many specialty
lenses. Contact lens patients are educated
on the need for annual examinations to
assess their eye health and are mostly compliant. Our strategy is to fit mainly monthly
replacement lenses, because we think they
Three of Steve Horowitz’s photographs
auctioned off during the night to benefit
Newsday Charities Help-A-Family program.
provide the best fit, comfort, acuity and
value for the money especially if they purchase an annual supply. Our contact lens
business has grown as expected last year.
“Our philosophy is to sell an annual
supply to our patients at the time of
their examination. We count on our ability to bundle professional services to
strengthen our relationship with each
patient providing the best value for
money for all services and products related to a contact lens wearer. We also continue to look for innovative cutting edge
products that can enhance the unique
contact lens needs of our patients and
actively communicate these innovations
‘one to one’ via mail and email messages. We don’t feel that we have to
Eyefinity's ReorderContacts.com creates options
for patients and ECPs.
match our competitor’s prices because of
the added services we provide to our
patients. I do not think we will be doing
things any differently after the merger
takes place as we continually stress our
programs in our offices.” ■■
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46
EXAM LANES
NEWS VIEWS
Managed Vision Gets Spotlight
During Transitions Academy
By Cathy Ciccolella
Senior Editor
ORLANDO, Fla.—Managed vision
care—and its role in promoting overall
eye health, not just good vision—got
special attention here last month during
Transitions Optical’s annual Transitions
Academy. For the first time, the Academy included a special program devoted
to managed vision, put together in cooperation with the National Association of
Vision Care Plans (NAVCP).
As Pat Huot, business manager, managed vision care, for Transitions, said in
kicking off this special program, managed vision plans can be a vehicle for
bringing potential eye problems to consumers’ attention. “We need to educate
through managed vision,” he declared,
pointing out that “more than 50 percent
of all eyeglass prescriptions are touched
by managed vision care.”
Huot said Transitions is working to
assist its eyecare-practitioner partners—
as well as both employers and employees participating in vision plans—in
increasing awareness of the importance
of eye health by providing a variety of
tools, including downloadable brochures
and eye-health flyers outlining the value
of vision benefits.
Before an audience of more than 60
managed-vision participants, Paula Newsome, OD, president of Advantage
Vision Center in Charlotte, N.C., also
stressed the importance of eye exams as
a means of detecting hidden eye-health
problems. “Most people believe good
vision means seeing 20/20,” Newsome
said, “but consumers need regular
exams to detect vision changes and
check for eye disease.”
Transitions’ Pat Huot welcomes participants to the Academy’s first managed vision care track.
Barry Barresi, OD, Named
Executive Director of AOA
ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association (AOA) has
appointed health-policy expert and educator Barry Barresi, OD,
as executive director of the 34,000-member organization,
effective July 1.
Barresi—currently president of the New England Eye Institute and vice president of clinical affairs at New England ColBarry Barresi, OD
lege of Optometry—will succeed Michael Jones, OD, who
retires on June 30 after 10 years as the AOA’s executive director.
A long-time AOA volunteer, Barresi is currently a member of the AOA’s federal relations committee. He also serves as a consultant to AOA’s Healthy Eyes Healthy People project and is the founding chair of the newly established National Commission
on Vision and Health.
Barresi has been a key player in AOA’s advocacy efforts, according to the organization, having testified in state legislatures on scope-of-practice legislation and
worked with AOA on policy development and advocacy in Washington. ■■
Joe Wende, OD, of Davis Vision and Essilor’s Pauline Yan take
a break during a managed-vision dinner in conjunction with
Transitions Academy.
NAVCP executive director Steve Ingram (l) networks with John Kilday of Superior Vision Services
over dinner during Transitions Academy.
EYECARE NEWS
AVESIS, DENTAL INSURER RENAISSANCE
PARTNER FOR COMBO DENTAL/VISION PLANS
OKEMOS, Mich.—Renaissance Dental, which offers dental insurance, is now adding
insured vision plans packaged with its group dental products through a partnership
with Phoenix-based Avesis Vision Plans.
Said Phil Wenk, DDS, president of Renaissance, “With this dental and vision benefits bundling, our clients can add a valuable benefit to their offerings at a low cost
while simplifying their administrative burden.”
Renaissance’s new vision plans include two fully insured vision PPO options, each
offering in- and out-of-network benefits. The vision plans feature access to a national
network of more than 18,000 providers, including independent eyecare professionals
as well as national and regional optical chains, according to the company.
Renaissance Dental includes plans for groups with as few as five enrollees.
Renaissance Dental is part of the Renaissance family of companies, which collectively provide coverage for more than six million people with annual revenues of nearly $2 billion, an announcement said.
vate and group settings and was on the faculty of the Ohio State University College of
Optometry; he earned four degrees, including his OD and Ph.D., from Ohio State.
Alexander was elected AOA president last June during the annual Optometry’s
Meeting; he is expected to be succeeded by current president-elect Peter Kehoe, OD,
at this year’s meeting in Seattle.
J&J VISION INSTITUTE OFFERS MONTHLY PODCASTS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Johnson & Johnson’s Vision Care Institute here is now offering a free monthly podcast to eyecare professionals, featuring interviews with ECPs
on the latest in eye health.
The first podcast, “Improving Compliance through Communication,” includes interviews with Walt West, OD, and optician J. Paige Pantall. Future topics include “Higher
Order Aberrations and Vision Correction” with Lou Catania, OD, and “Managing Presbyopic Patients with Contact Lenses” with David Kirschen, OD.
The podcasts—available in English, French and Spanish—can be downloaded by
visiting www.tvciedu.com or subscribed to through iTunes.
AOA PRESIDENT ALEXANDER TO HEAD
SOUTHERN CALIF. COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
NON-PROFIT GROUP PRVAIL INCREASES
EYEWEAR DISTRIBUTION TO NEEDY
FULLERTON, Calif.—Kevin Alexander, OD, current president of the American Optometric Association, will take over as president of the Southern California College of
Optometry, based here, on July 1, the day after his term as AOA president ends.
Alexander—currently dean of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State
Univeristy—will succeed Lesley Wells, OD, MD, who is retiring after 11 years as SCCO
head. An announcement by the college said Alexander will be its seventh president.
Before taking on his current position in July 2000, Alexander practiced optometry in pri-
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.—In an effort to meet the growing demand for vision aids among
impoverished people worldwide, the non-profit organization PRVAIL (Partners in Restoring Vision and Improving Lives) has stepped up its efforts to secure donations of
overstocked, returned or unsold reading glasses and sunglasses. The eyewear is distributed to needy people both in the U.S. and in developing countries.
PRVAIL, which started in late 2003, distributed more than 200,000 pairs of glass-
EXAM LANES
tive director of the National
Association for Health and Fitness, opportunities also exist to
integrate vision care into a
growing movement in the
workplace toward promoting
good health. “Going forward, I
see proactive action to correct
and/or prevent future eye
issues,” Haberstro said. Noting
that vision disorders cost the
business community $8 billion a
Richard Sanchez of Advantica Paula Newsome, OD, reviews
Eye Care participates in a
eyecare trends during the
year in health costs and lost promanaged-vision session durmanaged vision program at
ductivity, he said, “Eye health
ing Transitions Academy.
Transitions Academy.
must be a regular part of the
worksite wellness dialogue.”
Following the formal program, a numSander Domaszewicz, of Mercer
Health & Benefits Services, outlined ber of NAVCP members and the group’s
trends in employers’ health-insurance executive director, Steve Ingram, met to
policies, including a movement toward continue the work begun during a Trangiving employees greater choice in sitions-sponsored task force that met in
selecting the benefits they expect to use conjunction with the association’s 2007
most. “This provides a huge opportunity annual convention. The NAVCP is confor vision benefits to become more sidering development of an industryimportant,” he noted. Domaszewicz said wide message to encourage consumers
66 percent of large employers and 30 to schedule regular vision exams to propercent of small companies now offer mote eye health; member companies are
being asked to provide input on the consome kind of vision plan.
According to Philip Haberstro, execu- tent of the message. ■■
EYECARE NEWS
es in 2007 alone, according to director Mark Sachs. Its total number of glasses
supplied has now exceeded 500,000.
Last year, the organization added two new board members from the optical industry,
Reade Fahs, president and chief executive officer of optical retailer National Vision,
and J. David Chute, president of i2C Ventures. In addition, PRVAIL was invited to participate in a Council on Foreign Relations roundtable on supplying glasses to the developing world.
Added Sachs, “We have been challenged with a ‘moon shot’ goal of one million
glasses in 2010. We are taking this seriously and exploring how we can take our
model and make it five times bigger—it certainly seems like the demand is out there.”
PRVAIL is seeking donations of either reading glasses or sunglasses, as well
as financial support. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site,
www.restoringvision.org, or send an e-mail to mark@restoringvision.org.
AUTHOR TO KEYNOTE OPTOMETRY’S MEETING
ST. LOUIS—Christopher Gardner, author of the book The Pursuit of Happyness, will
be keynote speaker for this year’s Optometry’s Meeting, organized by the American Optometric Association. Gardner’s speech will be featured during the opening
general session on June 26, sponsored by Essilor.
The Pursuit of Happyness chronicles Gardner’s journey from inner-city Milwaukee
to Wall Street; the book was a best-seller and was made into a movie starring Will
Smith. Gardner is now the owner and chief executive officer of Christopher Gardner
International Holdings.
The 2008 Optometry’s Meeting will be held in Seattle, June 25 through June 29. ■■
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50
RETAIL DISPENSARY
LAUNCHES
Transitions Releases Sixth Generation Lens
Lens maker flexes marketing muscle for its biggest launch yet
“Transitions has a heritage of offering the
most advanced photochromic technology for
today’s consumers, and the new Transitions
VI technology was specifically designed based
on the desires identified through research with
eyecare professionals and their patients.”
—Dave Cole, Transitions
Image from Transitions’ new ad campaign show how Transitions lenses change from clear to dark.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—Transitions
Optical is kicking off the biggest product
launch in its history this month with the
release of Transitions VI, an advanced
photochromic lens that boasts significant
performance improvements over earlier
generations of Transitions products. The
Pinellas Park-based lens maker is mounting an extensive consumer marketing
campaign throughout 2008 to support the
release of the new lens (see sidebar).
Transitions VI lenses are darker outdoors than Transitions V lenses and Transitions Next Generation lenses in any
temperature, reducing discomforting and
disabling glare; are clearer indoors than
Transitions V lenses; and are faster to fade
back than Transitions Next Generation
lenses, according to Transitions. Transitions VI lenses also block 100 percent of
UVA and UVB radiation—and now provide UV 400 protection. The lenses are
available in all major lens materials and
designs. Additionally, Transitions VI lens-
es are compatible with anti-reflective
(AR) coatings from all major manufacturers. Combining Transitions VI lenses with
an AR coating, improves the indoor clarity of the lens, reduces distracting glare
and enhances nighttime driving.
“Transitions has a heritage of offering
the most advanced photochromic technology for today’s consumers, and the
new Transitions VI technology was
specifically designed based on the
desires identified through research with
eyecare professionals and their patients,”
said Dave Cole, general manager of the
Americas, Transitions. “Supported by
our partners and our marketing efforts,
we are confident that Transitions VI will
help eyecare professionals further grow
their businesses and even achieve higher
levels of patient satisfaction.”
To support the launch of Transitions VI
lenses, Transitions Optical has created the
“Experience Transitions” tour, a live
event that will visit 11 cities throughout
Transitions Intros New TV Commercial
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—Transitions Optical is debuting a new commercial in 2008 featuring a “day in
the life” of a nature cinematographer. The commercial, which was filmed in Namibia,will highlight
the benefits of Transitions lenses for everyday UV
and glare protection. It will be accompanied by
new print advertising and the largest marketing
campaign in Transitions Optical’s history. The campaign will make an estimated five billion impressions among consumers, according to Transitions.
The TV advertising campaign will air over a 25week
span which began on Feb. 4. The spots are
A still image from the new Transitions
scheduled
to run during top primetime, daytime,
Optical TV commercial depicts a “day in
the life” of a nature cinematographer. syndicated, news and cable television shows. The
Transitions brand will be visible on 14 of the top 20-rated shows, including: “60 Minutes,” “The Amazing Race,” “Boston Legal,” “CSI,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “Grey’s
Anatomy.” The ad will also run during new programs, such as “Cane,” “Big Shots” and
“Women’s Murder Club,” and will appear during popular syndicated programming, like
“Wheel of Fortune,” which reaches 12 million viewers daily.
Additionally, consumers who view television shows online at ABC.com will be able
the U.S. By attending, eyecare professionals will earn the chance to experience the
new performance of Transitions VI lenses
firsthand. Kicking off this month and continuing through April 2008, the Experience Transitions tour will also stop in six
cities in Canada. Attendees will learn
about tools and support for the new product, as well as 2008 initiatives to educate
consumers about the need for healthy
sight and will direct them to their eyecare
professionals for more information.
“Our tour attendees will see that we
are stepping up our efforts on all
fronts—advancing our technology to
provide optimal vision and healthy sight
to patients, expanding our marketing
efforts to drive awareness of the need for
UV and glare protection and elevating
the importance of eyecare professionals
in delivering healthy sight solutions,”
said Grady Lenski, commercial strategy
and operations director, Transitions. “We
have a lot in store for 2008, and the tour
will help our partners know what to
expect and how they can leverage our
efforts to grow their own businesses.”
In keeping with the tour’s “experience” theme, eyecare professionals will
have the opportunity to visit various stations where they will see Transitions VI
lenses in action and enjoy engaging
entertainment. Attendees will learn the
latest updates on consumer advertising,
as well as self-marketing tools, inoffice/POS tools and education support
offered by Transitions in 2008.
Attendees will have the chance to win
gift cards, and will have the opportunity
for a free trial pair voucher for Transitions VI lenses.
The U.S. Experience Transitions tour
will stop in Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 29; Tampa,
Fla., March 4; Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
March 6; Houston, Texas, March 11; Dallas,
Texas, March 13; Seattle, Wash., March 20;
Los Angeles, Calif., March 25; New York
City, April 1; Detroit, Mich., April 3. ■■
@
to see the Transitions commercial
To view the Transitions commercial
through a streaming video player. Before
go to the Scene & Heard channel on
WebTV at www.visionmonday.com
the show begins, a “Brought to you by
Transitions” message will appear on the
screen, and Transitions will be the only sponsor during these airings. The Transitions
ad will also appear randomly during the show.
As part of its on-going effort to reach the growing Hispanic population, Transitions will
for the first time air its commercial in Spanish in the U.S. Transitions will be a featured
sponsor of Major League Soccer broadcasts on Telefutura, a Univision network, making an estimated 127.5 million impressions among consumers, Transitions said.
An extensive print advertising campaign will focus on publications related to general health and well-being, making an estimated 270 million impressions among consumers. Advertisements will appear in popular publications, including USA Today’s
new Open Air Magazine.
The television and print advertising campaigns will be complemented by Transitions
Optical’s ongoing consumer media outreach initiatives, as well as an expanded online
advertising campaign which will include sponsored searches on Google and placements on popular Web sites, such as Microsoft MSN sites, Yahoo sites, eBay, Time
Warner Network sites (Mapquest and AOL), Yellow Pages, Facebook and Wikipedia
sites. Transitions will also be embarking on a new form of advertising through mobile
marketing, which will make the Transitions brand visible to consumers as they use
their cell phones for online activities, such as checking the weather. ■■
w w w. N o u v e a u E y e w e a r. c o m
800.292.4342
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52
RETAIL DISPENSARY
LAUNCHES
Nouveau Eyewear Introduces Global ReLeaf
By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor
DALLAS—In partnership
with American Forests, the
nation’s oldest non-profit
citizens’ conservation group,
Nouveau Eyewear has
launched the environmentally conscious
Global ReLeaf Eyewear collection.
“This collection started out as a challenge to our product people to raise the
awareness of another one of Nouveau’s
brands, but as it developed it became
clear it was something that deserved its
own collection,” said Marj McGraw, copresident of Nouveau.
“Going forward we
are working on an ecofriendly case which will use
either recycled plastic or
hemp and cotton and we
will continue exploring
ways of making the frame
construction more and
more green.”
The initial launch collection for Global ReLeaf eyewear features five designs, each in two
different nature-inspired colorways, ideal
for those who lead healthy, outdoor
lifestyles. Made primarily of metal and
stainless steel, the five styles include two
for women and three for men aged 18
and older. Shapes consist of soft ovals,
bowties and elongated rectangles with
some flat metal profiles.
For every Global ReLeaf frame
purchased, Nouveau Eyewear will
plant a tree through the American
“Going forward we are working on
an eco-friendly case which will use
either recycled plastic or hemp and
cotton and we will continue exploring
ways of making the frame construction more and more green.”
—Marj McGraw of Nouveau
Forests’ Global ReLeaf project so each
Global ReLeaf style is adorned with a
green leaf logo on the outside of the left
temple tip to remind the consumer of his or
her contribution to the environment.
Nouveau is supporting the launch of
this collection with a complete marketing
program to help consumers share the
vision. POP pieces include a recyclable
frameboard dangler and
counter card printed
with environmentally-friendly ink on
100 percent recycled
paper. The Global
ReLeaf eyewear collection is
The Bliss women’s frame in
priced to the dispenser from
pink from the Global ReLeaf
Eyewear collection by Nouveau. $40.95 to $42.95. ■■
SECOND LOOK
SECOND LOOK
Viva Introduces City Landmarks
From Gant Eyewear for Men
Charmant Debuts Lacoste
Spring/Summer ‘08 Optical
SOMERVILLE, N.J—Viva
International Group has
revealed City Landmarks, a new men’s
grouping from Gant
Eyewear, inspired by
some of New York’s
most famous landmark buildings.
The Gant Helmsly
and Forbes are the
highlights of the collection, both featuring a
semi-rimless rectangular frame design.
The Gant Helmsly in black (top) and Forbes in gun (bottom) from
Architectural attributes Viva International Group.
include a monel flat
front construction with the clean, tailored lines of a two-tone temple treatment and
completed with the classic Gant logo. Both styles provide flexibility by featuring
spring hinges and adjustable nose pads.
The Helmsly and Forbes from Gant are available in an array of inviting metal
tones, such as bold black and brown, and rich gunmetal finishes with complimentary colored logo décor.
The new City Landmarks styles from Gant for Viva International are priced to the
dispenser at $54.95. ■■
The Lacoste 12021 for men.
The Lacoste 12222 for women.
MORRIS PLAINS, N.J—Charmant Group has presented new models for men and
women for the Lacoste collection.
The Spring/Summer ’08 collection showcases a total of 13 unique styles, making Lacoste eyewear ideal for both work and play.
For men, standouts include the sleek LA12021 in bold tortoise acetate that
caters to the man of distinction with a silver crocodile prominently displayed on the
temple. The LA12022 with blue hairline is a distinguished design that speaks to
the understated look preferred by the Lacoste man. The combination of its metal
slim-line shape and elegant double bridge provides a new take on the business
casual style.
Highlights of the women’s collection are the feminine LA12221 with a streamlined front and broad acetate temples paired with a rectangular shape that blends
classic elegance and trend-conscious individuality. A 3-dimentional crocodile on the
temple and contrasting colors add playful accents. The LA12222 in brown with crystal stripes is a retro-inspired rectangular model that reinterprets the iconic designs
of the‘50s and ‘60s for today’s trendy women. Multi-toned acetate and graceful
contours combine to provide a daring silhouette.
The new Spring/Summer 2008 optical collection from Lacoste features spring
hinges for comfort and is priced to the dispenser between $49.99 and $59.99.■■
Are You In The
“O” zone
Free Lens Series
• Is digital surfacing accurate
to 100th of a diopter
• Available on any lens style
• Includes your favorite anti-reflective
coating from Three Rivers Optical
?
If you’re looking for quality lens options for your patients with
bifocal needs, step into Three Rivers Optical’s “O” Zone. Our “Free”
Lens Series offers one-of-a-kind bifocal designs that fill a void in the
optical industry. With our unique, patented “Round Seg” technology,
your patients will experience the best in bifocal lenses.
TR O Seg – Is a patented lens design created to fill a void in the optical
industry. You can now get a lined bifocal in polycarbonate or any resin
material in an add range from .50 to 5.00. The softness of the bifocal line
is cosmetically pleasing and virtually unnoticeable when worn. The seg size
is customizable from 10mm to 45mm.
TR O Blended Seg – Is a lens design created to bridge a gap in the optical
industry. For the first time you can now get a blended bifocal in all
materials. Add range from .50 to 5.00. The unique blend zone is narrow
and easy for patients to adapt to. A great alternative for patients who
just can’t wear a progressive or do not want a line.
Get in the “O” Zone today. Call Us Today for Your Patient’s Bifocal Needs.
Three Rivers Optical • 800.756.2020 • www.threeriversoptical.com
54
RETAIL DISPENSARY
LAUNCHES
REM Unveils Lucky Brand Spectacles
By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor
CEO of REM Eyewear. “Plus, Lucky
Brand is quickly expanding globally.
That mirrors what’s going on at REM,
LOS ANGELES- Known for their vin- fast global growth as a result of great
tage-inspired apparel, Lucky Brand Jeans, product and smart marketing strategies.”
producer of denim, sportswear, outerwear,
Lucky Brand Spectacles offers an
T-shirts and active wear for men, women authentic vintage sensibility that the
and children, along with REM Eyewear, Lucky Brand customer has to come to
have launched the Lucky Brand Specta- love and the eyewear collection offers 15
cles ophthalmic collection.
retro-inspired optical styles for men and
“Lucky Brand is on fire on the back- women. Treatments such as the filigreed
bone of great product and cool market- metal plaques on the endpiece of the
ing,” said Mike Hundert, president and Carter and Otis styles, as well as the
coining detail on the Miles, Mitchell
and Morrison styles offer a sense of nostalgia, while retro shapes like the Joni, a
cat eye, and the Dorie, Emery
and Pearl harken back to a
more innocent time.
Branding for the collection has
also remained true to the Lucky
Brand aesthetic. Inspired from
the “Lucky You” on
The Carter, Otis and
the fly of the jeans
Coop men’s ophthalmic
and the special prints
styles from Lucky Brand
Spectacles by REM Eyewear. used on the inside of
“Lucky Brand is on fire on the backbone
of great product and cool marketing. Plus,
Lucky Brand is quickly expanding globally.
That mirrors what’s going on at REM, fast
global growth as a result of great product
and smart marketing strategies.”
—Mike Hundert, REM Eyewear
the pockets, Lucky Brand Spectacles
features a “Lucky You” plaque on the
inner temple of every frame, and occasionally incorporates tie-dye like multilaminates. The collection features iconic Lucky Brand Jeans symbols, most
notably the four-leaf clover which
appears on every temple tip in the collection. Peace signs are also abundant, as
on the Harmony frame, which features a
peace sign inspired by a Lucky Brand
Jeans mood ring.
The Lucky Brand Spectacles optical
collection is priced to the dispenser
between $59.95 and $79.95, with a sunglass collection for the optical market to
follow in March. ■■
A Lucky Brand Spectacles counter card.
SECOND LOOK
SECOND LOOK
BCD Launches Aspheric Flat-Top
Polycarbonate
Zyloware Unveils Via Spiga
Eyewear for Spring
MIAMI, Fla.—BCD (Bristol Consulting & Development), based
here is introducing Poly-B a
series of semi-finished flattop polycarbonate aspheric
lens blanks.
“In the past, patients with
high prescriptions that needed a high-index or poly lens
were told they could not use
a FT-28 or a light material,
but instead had to go to a FT22 or Round 22 in CR-39
[monomer from PPG] or even
a lenticular design,” said Alex
Bristol, Jr., president of BCD.
“Now we are introducing polycarbonate aspheric flat top
28 SF 6-base, 10.50 base
and 12.75 base lenses. The
6-base is available in 1.503.00D additions and the
10.50 and 12.75 are available in 2.00-3.50 and 4.00D additions. Together with
our aspheric polycarbonate single-vision, which was introduced in early 2007 in 4,
6, 8, 10, and 12 bases, this gives your laboratory a prescription range up to
+12.75 RX in SV and FT poly with a much thinner, flatter and lighter lens with hard
coating and UV protection,” Bristol said. ■■
The Via Spiga Brena
in black sea (top)
and toffee (bottom)
from Zyloware.
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.—Zyloware has announced the release of three new styles
for women from the Via Spiga Eyewear collection for Spring.
Available in two colorways, black sea and toffee, the Brena is a versatile frame
that works well for both business and casual affairs. It features a thick, flat stainless steel front with a slight wrap that gives the appearance of a plastic frame. The
softened rectangle shape is bold, yet feminine. The metal front wears smoothly on
the face, while the nylon cord mounting at the back eliminates rimlocks and creates a seamless look.
The Mindino is an edgy version of a ‘workwear’ frame that is sexy but serious
with an organic, feminine pattern that resembles vintage lace. The black option features a matte finish throughout; while the boysenberry color reveals a shiny finish
that enhances its rich burgundy color.
Lastly, the Pisa is a feminine twist on a modern design with a floating lens front,
oval shape and a slight wrap where sections of zyl are carved out, revealing a contrasting zyl color underneath. The overall effect is retro modern geometric art.
The Via Spiga Eyewear collection for Spring features click-in Via Spiga logo
nosepads and is priced to the dispenser between $59.95 and $69.95. ■■
56
RETAIL DISPENSARY
LAUNCHES
Mondottica Bows the Shanghai Tang Line
“Like yin and yang, Shanghai Tang
Eyewear is a dichotomy of opposites.
It fuses ancient Chinese legends with
the fashion chic of now, the high-tech
with the hand-crafted, fine detail
with bold and striking designs.”
—Ira Lerner, Mondottica
By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor
NEW YORK—Mondottica LLC,
owned in part by Mondottica International, introduces the Shanghai Tang
eyewear collection to the U.S.
“Like yin and yang, Shanghai Tang
Eyewear is a dichotomy of opposites,”
said Ira Lerner, managing director of
Mondottica. “It fuses ancient Chinese
legends with the fashion chic of now, the
high-tech with the hand-crafted, fine
detail with bold and striking designs.”
Launched in 1994, Shanghai Tang is
the first and only luxury fashion brand
from China. It combines the best of
Chinese culture with the dynamism of
the 21st Century to create a vibrant
fusion of East meets West. The Shanghai Tang portfolio ranges from affordable luxury items to bespoke gowns and
suits and products include men’s and
women’s fashion, hand bags and fine
Part of the POP imagery available with the new
Shanghai Tang collection.
leather accessories, shoes, scarves and,
now, eyewear.
Well-traveled and trendsetting, the
Shanghai Tang customer stands out.
Designed for those who are confident in
expressing their individuality, the eyewear line focuses on bringing the mystique of Chinese culture to the West.
The collection includes 30 optical and
40 sun styles, which use Chinese
mythology, legends and themes, with an
updated twist, designed for men and
women of fashion. Featuring the symbols for longevity (the shou), wealth and
prosperity (the copper coin), good fortune (the dragon), peace (the phoenix),
harmony (the double carp) and purity
(the lotus), the collection exudes vibrant
charm and modern sophistication.
The Shanghai Tang case opens with a
Chinese-style red tassel “pull” and has a
silk lining and cleaning cloth in a Shang-
SECOND LOOK
SECOND LOOK
McGee Dazzles With New Vera
Bradley Sun and Ophthalmic Styles
A frame from the
award-winning LinkSkin
eyewear collection.
The VB3022 optical frame and the VB3507S sunglasses, both with coordinating cases, from the
Vera Bradley Collection by McGee.
MARIETTA, Ga.—The McGee Group has announced two new designs in the Vera
Bradley Polarized Sunglass Crystal collection and three new patterns in the Delightful Ophthalmic collection.
The Vera Bradley Polarized Sunglass Crystal collection offers the VB-3507S and
the VB-3508S. Both models highlight full rim acetate with the Mod Floral Vera
Bradley pattern silk screened with Swarovski crystals and metal accents on the
outside of each temple. The VB-3507S is a 6-base frame that incorporates the
Vera Bradley logo laser etched on the outside of the temples, includes Polarized
lenses, and is Rx-able. The VB-3508S, is also a full rim acetate that features a
metal logo plaque from the Vera Bradley Kensington pattern providing a flattering
feminine look with a modified cat-eye.
The Vera Bradley Delightful ophthalmic collection features three new designs.
The VB-3020, the VB-3021 and VB-3022 all with Vera Bradley’s original patterns.
The three models feature full rim acetate frames with contemporary eyeshapes.
These stylish designs feature the new Mod Floral Pink and Kensington Vera Bradley
patterns from the Vera Bradley Fall 2007 collection.
All Vera Bradley frames come with coordinating cases and these new styles are
priced to the dispenser between $59.95 and $64.95. ■■
hai Tang signature design. Priced to the
dispenser from $79 to $99 for optical
styles, and $85 to $110 for sun, the
Shanghai Tang collection has a very
extensive collection of POP materials
which are available to convey the essence
of the brand, including counter-cards, a 3piece, 14-piece and 28-piece frame display, a hand-held Shanghai Tang mirror,
logo blocks, high-gloss Shanghai Tang gift
bags and a display tray. ■■
Link Eyewear
Presents the
Environmentally
Friendly
LinkSkin
Collection
LES ROUSSES, France—Link Eyewear, also known as LunettesLink, the eyewear design
duo of Yann Lacroix and Ricardo Navarro based here, offers the 2007 Red Dot Awardwinning LinkSkin eyewear collection constructed from recycled materials.
The concept behind the collection is the reuse of plastics which undergo minimal re-processing or alteration. Reusing the plastic reduces consumption of energy
and emissions of harmful chemicals such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and
sulfur dioxide. According to the company, the process is environmentally friendly
due to a reduction in the amounts of plastic waste requiring disposal. As an added
bonus the use of recycled plastic has resulted in the development an extremely
thin plastic frame befitting the name LinkSkin.
The LinkSkin frame fronts reuse common plastic sheets from old and discarded
plastic files and boxes made of .5mm to .6mm thick translucent polypropylene, a
recycled thermoplastic polymer, noted for its lightness, durability and resistance to
chemicals, water and impact, which is then molded and colored. A separate metal
bar of stainless steel or beta titanium is used to form the supporting structure of
the frame front. Hooks and clips lock and secure the plastic shape with extensions
at the center of the bar to create a base for the silicon nose pads.
Rimlon cut lenses are then fit onto the plastic rim. The temples, made of injection molded recycled material, are attached to the metal bar with the company’s
patented buckle joint locking system where the “fork” shaped tip of the bar is
secured to the temple by sliding it through the groove of the buckle to firmly secure
the frame front to the temple. No soldering, screws or tools are needed for disassembly and whole frame weighs less than 10 grams.
The LinkSkin collection from Link Eyewear is priced to the dispenser at €95, or
approximately $140. ■■
U N I Q U E LY
D E F I N E D
N E W
Y O R K
CONFERENCE: APRIL 10 – 13, 2008 | EXHIBITION: APRIL 11 – 13, 2008 | JACOB K. JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, NEW YORK
To Register Today: Call 1-800-811-7151
International Calls 1-203-840-5610
www.visionexpoeast.com
58
RETAIL DISPENSARY
LAUNCHES
Sàfilo Goes All Out for Glamour
By Deirdre Carroll
Associate Editor
The Ginger (horizontal) and the Rosalyn
(vertical) sunglass
styles from the Sàfilo
Glamour collection.
PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Sàfilo USA has
launched its newest proprietary eyewear
collection for women called Safilo
Glamour, an elegant collection of luxurious optical and sunwear styles representing the best in Italian design
and craftsmanship.
“We are extremely excited to
expand our proprietary brand offerings with the new Sàfilo Glamour
collection,” said Dick Russo,
executive vice president of
Sàfilo USA. “This collection
fills a niche in the marketplace and offers an alternative to designer pricing.
The superior quality, exquisite crystal detailing and
competitive price point
of Sàfilo Glamour
makes this a lucrative collection for our customers and a win-win for the consumer.”
The Sàfilo Glamour collection consists
of 12 styles, seven optical frames and five
sunglasses, all of which are sophisticated
and modern. The jeweled collection is
geared towards contemporary women
who appreciate fine jewelry details, supe-
“The superior quality, exquisite
crystal detailing and competitive price
point of Sàfilo Glamour makes this a
lucrative collection for our customers
and a win-win for the consumer.”
—Dick Russo, Sàfilo USA
rior Italian quality workmanship and fashion-rich design but not the high price tag
associated with the eyewear collections of
high end jewelers. Rich, three dimensional decorative elements—enhanced with
Swarovski crystals—are set or wrapped
around the temples and endpieces and
each frame is named after a glamorous
Hollywood leading lady.
The optical line consists of the Angelina and Natalie in plastic, the Audrey, Bridgette, Faye and Greta in metal, and the
Sophia, a metal/plastic combination, all of
which feature soft oval and muffin shapes
that can easily accommodate progressive
lenses. Sunwear silhouettes include an
assortment of soft and modified rectangu-
lar shapes, four in plastic, the Ginger,
Katherine, Marilyn and Rita, and one
metal/plastic combination, the Rosalyn.
Elegant colors and custom acetates
give the collection a distinctive look and
the range of colors includes black pearl,
silk tortoise, tiger eye, golden pearl, crystal gold, smoky quartz, black diamond,
onyx, shadow crystal, brown amber, coffee
brown, gray pearl, and chocolate brown.
POP for the collection includes separate counter cards for optical and sun, as
well as a 6-piece display fixture. Each
style comes with a case featuring a crystal button closure and is priced to the dispenser from $80 to $89 for ophthalmic
styles, and $84 to $94 for sun. ■■
SECOND LOOK
SECOND LOOK
Anne Klein New York Offers
A Modern Eyewear Collection
Zyloware Releases New Styles
In the Sophia Loren Collection
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—The Anne Klein New York Winter 2007/2008 Eyewear
Collection from Luxottica features luxurious designs created for the modern woman.
“The Anne Klein Winter Collection blends traditional design with a modern sensibility,” said Vittorio Verdun, vice president of marketing for the Luxottica Group. “The
models are designed with comfort and adaptability in mind making them perfect
for today’s multi-faceted lifestyles.”
The new Anne Klein ophthalmic and sunglass collections offer a fresh attitude
with traditional styling. This collection boasts soft sumptuous acetates and geometric shapes that are flattering and suitable for all face shapes. Each of the new styles
is versatile, easy to wear and affordable; perfect for the urban sophisticate offering
modern rectangles, soft geometrics and modified ovals, rich colors like deep reds,
greens and bold tortoises, and beautiful double laminates. The traditional Anne Klein
lion, either in the form of a textured mane engraved into temples or the signature
lion logo, represent the
brand’s classic heritage.
The Anne Klein New York
collection is priced to the
dispenser from $51 to $55
and a gift-with-purchase promotion of Anne Klein products available exclusively to
Luxottica customers is available with the purchase of
Anne Klein New York frames
and sunglasses. ■■
The AK3139 style sunglass and AK8060 ophthalmic frame
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.—Zyloware announced the release of four new styles in its
Sophia Loren Eyewear collection.
“The Sophia Loren Eyewear collection continues to answer the mature woman’s
desire for contemporary and elegant eyewear that comfortably accommodates progressive lenses,” said Chris Shyer, president of Zyloware. “The collection has been
expanded to include a wide selection of styles for women ages 40 to 60 who want
fashionable eyewear that is flattering.”
The Sophia Loren M184 is a full rim, oval frame with cutouts along the endpieces
and temples which evoke an animal print feel in dark brown or beige. The Sophia Loren
M185 is a bold, modern rectangle frame with chunky endpieces and wide zyl temples
featuring a gold lotus flower cast in metal available in gold claret and dark brown. The
Sophia Loren M186 is a contemporary women’s frame with ‘mod’ appeal. It has a fullrim, soft rectangle front and wide, open endpieces framed in flat gold with an intricate,
cutout pattern in stainless
steel. Lastly, the Sophia
Loren M187 is a lightweight,
deep oval semi-rimless
frame which features a thin
eyewire and gold colored
open endpieces that join the
front and temples, available
in honey and pink.
All these new Sophia
Loren styles from Zyloware
are priced to the dispenser Styles SLM184 (top) and SLM185 (bottom), new to the Sophia
Loren collection from Zyloware.
at $49.95. ■■
from Anne Klein New York for Luxottica.
RETAIL DISPENSARY
By Deirdre Carroll
F.Y.EYE
59
Jhane Barnes is quite a paradox. As a child, she excelled in math and
science, yet spent her free time sewing and creating. Originally set
on majoring in astrophysics at Cal Tech, Barnes enrolled at N.Y.’s
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) instead and today dresses
the stars in lieu of studying them. She is the first American woman
to launch a mens line, which has earned her worldwide acclaim.
Known for using fractals and algorithms in her patterns, her design
concepts have even been included in a math textbook from Herman Miller, in a chapter titled “Fractals for Fashion.” In 2006, she
launched an eponymous men’s eyewear line with Kenmark; recently F.Y.Eye talked with the designer and realized that anyone who
thinks fashion design isn’t rocket science never met Jhane Barnes.
1
What are the most important influences on your design work?
Technology, mathematics, and computers play an important role in all of
my work. Everything I design is influenced by a sense of playfulness and a
desire to learn.
3
iWhat excites you most about design?
I am a real “techie.” I love machinery
and learning how things are made. I’m
involved in every facet of each item we
produce, including designing my own
shirt buttons, fabric patterns, and the cut
of each garment. I sometimes even
develop my own yarns.
What has been the greatest challenge in interpreting your design philosophy into an eyewear line?
Learning all of the different ways to
infuse color and pattern into frames has
been a great challenge, so has developing shapes that flatter a range of sizes
and types of faces and heads.
2
Describe the ultimate Jhane
Barnes man.
My men are confident, intelligent, and
artistic. They appreciate the mathematical and technological influences in my
designs and want their clothing to
make an impression.
4
What are some of your favorite
pieces of the collection?
Vector is one of my favorite styles. I
like their architectural angle and [the
fact] that the nose pads are integrated
into the design.
5
What is the best advice anyone
ever gave you?
At FIT, I received two valuable pieces of
advice. First, you should never sell your
name or you’ll lose control over the
designs your name represents. Second,
you can always enter a lower sector of
the market in terms of price and quality,
but it is nearly impossible to ascend to a
higher sector, so start at the top. ■■
6
SECOND LOOK
SECOND LOOK
OSA Presents the New Blinde
Collection
Viva Introduces New Grouping in
Catherine Deneuve Lunettes
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—OSA
International has released
the new Blinde collection.
Larry Sands, CEO of
OSA, and Troy Schmidt,
president and COO of
OSA, along with Richard
Walker, designer of Blinde,
continue to offer face flattering shapes in both the
sun and ophthalmic collections and introduce new
bold colors for Spring while
providing the perfect product for those who desire to
remain incognito in a world of logo-mania. Blinde’s Ruckus (top) and There’s Only You
(bottom) sunglasses from OSA International.
Blinde’s state-of-the-art hinge rivets are still
the sole identifier of the lines minimalist style.
Highlights of the sun collection include the Ruckus, a retro unisex sunglass that
combines the classic shaping with modern craftsmanship and styling. The frame
and temple fronts are punched out of a solid sheet of copper beryllium for a lightweight and flexible design with temple tips of handmade Japanese zyl. Fashion and
technology blend together in the There’s Only You frame, a ladies oversized plastic
and metal combination sunglass constructed with a zyl front and temple tips and a
copper beryllium hinge.
The new Blinde collection from OSA International is priced to the dispenser from
$95 to $165. ■■
SOMERVILLE, N.J.—Viva International Group has announced the release of
“Adorned Diva,” the newest metal front combination grouping in the Catherine
Deneuve Lunettes collection.
Inspired by nature, this grouping features two modern flat-metal front combination
styles, the CD240, a full-rimmed modified oval and the CD241, a semi-rimless soft
rectangle. Each frame features handmade plastic temples adorned with subtle leaf
scroll silkscreen detailing and polished flat metal fronts. Colors include burgundy,
blush, gold and brown and spring hinges and adjustable nose pads deliver added
comfort and durability.
These two new styles in the “Adorned Diva” collection from Catherine Deneuve
Lunettes by Viva International Group are priced to the dispensary at $46.95. ■■
Styles CD241 and CD240 from the
Catherine Deneuve “Adorned Diva”
grouping by Viva International.
60
INSIDE THE LAB
NEWS VIEWS
VSP’s Sacramento Lab to Produce Crizal
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—VSP Vision
Care has signed an agreement with Essilor
of America to produce Crizal coatings at
VSP’s facilities near here. Although VSP
has long been a distributor of Varilux and
other Essilor lens products, the move represents a new level of cooperation between
two of the industry’s leading companies.
The coating center, adjacent to the VSP
optical lab, will have the onsite capability
to apply Essilor’s Crizal lens products:
Crizal, Crizal Alizé, Crizal Alizé with Clear
Guard, and the newly-launched Crizal
Avancé with Scotchgard Protector. It will
be one of a select number of U.S. optical
labs producing Crizal lenses in-house.
“The addition of Crizal’s leading-edge
technology to the VSP Sacramento Lab
is a further expansion of VSP’s commitment to deliver high quality products
and an outstanding service experience to
our customers,” said Bill Conner, presi-
dent of the VSP Laboratory Division.
“VSP is focused on strengthening the
eyecare delivery system by expanding
our relationships with organizations that
work with private practice doctors," Conner told VM. "This announcement is
one part of our ongoing effort to lead the
way in providing high-quality products
and services to doctors that reduce cost,
speed delivery, and increase choice.”
Bob Colucci, president of Essilor’s
Independent Distribution Division, said,
“We are thrilled to have the VSP Sacramento Lab join the Crizal supply network. VSP has established a reputation
for superior customer service, and introducing in-house Crizal production will
improve VSP’s service delivery times for
doctors and their patients nationwide.”
VSP operates three wholly-owned
optical labs located near Sacramento,
Columbus, Ohio; and Dallas, Texas. ■■
Soderberg Honored as
Transitions 2007 U.S. LOTY
ORLANDO, Fla.—Transitions Optical
has named Soderberg Ophthalmic Services as its 2007 U.S. Lab of the Year. The
lab was honored last month at an awards
ceremony at Disney’s Yacht & Beach
Club Resort here that concluded the 12th
annual Transitions Academy.
Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Soderberg
is a two-time winner of the Transitions
Lab of the Year distinction, receiving the
award for the first time in 2001.
The ceremony, which drew an international audience of more than 1,000
industry professionals, also recognized
Riverside Opticalab, Ottawa, Ontario,
2007 Transitions Lab of the Year in
Canada; Fhocus, São Paulo City, 2007
Transitions Lab of the Year in Brazil and
Augusto Express, Argentina, 2007
Transitions Lab of the Year in Latin
America. ■■
The Soderberg Ophthalmic Services team, headed by Craig
Giles, third from right, accepting the award for Transitions
2007 U.S. Lab of the Year. Connie Falvo of Transitions
Optical, second from right, presented the award at a gala
ceremony in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 15. Dave Cole of
Transitions, far left, was also on hand to congratulate the
Soderberg team, which also won the award in 2001.
Brazil’s Transitions Lab of the Year,
Fhocus, Sao Paulo City.
South America’s Transitions Lab of the Year,
Augusto Express, Argentina.
Canada’s Transitions Lab of the Year,
Riverside Opticalab, Ottawa, Ontario.
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• Big-company savings and buying power
• National and regional cooperative advertising
• A comprehensive system for easy operation
• Promotions that build traffic and increase profits
• Point-of-sale customer retention programs
• Access to exclusive group vision plans
We have buyers ready in
NY, NJ, PA, MD, VA and CA!
Call Scott Finn today at 1-800-856-9664
to learn more about franchising opportunities
with Sterling Optical!
www.sterlingoptical.com
Mr. MAGOO and associated character names, images and other indicia are
trademarks of and copyrighted by UPA Productions of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
NEW YORK—Stay on the cutting edge by
reading this month’s edition of Lab Advisor now Live on VM's Web site.
In this month’s Dollars & Sense column, when making an investment in
your lab find out “Who You can Trust”
from Lab Advisor’s newest columnist
Jason Meyer, senior vice president of
HPC Puckett & Company. Keep an eye
on Meyer's future columns as he dispenses advice about financial and
strategic issues of interest to optical
laboratory owners and managers.
See if “Your Lab Needs a Reality Check” as Lab Advisor inaugurates its newest section Operating Strategies, devoted to a detailed discussion of lab operations. Each
month lab expert Bob Niemiec will share his ideas about how to optimize your lab’s
manufacturing and distribution processes. And in Focus On…, don’t miss this month’s
in-depth profile of Geoffrey Vincent of Optical Dimensions located in Royal Oak, Mich.
Every issue of Lab Advisor also features News to Use, Lab Notes and New Products. Current and past issues of
To read all of VM's E-Newsletters, visit
L ab Advisor are available by
visionmonday.com and go to the newsletter
going to the VM web site at
icons in the top right corner for Business
Essentials, Lab Advisor and Sun Advisor.
www.visionmonday.com. ■■
@
Optical Manufacturing Solutions
Perfectly
linked.
Entire platform for RX production
Surfacing-Coating-Edging
Satisloh focuses on providing equipment with interlinked processes along the
whole chain of RX production steps – enabling smooth manufacturing of high
quality lenses at a low per unit cost.
For more information call your local Satisloh representative or visit our website.
www.satisloh.com
62
CLASSIFIED
VM MARKETPLACE
Advertising Information: (800) 983-7737 • Fax: (610) 854-3780
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
Bolle and Serengeti
Premium Eyewear Brands
are looking to add commissioned sales reps
in the following territories:
N.CA, OR, WA, MT, UT, ID, KS,
MO, NE, GA, NC, SC, GA, DC, PA
Please fax resume to Bill Yerby 913-7523580 or e-mail to Byerby@bushnell.com
Consumable Product Specialist
Western Region
Seeking self-motivated candidate with strong optical
processing background to perform laboratory process
audits, implementation of processes and to promote and
sell Satisloh consumables and services to North America,
Western Region.
Help Wanted
OPTICAL LABORATORY
AR Coating Manager
Vision Systems of Georgia (A Carl Zeiss Vision
Laboratory), located in the Atlanta area, seeks
an experienced AR Coating Manager.
Candidates will perform a variety of functions,
including coaching and motivating associates
and participation and support of quality in
alignment with Carl Zeiss quality certification.
This hands-on position requires strong core
knowledge of both Thin-Film and AR Coating
applications and mechanical experience.
Experience in Surfacing and Finishing is helpful. Attention to detail, prioritization skills and
strong written and verbal communication
with an emphasis on process documentation
is required.
A comprehensive benefits package is provided.
Salary based on experience.
E-mail resumes to
Theresa.dussich@vision.zeiss.com
or fax to 404/795-0962
Successful candidate will possess these skills:
• Strong optical lab background and lens processing
• Troubleshooting labs processing procedures
• Microsoft Office Suite
Position entails 70% travel; sales experience valuable
but not required.
Stylish Eyewear at Affordable Pricing
Visi
Boo t us at
th #
at S 1050
ECO
• Private Label • Metal Frames as low as $5.00
• Stainless Steel & Acetate frames as low as $19.99
• Flexible Titanium frames as low as $19.99
• One year warranty on all frames
This company offers a competitive wage and a complete
benefit package.
Send resume and salary history to:
Satisloh North America, Inc.
P.O. Box 664
Germantown, WI 53022
E-mail: Kris.Wendorf@satisloh.com
Fax: 262-255-6002
Account Executive
Representative
— Independent Sales Representatives wanted for all territories —
Call today for your free catalog.
phone: 866-756-4262 • fax: 570-719-0436
e-mail: info@cnceyewear.com
Shamir Insight Inc.
the USA sales, marketing and distribution center for
Shamir’s Premium Occupational & Progressive lenses.
Account Executives wanted for the following territories:
• Los Angeles, CA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Connecticut/Bronx, NY • Dallas Fort Worth, TX
• San Francisco, CA
• West Texas/New Mexico
***Also Available - Web Programmer
position, San Diego, CA***
Proven experience in the optical lens industry required
SII offers an excellent compensation package
with benefits including 401K!
Fax resume to Joyce Hornaday 858-444-3844
or E-mail: jhornaday@shamirlens.com
Well-established importer
of optical frames seeking
to service or call on major
retailer/labs/distributors.
Domestic and International.
One of the largest optical retailers in the
Northeast is now expanding throughout the
N.Y. Metro & Long Island area,
New Jersey, Connecticut & Puerto Rico.
Offering excellent opportunities for:
Optometrists, Opticians,
Sales Associates and Lab Techs.
• Will pay for relocation
• All inquiries confidential
• Top Salary • FT/PT Positions
• Full Benefits Package
• Lucrative Commission Plan
Please contact Shannon:
Tel: 212.792.8100 Fax: 212.792.8101
E-mail: shannons@cohens.bz
Great opportunity
Fax resume to
718-633-5231
or e-mail lydrew@aol.com
DISTRICT MANAGER
Expanding National Optical Chain has
District Manager positions available in New
England, Upstate New York, New Jersey and
Baltimore, MD, for qualified candidates
with optical management multi-unit
experience. Competitive salary, bonus
program, benefits, 401K and opportunity for
future advancement. Highly motivated
individuals possessing excellent recruiting
and communication skills should reply to:
Valley Forge Press
2570 Blvd. of Generals- Suite 22, Box BD
Norristown, Pa. 19403
EOE
CLASSIFIED
VM MARKETPLACE
Premium Microfiber Cloth
Buy 1200 Pieces Printed, get 200 Free!
Buy 1800 Pieces Printed, get 300 Free!
Amount
Unprinted
Custom Printed
1200+
600-1100
300-500
100-200
19
30
35
40
24
35
43
59
each
each
each
each
cents
cents
cents
cents
each
each
each
each
Upgrade to the Ultra Microfiber Cloth
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microfiber cloth
Cloths are 6” x 6”
New Microfiber cloth display
only $14.95 with order!
Call to Order!
Mention Code V M M R 0 8
1.800.288.4512 Fax: 561.995.9531
Info@snoptical.com
www.storminnormans.com
*Multiple specials/discounts may not be combined. Must mention coupon code at time of order.
While supplies last. May be withdrawn at anytime. Offer good until April 24, 2008.
Please call for details.
LANE SPECIAL - $9,995.00
AO Custom or Marco Combo Unit (3 arms)
AO Phoroptor
B&L or Marco Keratometer
Burton or Mentor Slit Lamp
AO or Marco Projector
w/mount, slide & screen
ALL DESIGNER FRAMES
$16 OR LESS
That’s right ! Contact us and
find out why we’ve become
Belrose Refracting Equip. Co.
"America’s largest surplus
designer frame distributor"
www.belroserefracting.com
Phone: 866. 289. 3937
Fax: 310. 306. 7885
www.delreyoptical.com
E-mail: sales@delreyoptical.com
For The Finest Equipment “In-Sight”
3734 W Oakton St., Skokie, IL
63
Merchandise Offered
cents
cents
cents
cents
$AVON
eyewear
“The Brand Name Liquidators”
Designer Frames
and Sunglasses
As low as $600
www.savoneyewear.com
800-758-6249
Get results!
Place your classified ad in print and online.
Call Phil or Bonnie at 800-983-7737
FAX: 610-854-3780
www.VisionMonday.com
64
CLASSIFIED
VM MARKETPLACE
Help Wanted
Merchandise Offered
General Sales Manager
Our company markets and sells leading lines of owned and licensed eyewear throughout the U.S. Designed in Europe, our portfolio consists of both owned and licensed
brands, from kids to seniors, in mid to premium price ranges. Market leaders abroad,
we wish to find a professional that can help us turn our European story into American
success. Growth is our objective, so industry experience in building and managing successful employed and independent sales teams is required. Key account management
experience is also required. Experience developing and managing marketing programs
that create demand is desirable. Candidates should have a record of sales management
success along with the ability to manage our U.S. business office and maintain financial controls over the operation.
Our company offers a competitive compensation plan and the ability to participate in
the successful growth of our U.S. based business. Send cover letter and resume to:
eyestyle1@aol.com.
ENGINEERS
.Submit your resume to:
Local manufacturer of automated lens processing
equipment is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer and
Software Design Engineer. Candidates should have a
B.S. or M.S. in appropriate field with at least 3 years of
experience and proficiency in Microsoft office products.
Human Resources
National Optronics, Inc
100 Avon Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
HR@nationaloptronics.com
Mechanical position requires a solid background in machinery design and experience
with Solid Works or other parametric modeling software.
Software position requires a solid background in embedded systems C programming and
Everybody is talking about
F re e-Fo r m
back-side progressive lenses.
“Digital”
We ONLY do Free-Form digital back-side
progressive lenses - nothing else!
• Call for more information.
• Volume discounts available.
RTOS architecture. Experience with UI and motion control a plus.
All lenses are stamped and engraved with ADD power.
Sales Representatives
Empire Optical, Inc., an independent wholesale lab, a top 5 lab by Vision
Monday for 2008, is seeking motivated Sales Representatives to join our team
for open territories in CA (Central Valley & SF Bay area), & AZ. Earn base,
plus commission, expenses and auto allowance paid. All applicant info will be
kept confidential.
Fax resume to 818.994.0194
or e-mail maria@empireoptical.org
7633 Varna Ave.
No. Hollywood, CA 91365
www.empireoptical.org
Valley Forge Press
2570 Blvd. of Generals, Suite 220, Box BD
Norristown, PA 19403
212-431-2915 • Fax: 212-431-2919 • www.freeformopticallab.com
Equipment & Supplies
NEW EQUIPMENT
TOP OF THE LINE
LICENSED OPTICIANS
Expanding National Optical Chain has
Licensed Optician/Manager positions
available in Tennessee. Excellent
salary, commission program, benefits,
401K and opportunity for future
advancement. Highly motivated, sales
oriented Opticians should reply to:
FreeForm Optical Lab, Inc.
17 Bowery • New York, NY 10002
TED
AN
PW
L
HE
• Work from home as
an independent
contractor
• Full- or Part-time
OPTICAL
TELEMARKETERS
Fax resume to
800-368-0483
or call Neil at
888-463-6190
DELUXE COMBO W/ ALL ACCESSORIES FOR ONLY $11,995
• Optical experience
not required
• COMBO UNIT W/ 3 ARMS
• Telephone sales
experience important
• AUTO PROJECTOR
W/REMOTE
• Selling eyeglass
frame program with
exciting gifts
• B&L KERATOMETER
• Telephone service
provided
• PHOROPTER
EOE
View
Online Classifieds
at
www.
VisionMonday
.com
• 5 MAGNIFICATION ZOOM
SLIT LAMP W/ ELECTRIC TABLE
Sales Reps Needed
• Protected Territories
• Highest Commissions
• Replies Confidential
• Multi-lines Accepted
Reply to: Steve Jacovsky
626/213-9173
sjacovsky@yahoo.com
W FOR
CALL NO PING
HIP
FREE S
(Above Equipment Available to be Sold Separately)
ADD AUTO-REFRACTOR FOR ONLY $3,195
(888) 900-9444
www.medkoinc.com • e-mail: info@medkoinc.com
Equipment &
Supplies
SG-X Generators
Large and small reclaim tanks
All coburn model cylinder machines
Step-one & step-one lite wax blockers
Complete gerber coburn mini labs
LOH Toromatic SL generator
Will buy your used Coburn
and LOH equipment
Pat McCoy Optical Equipment
We buy and sell all brands of optical equipment
(800) 637-5472 or (507) 372-2877
Email us: mccoyp@frontiernet.net
To get your message
out there …
Call Phil at
800-983-7737
FAX: 610-854-3780
www.VisionMonday.com
CLASSIFIED
VM MARKETPLACE
Business Services
Continuing Education
Optical Sales
Meeting Your Expectations?
If you're looking to sell your store,
help is on the way.
“Trying to change things by doing the same thing
over and over” is a good definition of insanity.
We
We have
have pre-qualified
pre-qualified prospects
prospects ready
ready to
to buy
buy in
in New
New York,
York, New
New Jersey,
Jersey,
Pennsylvania,
Pennsylvania, Maryland
Maryland and
and Virginia.
Virginia.
• Third Party Can Create Change
• 2 Weeks’ In-store Training
• Proven Track Record
• National Achievements
For more info:
Penn Smith
1-912-925-7105
hpennsmith@aol.com
Fax: 1-912-925-9879
65
Now is your chance to sell one, or all, of your locations.
Why
Why spend
spend time
time and
and money
money searching
searching for
for buyers
buyers when
when we
we will
will bring
bring
them
them to
to you?
you?
Extend your reach
and get results
when you place
your
classified ad in
print and online.
Call Phil at
800-983-7737
FAX:
610-854-3780
Please call Emerging Business Brokerage
800-856-9664
VM WHERE TO FIND IT
www.
VisionMonday
.com
The following is a list of suppliers’ toll-free numbers for quick access to all of your optical needs. This is a paid service of Vision Monday.
ACCESSORIES
QUALITY ACCESSORIES, INC.
Custom Imprinted Lens Cleaners &
Cloths for Retail and Promo
800-735-3937 • 219-922-8103
FAX: 219-922-8124
Web Site: www.qualityaccessories.com
STORMIN’ NORMAN’S
DISCOUNT OPTICS
Full Service Optical Supplies,
Accessories, Promotional Items &
Private Label
800-288-4512 • 561-995-2400
FAX: 561-995-9531
CASES
LENSES
Leading manufacture of custom
designed cases. Large stock of Hard
and soft cases.
Available for custom printing.
800-291-8528 • FAX: 718-752-9858
E-Mail: sales@Astucci.com
Website: www.Astucci.com
For custom made cases:
385 Fifth Ave. 15th FL.
New York, NY 10016
212-725-3171 • FAX: 212-725-3236
Astucci Hong-Kong
Fax: 852-2367-6123
sales@astucci.com.hk
Your global partner for high-quality
lenses. We specialise in Polarized,
SunSensors and clear lenses in
Polycarbonate, Hard Resin
and Hi Index.
POLYCORE OPTICAL
Singapore
Tel: 65-6747-6677
Fax: 65-6744-3664
E-mail: pos@polycore.com
www.polycore.com
FRAMES
DISCOUNT OPTICS
Private Label
800-288-4512 • 561-995-2400
FAX: 561-995-9531
and soft cases.
800-291-8528 • FAX: 718-752-9858
New York, NY 10016
212-725-3171 • FAX: 212-725-3236
Astucci Hong-Kong
Fax: 852-2367-6123
USA
Tel: 888-645-7788
Tel: 1-775-850-2050
Fax: 1-775-850-2060
E-mail:
customerservice@polycore-usa.com
MANUFACTURERS
INSTRUMENTS
DISCOUNT OPTICS
Private Label
800-288-4512 • 561-995-2400
FAX: 561-995-9531
Factory-Direct Savings on Frames,
Lenses, Cases and Accessories
Clam Shell hard cases!
100% micro fiber cleaning clothes!
Over 400 frame models at low cost!
Over 40 types of lenses including high
index and 5 new finished
extended range lenses!
Phone: 800.423.5175
Web site: www.LBI.biz
MISCELLANEOUS
SUPPLIES
DISCOUNT OPTICS
Private Label
800-288-4512 • 561-995-2400
FAX: 561-995-9531
DISCOUNT OPTICS
Private Label
800-288-4512 • 561-995-2400
FAX: 561-995-9531
PACKAGING
and soft cases.
800-291-8528 • FAX: 718-752-9858
New York, NY 10016
212-725-3171 • FAX: 212-725-3236
Astucci Hong-Kong
Fax: 852-2367-6123
and soft cases.
800-291-8528 • FAX: 718-752-9858
New York, NY 10016
212-725-3171 • FAX: 212-725-3236
Astucci Hong-Kong
Fax: 852-2367-6123
View Online Classifieds at
www.V isionMonday.com
66
A CASE For The World... A VISION For The Future SM
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#6
BUSINESS ESSENTIALS
Employee Retention
Tips for Owners in ’08
From a market perspective, recruiting
and retaining talent
will continue to offer
challenges to business
owners in 2008. The
latest statistics are
compelling: Three out
Hedley Lawson, Jr.
of every 10 workers
in your business will retire over the
next 10 years. Of those same 10 people, three others are seeking new jobs
at this moment. If you replace transitioning workers with “twenty-something’s,” you can expect them to stay
no longer than 18 months, on average.
And worse yet, when you have to
replace a retiring employee, not only will
you likely face the loss of corporate
knowledge, but a lack of many basic
skills you require and need are often not
evident in a newer employee.
As you begin your human capital planning program for 2008, consider these
key business strategies:
uing to improve their value proposition
and competitive position will need to
revisit and revitalize their human capital
strategies in 2008 and beyond.
Engage Management in the Team
Employee motivation continuously
changes and evolves. It is especially
challenging to understand and develop
meaningful changes that will continually
motivate employees. “Millennials” have
different goals and objectives and most
often view the world and their career
differently than previous generations.
“Baby Boomers,” like myself, have a
very different orientation toward work
and are focused on being a part of a
team, contributing to the growth and
success of the business, and to a lesser
extent, building a career. “Millennials”
more often look at work as “something
to do between weekends.” While
money is a key motivator for this
younger set, time-off, benefits and flexibility have greater appeal and value than
their predecessors’ generations.
Improve Your Hiring Practices
.
ed
#
g.
M
70
#
L
80
49
ea
for 100
g.
#
L
85
All Clamshells Available in a Variety of Colors and Finishes.
Call To Order
888.767.0383
Avalon is proud to partner with the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Your loyal support of our products enables us to help
save wildlife globally.
One key element of the continued success of your business rests on how well
you source, identify, qualify and hire talent. Motivated and engaged employees
deliver the best products and services,
and are critical to customer care and satisfaction. Employee surveys confirm that
employees are happiest when job realities
meet expectations, they are a part of and
feel like they are in a family environment,
are given the authority to do their jobs,
and feel appreciated. It is the responsibility of management to continuously seek
to develop and motivate the entire workforce and give people an opportunity to
achieve their goals and be successful in
their jobs. All these issues work best
when there is a good job fit.
There are innumerable resources available to employers to scan and survey the
workforce, as well as skills to improve job
fit. Companies that are focused on contin-
Flexibility and Work/Life Balance
Organizations need to look for opportunities to capture and inspire emerging
leaders in ways different from past generations of employees. For example,
adapting practices that promote flexibility and work/life balance with time off,
flexible work schedules, and work from
home (telecommuting) are elements
that offer greater appeal to employees
whose jobs lend themselves to such
practices. Developing new and more
appealing benefits in the workplace will
continue to challenge management as
recruiting and retaining great talent continues to be a top business priority.
Hedley Lawson, Jr. is the managing partner of Aligned Growth Partners, LLC, a
strategic, operational and organizational
consulting and executive search firm
(www.alignedgrowth.com).
Don’t miss out on Vision Monday’s e-edition of Business
Essentials providing monthly updates on day-to-day
management issues for optical ECPs and retailers.
To subscribe to Business Essentials, go to www.visionmonday.com, click on the Business Essentials button
and go to the Subscribe to Business Essentials option in
the newsletter. Current and past issues of Business
Essentials are available by visiting the VM Web site at
www.visionmonday.com.
SP NE
ADEAK W
DE ER
D! S
Global
The 2ND Annual
Summit
Harnessing the Power of Today's
Consumer "Communities"
Attend this exclusive, one-of-a-kind special event!
VisionMonday brings together leaders from the
fields of technology, health care, U.S. and international retailing. Learn how consumer choices and
the profile of brands in eyewear, eye care and health
care are being shaped.
.
Four special sessions - Technology, Health Care,
Retailing and Luxury - will tackle the topics and provide thought-provoking ideas for competing in
today’s dynamic marketplace.
When:
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Where:
Bridgewaters (South Street Seaport)
11 Fulton Street
New York, NY 10038
Time:
Registration begins at 8:00 am
Program is 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Who Should Attend:
Senior-Level Executives of U.S. and
International Optical Retailers, ECPs,
and Suppliers
Cost:
$195 00 (offer good until March 1, 2008)
$245 00 (after March 1, 2008)
Includes: Conference Admission, Continental
Breakfast, Two Coffee Breaks, Lunch.
Sponsored by
Register online at visionmonday.com
or call 212-274-7189
TECHNOLOGY
Lynn O’Connor Vos
President and CEO
Grey Healthcare Group
New York
RETAIL
Jeff McAllister
Senior VP of Optical
Wal-Mart Stores U.S.
Bentonville, AR
HEALTHCARE
John O. Agwunobi, MD
President, Professional Services
Wal-Mart Stores
Bentonville, AR
LUXURY
Andrea Guerra
CEO
Luxottica Group
Milan, Italy
TECHNOLOGY
Erin Byrne
Chief Digital Strategist
Burson-Marsteller
New York
HEALTHCARE
J. Robinson Lynch
President and CEO
VSP Vision Care
Rancho Cordova, CA
INT’L RETAIL
Dr. Tomás Pförtner
CEO
Laboratorio Pförtner
Cornealent SACIF
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Additional speakers to be announced.
68
OPINION
Monday
EDITORIAL
Don’t Drop the Ball on Testing
The Food and
Drug Administration’s recent proposal to impose
new guidelines for
lens impact testing
is sending shock
waves throughout
the optical indusAndrew Karp
try. Lens manufacGroup Editor
turers, makers of
Lenses & Technology
in-office edging
equipment, optical laboratories, eyecare
professionals and, ultimately, consumers,
could be significantly affected if the FDA
adopts the guidelines. What’s at stake is
whether or not eyecare professionals will
be able to continue edging lenses in their
in-office labs without incurring liability if
a patient is injured by a broken lens.
The situation is complex, and made
even more so by the confusing language in
the FDA proposal. However, a key issue
centers around data obtained by the FDA
that indicates that every lens that is drop
ball tested is damaged in some way. Based
on this information, the FDA is suggesting
that no lens tested be sold for wear.
Yet the FDA wants the end manufacturer, which it defines as the last person
that alters the lens, to statistically test their
lenses and keep comprehensive records of
the test results. Although this is not a new
proposal, it seems that the FDA is placing
more emphasis on it now. This is simply
untenable for most ECPs. However, if
batch testing is not a feasible option for
them, they might need to order a duplicate set of lenses for every Rx—one for
testing and one for resale. The increased
cost would have a chilling effect on ECPs
and retailers, and would increase prices for
consumers. Many ECPs and retailers
might then abandon in-office edging, preferring to let wholesale labs do the work.
Some labs, seeking to protect themselves
from liability, already send their lenses to
specialized third-party testing labs that
measure them against a reliable database
of tested lenses.
Many industry observers say the FDA
is creating problems where none existed.
They cite the optical industry’s excellent
safety record, pointing out that the incidence of injury resulting from broken
lenses is quite low compared to injuries
that occur from people inadvertently sticking their eyeglass temple in their eye.
Yet there are solid reasons for the FDA
to review its position on lens impact test-
ing. The original FDA regulation that
governs impact resistant lenses was put on
the books in the ’70s during the Nixon
administration, when glass lenses still
dominated the market. Although the
FDA issued a draft Q&A in 1987 which
provided an updated interpretation of the
regulation, a fresh look at it is long overdue given the tremendous changes in
lenses and lens technology that have
occurred over the past two decades.
The question is whether the FDA’s proposals are going to achieve any meaningful
results, or is the medicine going to kill the
patient. Presumably, nobody wants to see
eyeglass wearers at risk for injury. If FDA
officials are prudent, they will carefully
examine the comments they are now collecting from industry groups and other
interested parties before they impose drastic solutions that could impede the delivery of eyewear and eyecare while failing to
make consumers any safer.
Vision Monday encourages readers to
send their comments about the FDA’s
Draft Guidance on Impact-Resistant
Lenses to www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. All comments should be identified
with docket number fr26oc07-76.
What’s Online @ VisionMonday.com
About visionmonday.com
WebTV
VisionMonday.com has an innovative,
new look. Content from our most
recent issues is now organized by
topic and category, making it easy to
find the information you need fast.
And VMail Extra Subscribers have
access to VM’s comprehensive
archives via a new search engine
powered by Google. We have also
added a downloadable PDF version of
the most recent issue of VM.
Between the Lines
How's Business? VM talks to
retailers and ECPs around the
country about biz so far this year.
Only on the Web.
New & Noteworthy
Senior VP, Editorial Director Marge Axelrad
Executive Editor Mary Kane
E-News Managing Editor Amy Grech
Senior Editor Cathy Ciccolella
Group Editor, Lenses & Technology Andrew Karp
Associate Editor Deirdre Carroll
Layout Editor Natalya Gerzhgorina
Art Director Iris Johnson
Contributing Editors
Jackie Micucci, Gloria Nicola, James J. Spina,
Melissa Arkin, Christie Walker
Circulation Manager Renee Oechsner
Production Manager David Herman
VP Advertising Sales Dennis Murphy
Regional Sales Managers
Amanda Churchill, James DeMatteis,
Vincent Priore
International Sales Offices
Young-Seoh Chinn, Korea, jesmedia@unitel.co.kr;
Sho Harihara, Japan, sho.ymi@fine.ocn.ne.jp;
Mary Ng, Asia, mnjobson@netvigator.com;
Jochen Reinke, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland,
Benelux, Scandinavia, Liechtenstein, jreinke@reinke-pr.de;
Asa Talbar, Israel, talbar@talbar.co.il;
Cecilia Zanasi, Italy, France, Spain, United Kingdom,
Cecilia@studiozanasi.it.
Director of Education and Training
Mark Mattision-Shupnick
Director of Marketing, Education and Training
Nancy Ness
Creative Director Monica Tettamanzi
Creative Services Designers Barbara Winters,
Debbie Silva
Marketing Manager Christine Yeh
Marketing Coordinator Jeff Haber
Jobson Optical Research Int’l Managing Director
Gerry Fultz
VP/Optical Retail Group Publisher
William D. Scott
VP/Marketing/Publisher 20/20
Jim Vitkus
Senior VP/President Professional Publications Group
Richard Bay
VP/Publisher/FRAMESdata
Tom Lamond
VP/Operations/FRAMESdata
Judith Michael
Chief Executive Officer
Marc Ferrara
VP/Human Resources
Lorraine Orlando
Corporate Production Director
John Anthony Caggiano
VP/Circulation Director
Emelda Barea
Senior VP/Operations
Jeff Levitz
To order reprints of any articles or ads
that appeared in this issue contact
PARS International 212-221-9595 or jobson@parsintl.com
Action/Reaction
In the wake of Wal-Mart’s announcement that it had forged an agreement with 1-800 CONTACTS to offer
a new contact lens program for patients this fall, optical retailers and
major contact lens distributors tell
VM they view the alliance as a major
opportunity for ECPs and other retailers to revisit how they provide
lenses and replacement lenses to
their own patients.
You’ll find all of your current favorites,
including Vision Monday’s WebTV, the
industry’s first video network. Watch
informative videos covering every facet of
the eyecare industry. Current channels
highlight: Scene & Heard optical editorial
coverage, Optical Events, Educational
Video Press Releases, Progressive Lenses, Lens Coatings & Treatments, Finishing
Equipment, Frames, and Practice Management Technology.
Data Point
Facts, stats and data on today's
eyewear market. Facts and figures
taken from VisionWatch a study
conducted by Jobson/VC.
MAIN EDITORIAL & SALES OFFICES:
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VISION MONDAY (ISSN 1054-7665) is published monthly except for
March and August, which have two issues, by Jobson Medical
Information LLC, 100 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, NY
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© 2008 Jobson Medical Information LLC, 100 Ave. of the Americas, NY,
NY 10013-1678. Reproduction without express written consent of
the Publisher is prohibited. Jobson Medical Information
LLC publishes VISION MONDAY and Vision Monday Show Daily.
Notice: Jobson Medical Information LLC does not accept responsibility for
the advertising content of the magazine nor for any claims, actions or losses arising therefrom. Products and services advertised in this publication
are not endorsed by, or in any way connected with, Jobson Medical
Information LLC. We make every effort to report manufacturers’ news accurately, but we do not assume responsibility for the validity of news claims.
EyesWay content is developed, sourced and reported by the editors of
EyesWay, the international news portal. Vision Monday provides that content to its subscribers as part of an exclusive news exchange agreement.
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70
BALANCE SHEET
Essilor Posts 8.1 Percent
Gain in Revenue for 2007
CHARENTON-LE-PONT,
France—Essilor International,
based here, reported consolidated revenue of €2,908.2 million for the year ended Dec. 31,
2007, representing a reported
8.1 percent increase over the
previous year. Excluding the
currency effect, growth for the
year was a high of 12 percent.
In Europe, Essilor posted consolidated revenue of €1,317.6,
up 6.2 percent from year-ago.
In North America, revenue
reached €1,214.2, an 8.1 percent increase. In the Asia-Pacific region, Essilor’s revenue rose
13.4 percent, to €266.9; Latin
America revenue was €109.5,
up 15.6 percent from 2006.
Essilor’s fourth-quarter consolidated revenue amounted to
€708 million, a 6.4 percent likefor-like increase over fourthquarter 2006. In Europe, revenue rose 3.1 percent on a
like-for-like basis, to €330.6. In
North America, revenue grew
to €281.7, up 7.4 percent on a
like-for-like basis. Business
remained robust in the U.S.
during the quarter, and Asia
and Latin America continued
to experience fast growth,
according to Essilor.
The lens maker cited several
factors that influenced its growth,
including a rise in unit sales and
DATA POINT
an improved product mix led by
strong sales of progressive lenses,
medium- and high-index lenses,
variable-tint lenses and antireflective coatings.
In 2007, the company completed 16 acquisitions that will
contribute €160 million in fullyear revenue. Half of the companies acquired are based in
the U.S., representing €91.5
million in additional revenue.
In particular, Essilor continued
to expand its U.S. network of
prescription laboratories. In
Japan, progressive lenses
enabled Nikon-Essilor to gain
market share, particularly
among large optical chains. ■■
B&L Issues Preliminary and
Estimated Unaudited 2007 Results
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Bausch
& Lomb announced certain
preliminary and unaudited
fourth-quarter and full-year
2007 financial metrics. While
the company said it has not yet
finalized its financial close
process, including purchase
accounting associated with the
recently completed merger
with affiliates of Warburg Pincus, it currently projects it will
report fourth-quarter net sales
of between $654 million and
$660 million, compared to
$597.6 million in the same period in 2006. That would repre-
sent an increase of approximately 10 percent, or approximately 4 percent growth excluding the effects of changes in
foreign currency exchange rates.
The company currently projects fourth-quarter adjusted
EBITDA of between $120 million and $126 million, compared to $85.7 million in the
year-ago period.
For the full year, Bausch &
Lomb currently projects it will
report net sales between $2.513
billion and $2.519 billion, compared to $2.292 billion in 2006.
That would represent an increase
of approximately 10 percent, or
approximately 6 percent growth
excluding the effects of changes
in foreign currency exchange
rates. The company currently
projects full-year adjusted
EBITDA of between $408 million and $414 million, compared to $338.5 million in 2006.
The company noted these
selected financial metrics are
estimates and subject to
change, pending the financial
close processes or allocation of
purchase price and its auditors
for the year ended Dec. 29,
2007. ■■
1-866-393-3374
55+ Age Group Leads the
Pack in Eyeglass Wearers
18.9%
36.5%
24.4%
20.2%
55+
45-54
35-44
18-34
The 55+ age group is the largest age group currently wearing eyeglasses. In the 12 months ending Sept. ‘07, 64.4 percent of
U.S. adults (18+) said they are currently wearing eyeglasses.
Among those, the 55+ category, which makes up 28.8 percent
of the total U.S. population (18+), is the largest age group currently wearing eyeglasses with 36.5 percent currently wearing
eyeglasses in the 12 months ending Sept. ‘07. The second
largest group is the 18-34 age group which makes up 31.1 percent of the total U.S. population (18+), with 24.4 percent currently wearing eyeglasses in the 12 months ending Sept. ‘07.
Source: VisionWatch – a study conducted by Jobson/VCA
Total Annual VisionWatch Sample Size: 100,000 consumer respondents per year
Data is for the 12ME (months ending) September 2007.
BY THE NUMBERS The latest figures
87%
12%
82%
19%
87 percent of female contact lens wear- The percent of plano sunglass units
ers have worn CLs for over two years. brought at a sunglass specialty store.
Among those who have had vision
Among those not using any form of
correction surgery, 12 percent said, vision correction, 19 percent of respon‘Financing terms available by the dents ages 18-34 admitted they have a
doctor’s practice made it affordable’ need for some form of vision correction.
was the event that prompted them.
Source: VisionWatch – a study conducted by Jobson/VCA
Total Annual VisionWatch Sample Size: 100,000 consumer respondents per year (ages 18+)
Data is for the 12ME (months ending) September 2007.
Refractive Surgery data is for 6ME (months ending) September 2007.
EMAIL: info@colorsinopticsusa.com
A special message
to independent labs and eye care professionals:
Thank you for recognizing
GT2
™
by ZEISS
Voted Best in Lens Design
Carl Zeiss Vision
USA 1.800.358.8258
www.vision.zeiss.com
©2007 Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH. GT2 is a
trademark of Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH.
We’ve
made it
easy to
share
the
vision
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Technology, now makes it easy for more people to share the vision.
HOYA Free-Form™ Design Technology
Exceptional vision, made possible by:
• HOYALUX iD™ technology that separates the performance of the front and back surfaces
• Standardized vertical progression on the front surface
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HOYALUX iD LifeStyle Progressive lenses are available in two designs:
HOYALUX iD LifeStyle: 18mm minimum fitting height
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1 - VisionMonday.com

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