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ENVOIS DE PUBLICATIONS CANADIENNES • NO. DE CONVENTION 40052210 Adresse de retour : 202-495 boul. St-Martin O, Laval (Québec) H7M 1Y9
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ENVOIS DE PUBLICATIONS CANADIENNES • NO. DE CONVENTION 40052210 Adresse de retour : 202-495 boul. St-Martin O, Laval (Québec) H7M 1Y9
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PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY LUXOTTICA GROUP - MOD. PH 4025
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| 08 | Lens Market Curves Upward
| 20 |
The Personal Portfolio:
Continuing Education Doesn’t Have to Be a Four-Letter Word
| 24 |
i2 i Eyewear: Three Quality Brands and Amazing Customer Service
| 26 |
Do You Have a Filing Dysfunction?
| 30 |
A Spirited American: Designer Dana Buchman
| 32 |
Life Insurance: Time to Re-Evaluate
| 39 |
Don’t You Just Love Problems?
| 40 |
Simply Indispensable:
COLTS Labs Rule the World of Ophthalmic Testing
| 46 |
Issues and News from your Association
| 50 |
Viva is Vital
| 52 |
Orbis
| 56 |
High Resolution Vision:
Visual Performance and Contrast
Sensitivity
| 58 |
What’s new?
| 70 |
Classified Ads
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Martine Breton
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4
VISION | sep_oct | 2008
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Paddy Kamen
Tel. : (250) 469-4350
paddykamen@shaw.ca
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
James Ahola, B.A.Sc.
Mary Field
JoAnne Sommers
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| The Opticians Association of Canada |
| NEXT ISSUE | nov_dec | 2008
11/09/08
| CONTENT | sep_oct | 2008
_vis09-8:8
Annual contact lens issue
Contact lenses are the first choice
for some consumers, especially
now that they are so comfortable
and meet so many prescription
needs. This feature brings the
latest contact lens offerings to our
reader’s attention.
Published six times a year
For subscription information, contact the
Opticians Association of Canada
Legal deposit
National Library of Canada
ISSN 1194-224X
Canadian Publication Mail Product
Convention NO 40052210
Postage Paid in Quebec
All reproduction, in all or in part,
of the herein publication, is strictly
forbidden, without the written
authorization of the publisher.
Printed in Canada
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|
EDITORIAL
|
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Paddy Kamen
Editor-in-chief
|
New developments in lens technology are so commonplace
these days that it might be easy to take them for granted.
Helping people see better is the goal of the industry and if it
wasn’t for the extensive research and development (R&D) work
on the part of manufacturers we’d have nothing with which to
fulfill that mission.
Paul Faibish of Plastics Plus took a huge risk in 2005
when he created the first independent laboratory in North
America to process free form lenses. Free form was new and
unproven in the marketplace but Faibish believed in the
future and took a calculated leap into it with a state of the art
facility. He’s now expanding, adding about 5,000 square feet
plus conveyor systems. It’s good for our economy when
entrepreneurs like Faibish take these kinds of risks and
succeed. As you’ll see in our feature story, Faibish is more than
happy with the results of his venture.
Another example of R&D risk and reward is Vision-Ease
Lens Worldwide, a company that spent four years developing
their LifeRx photochromic lens. According to international
marketing manager Nick LaManna, their research and
development team created a test to measure the temperature
response of photochromic lenses that sets a new standard. As
a result, they now lay claim to the most accurate photochromic
testing in the world.
These companies aren’t necessarily better than others. All
the major players in the lens market (including the leading
companies covered in the feature) are working hard to develop
superior products. By doing this they create economic
opportunities down the line: for laboratories, sales reps,
distributors, as well as ECPs and their employees. And the
great thing is: we’re in an industry that truly benefits the end
user!
Individuals can also do their own R&D for professional
upgrading and advancement. Check out Mary Field’s OAC News
for a list of upcoming continuing education offerings across
the country. You can also learn about a new self-directed,
portfolio-based approach to continuing education in Field’s
article entitled, The Personal Portfolio: Continuing Education
Doesn’t Have to Be a Four-Letter Word.
6
I hope you’re able to include the OAC’s Vision Canada
conference in your autumn plans. It promises to be a great
investment with terrific returns in fun and education, and
Halifax is a great city to visit any time of year.
ISI
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The Opticians Association of Canada
Association des opticiens du Canada
2706-83 Garry Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4J9
(204) 982-6060 • 1-(800) 847-3155
E-mail : canada@opticians.ca
Web site : www.opticians.ca
With free form technologies leading the way,
the Canadian lens market is enjoying
significant growth.
2008
PROVINCIAL DIRECTORS |
ADMINISTRATEURS PROVINCIAUX
LORNE KASHIN
President | Président
Thornhill, Ontario
(905) 881-1276
Alberta
DAVID MCGOWAN
Red Deer • (403) 347-1020
By Paddy Kamen
| The Canadian lens market
has ‘exploded’ since the introduction of free form lenses,
according to several manufacturers. Is there still room for growth? Undoubtedly, says
David Pietrobon, president of Hoya Vision Care Canada.
“Hoya sells nearly twice as many free form
progressives as conventional lenses, with free form
being the leading growth area as well as the leader
in an absolute sense. But there’s still room for the
growth of acceptance within the eye care professional (ECP) community.”
Like any adoption curve, there are early
adaptors and then the majority joins the trend.
Pietrobon says acceptance is now climbing fast.
“I expect we have at least another 18 months
before it peaks. However, with design technology
constantly evolving, this isn’t a one shot wonder
that will peak and then decline. We’re still in the
infancy of a paradigm shift to free form.”
Paul Fabish’s firm, Plastics Plus, established
the first independent lab in North America to
process free form lenses for Seiko in 2006.
“Product acceptance was somewhat slow at first,
but it has now taken off with 25 per cent of our
total work and 75 per cent of our total progressives as backside free form,” he explains. “End
customers ,who got their first pair of free form
lenses in 2006 are now returning for new lenses.
They’re telling dispensers that they want them
again because they noticed a real improvement.”
WHAT’S NEW?
There are plenty of other new developments
in lens technology, lab equipment and
photochromics, in addition to free form, all of
which speak to a vibrant lens industry.
British Columbia | Colombie-Britannique
CINDY KOSZEGI
Abbotsford • 1-866-920-5911
Manitoba
TODD SMITH
Secretary Treasurer | Secrétaire-trésorier
Winnipeg • (204) 788-4571
New Brunswick | Nouveau-Brunswick
ROBERTA MCLAUGHLIN
Saint John • (506) 634-0016
Newfoundland | Terre-Neuve
MARIAN WALSH
St. John’s • (709) 579-2605
Nova Scotia | Nouvelle-Écosse
ROBERT DALTON
Vice-President | Vice-président
Halifax • (902) 455-4305
Ontario
LORNE KASHIN
President | Président
Thornhill • (905) 881-1276
Prince Edward Island |
Île-du-Prince-Édouard
DALIE SCHELLEN
Charlottetown • (902) 566-2020
Quebec | Québec
ROBERT GRIMARD
Vision Canada General Manager |
Directeur général de Vision Canada
1-866-377-3636
Saskatchewan
JAMES HOLSTEIN
Rosetown • (306) 882-3511
9
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Lens market curves upward
Shamir’s expansion into Canada
continues with their lens products, now
available in ten labs. In the progressive
category are Shamir Creation®, a general
purpose progressive which won the OLA
2006 Best Lens Design Award, Shamir Piccolo®,
the industry’s successful short-corridor
progressive and Shamir Attitude®, a
distortion-free wrap progressive design for
base 8 needs.
Last April Shamir unveiled the next line
of enhanced semi-finished PALs – Shamir
DLT® (Direct Lens Technology®). Offering the
DLT line as an alternative to bridge the gap
between their standard semi-finished and
Autograph® lines, Shamir’s new DLT line
offers patients better backside optics than
standard back-surfaced semi-finished
lenses at a reasonable value.
“The DLT line is ideal for patients who
are having trouble adapting to progressive
lenses, because of the highly reduced
distortion,” said Shamir CEO Raanan
Naftalovich who adds that Shamir’s free
form lens offering, Autograph®, has been
upgraded. “We’ve perfected Autograph to
ensure that wearers receive the most
precise, personalized lens, made to fit their
frames and how they wear their glasses.”
The dynamic partnering of Centennial
Optical and Carl Zeiss Vision has led to the
recent launch of SOLA HDV customized
progressive lenses. Carl Zeiss Vision’s lens
designers have leveraged free form
manufacturing and proprietary HD and
morphing technologies to create the
first progressive lens by SOLA that is
custom created specifically for each
patient’s prescription and choice of
frame. SOLA HDV represents a
leap ahead of previous lens
technologies in two principal
ways, according to spokesperson
Rick Leroux. “Carl Zeiss Vision’s
morphing technology allows ECPs
to give patients a lens design that
is customized for the precise
10
fitting height, from 13mm to 35mm, of the
frame they have chosen. While conventional lenses are designed for a range of
prescriptions, SOLA HDV lenses are
designed for each individual patient’s
combination of sphere, cylinder, axis, prism
and addition power. The SOLA HDV wearer
can be assured of high definition vision, full
reading performance and maximum clear
viewing zones, without restrictions on
frame choice,” says Leroux.
Lab equipment just got a shot in the
arm with the introduction of the briot
Silver+ from briot/Weco. The all-in-one briot
Silver+ with built in tracer and blocker is
based on the successful Silver+, and now
comes with such features as chamfering,
polishing and even grooving. The briot
Silver+ simplifies the lens edging process
more than ever before and sets a new
standard in entry level edging.
briot/Weco Canada is also delighted to
introduce the new Briot XS centering and
tracing unit as a lower-cost alternative to
the acclaimed XL fully automatic centering
station. Remarkably compact and undeniably
beautiful, the Briot XS brings together the
best combination of features to complement the Briot NX edger, ideally suited to
producing the best quality glasses. With
simplicity as a leading design principle the
Briot XS is the essential partner for the
finishing lab.
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See What You’re Missing!
Life goes on all around you – so why limit your point of
view? Your patients will enjoy perfect vision from edge
to edge with HOYA Nulux ep lenses – where single vision
meets HOYA Free-Form™ Design Technology! Each point
on a Nulux ep lens surface is actually customized to
your patient’s prescription. It’s a level of precision that
traditional design technology simply doesn’t allow.
Nulux ep lenses are perfect for patients who demand
the most from their eyeglasses, and want the most
precise vision possible.
HOYA Toronto
Tel.: 1 888-258-4692
Fax: 1 888-258-6618
Perfect vision from edge to edge
HOYA Vancouver
Tel.: 1 866-454-4692
Fax: 1 888-454-9479
Powered by
HOYA Montreal
Tel.:
1 877-720-4692
Fax:1 877-820-0035
www.hoyavision.ca
“HOYA, HOYA Free-Form Design Technology are registered trademarks of
HOYA LENS CANADA INC. '2008 HOYA LENS CANADA INC.
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Mc Cray Optical Supply and
briot/Weco Canada have launched a
cooperation program, pooling their
resources to assist customers starting a
new laboratory or upgrading equipment.
“The partnership increases our
product range and the value we offer to
our customers,” says Tom Pfleging,
general manager of briot/Weco. “As a
team we will be able to help our
customers obtain everything they need
for a successful business.”
Vision-Ease Lens (VEL) is bringing
the brand promise of Coppertone to the
lens industry. “Sunwear is our focus,
particularly polarized and photochromic
lenses, and we wanted to get in front of
retailers and consumers with a trusted
brand name,” says Nick LaManna,
international marketing VEL.
Coppertone lenses are available in
brown and grey, and offer protection
from high energy visible light (HEV).
“There is mounting evidence that HEV
can lead to macular degeneration, an
incurable eye disease and the leading
cause of blindness in industrialized
nations,” notes LaManna.
Rodenstock has taken a pioneering
role in the extremely demanding
segment of progressive lenses produced
from front surface finished blanks,
according to Bjorn Ramsvik, managing
director of Rodenstock Canada. “The
new Progressiv PureLife® progressive
lens continues this tradition by offering
optimum properties built on years of
experience in the individual lens
market.” This new lens can be processed
by your local laboratory with very short
lead times and will again give us a new
competitive edge in a market place that
is dominated by outrageous claims and
marketing jargon.
Progressiv PureLife makes it
possible to have brilliantly clear
vision from far away to close up,
and achieves very high reading
efficiency thanks to the “Retina
Focus Principle”. Large, optimized
fields of vision ensure smooth vision and
a very short adaptation time.
Over the years Rodenstock has
been gathering fitting data through their
individual lens program and has now
developed a new standard that is
exclusively being used in their lens design.
LifeRx lenses will also sport a new
logo this fall. LaManna explains: “LifeRx
lenses, the clearest and fastest
photochromic lens on the market today,
now are manufactured with 100 per cent
renewable energy.”
In addition, VEL has recently
expanded its polarized lens product
offering in Canada. The company now
offers an uncoated plastic polarized
product in single vision and bifocals in
both grey and brown colours. These
lenses block 100% of damaging UV rays
and 99 per cent of blinding reflected
glare.
12
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The company develops all progressive
lenses according to their unique design
philosophy, which is based on the
“Perfect Balance Principle”, which has
redefined the current market differentiation
between soft and hard progressive
designs. The positive properties of both
design principles are combined and the
balance is achieved. Each progressive
lens in the newly launched Rodenstock
range of progressive lenses – Progressiv
PureLife®, Multigressiv MyView®, Impression® and Impression FreeSign® –
provides a guaranteed optimum field of
vision, optimum binocular properties,
and optimum dynamic vision.
Powered by Hoya’s free form design
technology, Nulux EP is able to satisfy
the high demands of modern consumers,
says president David Pietrobon. This
single vision free form design combines
a maximum distortion-free field of vision
with beautiful aesthetics.
“A standard single vision lens
corrects the incapacity of the eye only
in straight horizontal and vertical
directions. During the development of
Nulux EP, the natural movements of the
human eye were taken into account and
used as the reference. The result is a
lens that allows perfect vision in all
directions from lens edge to edge without
requiring much head movement.”
The marketing challenge for single
vision lenses is that cheap generic
products are readily available. Pietrobon
points out that dispensers can zone in
on client needs by pointing out that free
form lenses can resolve the common
complaints of tired, itchy and red eyes
at the end of the day. “Often wearers
take these irritants for granted, not
realizing what a difference a superior
lens can make.”
Younger Optics has recently added
a Flat Top 28 in hard resin to their
popular Drivewear® line. “Customers
have been asking for a flat top and
Younger is proud to meet that need,”
says David Rips, president and CEO.
Drivewear lenses uniquely combine
two of the most advanced technologies
found in the eyeglass industry today –
Transitions™ Photochromic Technology
and NuPolar® polarization. Designed
specifically to meet the unique visual
demands of the driving task, Drivewear
is the first polarized photochromic lens
to darken behind the windshield of a
car, which allows Drivewear lenses to
change colour based on current driving
conditions. In addition, Drivewear
lenses are polarized to block blinding
glare, another distinct advantage when
driving a car.
Another exciting development for
Younger is the availability of Drivewear
Activated by Transitions lenses in single
vision polycarbonate. “This release is
significant because Drivewear in
polycarbonate has been the number
one request,” says Rips. “Professionals
and patients can now take advantage of
the high impact resistance and higher
index polycarbonate offers.”
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Drivewear is also available in hard
resin plano, single vision, and Younger’s
IMAGE® progressive.
Serengeti has a custom Rx program
designed to allow customers to create
their ideal pair of sunglasses. Many lens
colour choices are offered which include
polarized and non-polarized in single
vision and non-polarized in progressive
lens. Photochromic properties, spectral
control, UV and glare reduction are fired
directly into the glass which is ground
to individual specifications. Serengeti
lenses block virtually 100 per cent of
UVA and UVB rays, in addition to 95 per
cent of blue light for the virtual
elimination of eye strain associated with
the ‘blue blur’ that occurs when blue
light waves veil vision by scattering off
dust and moisture particles in the air.
Quantum Optique specializes in
single vision lenses. President David
Harboun focuses on fast service with a
large stock ready to go with coatings.
“We offer quite high-end lenses at a
lower price because of our specialization,
and we stay away from Asian products
because in my experience the quality is
just not there.”
drilling. This lens is suitable for sports
goggles, children’s and safety glasses,
and all fragile frames. The Quantum
Optique 1.74 high index lens is the
thinnest plastic lens available in the
industry and the range of powers will be
one of the largest on the Canadian
market as a stock lens.
This autumn, Westlab is packaging
digital progressive lenses with frames
and coatings in a fast and simple
Westclub package. There are three lens
choices including a first generation
in-mold product from Trans-Canada, in
15mm and 17mm, a second generation
backside product from Signet Armorlite,
and a 3rd generation two faces product
from Johnson & Johnson. Each product
is available in several materials
including CR-39, Transitions VI and
polycarbonate. Frame choices include
Bertelli, Elizabeth Arden and Converse
collections.
Three new lenses are being
released by Quantum this season, all of
which are supplied with Arctic Extreme
coating, which makes lenses easier to
clean.
The Profile XL is a CR-39 1.50 index
lens available in 75mm for negative
powers and 70mm for positive powers.
The Ergonex is a 1.57 index high tension
lens with extreme resistance to severe
impacts. It offers UV 400 protection,
Abbe value of 47 and it is much easier
to edge then the competition, according
to Harboun. These lenses are ideal for
drilling and nylon grooves. There are no
stress cracks around the holes after
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Nikon Optical is releasing a digital
lens with a base curve of 5.00 to its
product lines in SeeMax™ Progressive
1.60 and Nikon W 1.60. This gives ECPs
the flexibility to order a base 5.00,
allowing them to transfer the patient’s
prescription power on a different base
without the usual drawbacks of warping
and peripheral distortion. New this fall,
Nikon will be extending the SeeMax
progressive line in design 12 to 1.60
Transitions® VI and 1.67 Transitions® VI.
Also new from Nikon is SeeCoat
with Advanced Light Control technology,
which adds extra layers to the coating,
thereby blocking reflections to achieve
red hue reduction and optimized
transparency. As a result, Nikon SeeCoat
provides a much more natural look and
its Super Oleophobic Coat makes the
lens exceptionally easy to clean. By
increasing the concentration of fluorine
molecules, Nikon SeeCoat renders the
lens surface so smooth that it repels
water, oils, fingerprints and dirt effortlessly. In fact, the higher density top
coat allows SeeCoat’s properties to last
two times longer than conventional
coatings. The product also provides the
world’s highest level of scratch resistance,
according to Nikon-supplied information.
Coming soon, Nikon SeeStyle
designed for wrap frames in an
unprecedented advance in design
enabling high base lenses and high
base frames to match perfectly resulting
in superb optical performance and
aesthetic appeal. SeeStyle will be
available in three different base curves
(3, 5, 8) to virtually fit any frame type.
In fact, Nikon eliminates the visual
discomfort experienced by many wearers
of high base lenses, by applying high
level optical adjustment.
18
In closing, Transitions Optical, always
a leader in education, has provided
some startling facts about consumer
beliefs and behaviours around lenses
and sun protection. Their research shows
that the vast majority – 82 per cent – of
Canadians are simply not aware that
extended UV exposure can damage their
eyes; almost half of the population never
thinks about the need for sun protection
in the winter; and alarmingly, 20 per cent
of Canadians incorrectly believe that UV
rays damage is reversible.
Concomitant with this ignorance is
the fact that a high percentage – 77 per
cent – of consumers report that glare
affects their vision outdoors, while
77 per cent say they have sensitivity to
the light. Fewer than half of the
population reports being offered UV
rays-protective lenses.
Clearly, the gap between understanding and need, with respect to sun
protection, offers huge opportunities for
ECPs to educate their clients and
ultimately to sell products with sun
protection. As David Pietrobon of Hoya
points out, the public views ECPs as
highly credible purveyors of information.
“ECPs should be confident that they are
trusted and that the public is looking to
them for advice. That confidence is
stronger than any branding that can be
done in the media and is a powerful
advantage.”
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| Practice Trends |
| Eye Care Professionals
(ECPs) are familiar with the continuing
education credit system that supports health professions
legislation. It’s a love-hate relationship that’s based on the best
practice imperative that professionals must continue through their
careers to keep current and enhance their knowledge and skills
to achieve maximum public benefit. We like continuing education
because even though we don’t like to admit it, con ed studies are
challenging and often energizing. But look out! When we’re
reminded that it’s time to report our credit summary to our
regulatory body more often than not we respond with a string of
harsh-sounding expletives!
lio:
The Personal Portfo
oesn’t
Continuing Education D
Word
Have to Be a Four-Letter
We resent continuing education
because we have to do it. It’s not a
decision we make on our own. It should
be… but it isn’t. Let’s face it; if it weren’t
imposed upon us we wouldn’t likely
pursue professional learning in any sort of
organized fashion. We’re not lazy… we’re
just busy. We’re not disinterested in low
vision or age-related macular degeneration
or advanced lens technology… we just
lead highly scheduled work and
family lives. So we’re begrudgingly happy
when a con ed provider announces a full
day of lectures that allows us to collect 10
or 12 credits. We’ve become accustomed
to making the provision of continuing
education someone else’s responsibility.
The Professional Learning and Practice
Portfolio (PLPP) is an attempt to put ECPs
in the driver’s seat — where they belong.
The PLPP enables individualized learning
and it assists you in developing a
By Mary Field
comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV). A CV
is a type of résumé that concentrates
more on education, publications that have
included your work, and any other
accomplishments that distinguish you for
your knowledge and skills.
Opticians have a wider range of
employment opportunities today than
ever before. Retail dispensing chain stores
offer a range of management and
supervisory positions for those who have
demonstrated
leadership
potential.
Wholesale companies are now more often
looking for opticians who have marketing
ambitions. Opticians now
work in ophthalmology
practices and in teaching
institutions. How do you
demonstrate leadership
skill, marketing know-how
and teaching proficiency when
you’re applying for positions like these?
In some occupations it’s possible to
show a tangible result of skill and
knowledge as a means of attracting clients
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| Practice Trends |
or applying for a position. In other words, what a person has learned and applied is
visible in the work he/she has produced. An architect can display his/her educational
accomplishments on the wall of an office but you can also look at and walk through
buildings he/she has designed. Artists can build a portfolio of their work. But how do you
show the results of your skill and knowledge as an optician? A gallery of photos of people
wearing well-adjusted glasses just doesn’t have the same impact as drawings of the
Sydney Opera House or the Sky Dome.
When opportunity knocks and there’s a job with your name on it, your PLPP will give
you a ready-made and most impressive continuing record of why someone would want to
hire you. Maybe you’ve demonstrated your leadership capabilities by organizing an education
day. Maybe you’ve lectured or mentored a student or written a paper for publication or done
a statistical study on kids’ eyewear. Maybe you’ve had notes of thanks from happy clients
or letters of appreciation from former employers. It should all go into your PLPP.
The concept of engaging in activities that cause professional growth is not new. The
PLPP promotes the idea that you should accumulate and archive these accomplishments in
a more organized way. Typically, once the
continuing education cycle is completed and
the credit slips have been submitted the
record of completion is dumped in a drawer
and forgotten.
The College of Opticians of Ontario
(COO) Quality Assurance Committee is
currently piloting its newly introduced PLPP.
The COO has provided participants with a
‘tool kit’ to assist in working through the
requirements. As you read through the
document it gradually dawns on you that
the regulatory body is showing respect for
its members by ‘loosening the apron
strings’. The QA committee asks registrants
to assess their practice and their skills,
identify and prioritize learning goals,
develop professional improvement plans
and evaluate their learning. The tool kit has
a section that shows you how to organize
your PLPP and prepare it for presentation.
The COO has invited 60 opticians from
a variety of working environments to pilot
their program as a mean of working through
any issues that may have been overlooked.
After their feedback has been received,
analyzed and changes made as required,
Ontario opticians will be able to relax into a
new style of continuing education that is
more personal and productive.
Will the old style of continuing
education disappear? It is highly unlikely
that there will be a significant fall-off in
provider-generated learning modes. The
COO’s adventure into PLPPs may follow a
similar pattern to what other regulatory
bodies in other professions have
experienced. That is to say, there was not
enough uptake by their members to
continue with the policy so they reverted
back to the old system. The truth is, while
we may complain about regimented
continuing education, it remains the easiest
method of learning. True, you don’t get to
pick your own topics and sometimes the
presentations are disappointing. Yes, you
have to take a day off work or spend time
away from your family but on the plus side
you don’t have to invest as much sweat
equity. Someone else goes to the library
and does the research. You just have to
listen to the resulting lecture or read the
resulting paper.
22
The COO earnestly hopes that the PLPP
will excite a significant number of its
members to find innovative ways to enrich
their learning experience. The introduction
of the portfolio is an expression of faith by
a regulatory body in the professionalism,
imagination and thirst for learning of its
members. And as Martha Stewart says, “It’s
a good thing.”
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Doing it right means only doing it once.
LET THE MODULAR DISPLAY SYSTEM WORK FOR YOU.
Simply put, the patented Modular Display System is the industry’s quickest, most cost
effective way to rejuvenate your frame dispensary. If you’re looking to increase your bottom
line with minimal effort, then give MDS a call.
1-800-663-8527
www.modular-design.com
| COMPANY PROFILE |
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i 2 i Eyewear: Three Quality Brands and Amazing Cu
A clear plan backed by experience and fuelled by a passion
for business are key contributors to a successful business.
Minaz Mawji had all three and a great deal more when he
launched i 2 i Eyewear.
| Minaz Mawji
started out in optical before he was 20, working in his father-in-law’s
optical lab in Vancouver (the family owns several optical stores in the area). The
business ‘grabbed him’ and he obtained optician’s training, after which he moved to the
front of the family business and began dispensing eyewear. Minaz’s wife, Anar, is also
an optician, and she and her sister currently manage the successful Abasa Optical in the
heart of Vancouver’s gay village.
To reach Minaz call (604) 916-5521 or by e-mail at
sales@i2ieyewear.com
After representing products
for several years in Canada and internationally, Minaz decided it was
time to act on his long standing
desire to bring new, high quality
products to Canadian eye care
professionals. “I remember my
father-in-law wearing the same
European-made frames for many
years and they always looked
brand new. I saw a place in the
Canadian market for that level of
quality, and I knew that they could
be sold by eye care professionals
at prices that are attractive to
consumers while allowing a healthy
profit margin.”
and Free Form Titanium frames are
top quality and very fashionable. I
am thrilled to be representing
them.”
The William Morris London
collection is i 2 i’s premium line,
created by British designer Robert
William Morris, and available in
Europe since 1997. Morris designs
eyewear only, and his brand has a
distinctly British marketing approach,
with funky British emblems on the
POP material.
“Morris manages to do wonderful things with colour and style
that can subtly transform an
i 2 i Eyewear Inc. was established accepted frame shape into someand Minaz set out to find three thing really different,” notes Minaz.
collections that met his high “Everyone I show the collection to
quality standards. He did extensive is absolutely wowed by it.”
research and attended Vision Expo
There are more than 85 styles
East in New York City last April in the collection, and the majority
prepared to do business. “It was a of the frames are suitable for
fantastic trip. I made agreements
progressive lenses.
with the top three companies on
“In some instances, Morris
my list, allowing me to distribute
three distinct collections that has taken shapes that are normally
complement one another perfectly. used in larger frames and resized
William Morris London, Miyagi Italy them for the smaller adult woman.
24
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| COMPANY PROFILE |
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ng Customer Service
By Paddy Kamen
This works well for Asian women
and those who need smaller
frames due to a high prescription,”
says Minaz.
Miyagi Italy is a well-known
brand among film and television
stars, designed by a team led by
David Sikrani of Los Angeles.
Available in both ophthalmic and
sunwear, Myagi creates a
glamorous, high fashion look for
a price point that makes it an
obvious competitor to designer
brands.
Lightweight and durable,
the Free Form Titanium brand has
three collections, Ti-Plate, RBT-EX
and RBT. Ti-Plate is a full frame
with interesting interchangeable
temple tips. The frames weigh in
at an incredible 4.9 grams. Each
frame comes with three temple
options via a rubberized colour
strip that inserts into an opening
in the temple arm. The RBT-EX is
a four-point rimless collection,
also with interchangeable temples
and the RBT collection is a stylish
four-point rimless.
held opinions about how to best
serve the industry as a distributor.
“I know what it’s like to await an
order eagerly and then to receive
it with a sense of excitement,
only to find that the order isn’t
complete or several of the pieces
need to be sent back. For this
reason, every single piece that
comes through our warehouse is
hand-inspected. We want to
make sure that when the eye
care dispenser hands it to a
customer, the first impression
will be that of a great fit and
superior quality."
Minaz’s philosophy is that
everything he and his staff do
should be geared toward the end
user. “We pay particular attention
to making sure that the end user
is going to have a terrific experience with the product. Most of
the eye care professionals will
sell A/R coated lenses, so we
made sure that all of our frames
have A/R coatings on the demo
lenses. This allows the customer
“The Free Form Titanium to visualize the end result. The
collection puts to rest any product presentation via packaging
question about the ability of the is excellent so that the customer
Asian market to make superior walks out of the store feeling
quality products,” says Minaz.
confident about his purchase.”
“These are very impressive in
It won’t be long before i 2 i
terms of styling and durability,
and are backed by a three-year Eyewear has reps in every part of
warranty. Polarized clip-ons are Canada. So if you haven’t seen
also available.”
the William Morris London, Myagi
It was Minaz’s years of Italy or Free Form Titanium
experience as a dispensing collections yet, sit tight. Minaz
optician that formed his strongly will be getting to you soon! ISI
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| Business Management |
Do You Have a Filing
Dysfunction?
By Mary Field
| For those of us
who went through the dark ages before there were paperless offices, filing didn’t seem to be much of a
problem. You had a filing cabinet, you had paper file folders (if you were lucky you could have different coloured folders or tabs
to differentiate groups of files), and you filed documents according to category in alphabetical order in the appropriate folder.
As long as you knew your alphabet you could theoretically store and find the document.
In an electronic world we still have an
electronic filing cabinet, we still have file folders
(no colours though except on an Apple computer),
every document and folder has an individual name
BUT the trick with both manual and electronic
storage of files is you have to remember what the
document and the folder are called. It’s easy to
file something but not so easy to retrieve it.
under the same general heading, don’t use the
general heading as the first word.
For example, if I were filing this document I
could file it under the title, as it appears –
Business Management – Do You Have A Filing
Dysfunction? – but this article is one in a series
of Practice Management articles, so if I go to find
this document a year from now there will be about
40 Business Management articles that I’ll have to
look through. If I create a file folder called
‘Business Management’ and within that folder I
name this document Do You Have A Filing
Dysfunction or even better yet Filing Dysf – I’ve
condensed the title – I can still read it and since
I know the topic of the article I’m looking for I’ll
be able to find it more easily. I could add a date
to be more specific.
There are eight people in our office. All of us
generate documents that need to be filed on our
main hard drive. All of us name those documents
when we save them. All of us need to access the
documents that others have generated. The
problem is how to find a specific document
amongst thousands that reside in the electronic
system, when you don’t know what it’s called or
when it was generated? Sometimes I can’t even
remember what I called a document I have named, 2. If you’re going to use a date in the file descriptor
so I have faint hope of finding a document
the year comes first, the month and then
someone else has named. It is often a problem
the day – YYMMDD. So my title could be
with documents I have filed even on my home
“FilingDysf20080901”. If I was filing minutes of
computer where there is far less volume than at
a meeting or an agenda for a meeting, the date
the office. I thought I was the only one who had
of the meeting would likely be the search cue
this filing dysfunction but apparently it’s an
so in this case the date would be the first
epidemic.
element in the naming convention.
In my search for a cure I stumbled across the 3. All correspondence in your filing system relates
Standard Naming Conventions For Electronic
to you or your business. When you’re naming a
Records that was published by the University of
piece of correspondence or filing a piece of
Edinburgh. It makes a lot of sense and I’m trying
correspondence that has come to you or your
to discipline myself to implement it in my own
business, place the name of the correspondent
filing system. Hopefully my colleagues will do the
first when naming the document. As an
example, with an outgoing letter you might put,
same. It might be of some use to you as well.
Board of Directors to Brad Pitt. The problem
There are 13 rules and if you ‘Google’
would be that every letter written on behalf of
standard naming conventions electronic records
the Board of Directors would start of with Board
university of Edinburgh you’ll find the complete
of Directors, so retrieving the letter would be a
document with examples of each rule. For our
challenge. On the other hand if you created a
purposes I’ll point you in the direction of some of
folder called Board Correspondence and named
their rules that make sense to me.
the document Brad Pitt from Board it will be
1. Sequence of words is important. If the
found more easily. A letter from Brad Pitt to the
document represents one in a series that fall
Board would be filed as Brad Pitt to Board.
26
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| Business Management |
4. When you are drafting a document you may
develop several versions of the same document
before you decide which version is best. In this
case at the end of the file name you should
include ‘V’ followed by the version number. So
the example letter in the previous rule would
be named Brad Pitt from Board V1. When the
final version has been selected the title would
become Brad Pitt from Board Final.
A system with multiple users only works
when everybody agrees to the same naming
conventions. It doesn’t really matter if you use the
rules recommended above as long as you have
agreed on:
• The naming elements and sequence of words
• What type of separator will be used
• Whether or not abbreviations will be used
• What will be used to designate a version
identifier for a document
Another retrieval tip that you could use when
circulating a document for review in paper format
is to place the file name and path on the bottom
of the document. In WORD you would go to
‘Insert/Autotext/Header &Footer/File Name and
Path and WORD would add text that says
S:/OpticiansAssociationCanada\visionmagazine\
NamingConvV1.doc
Now anybody in the office reading the
28
document who wishes to make changes can find
it and create a new version. You just delete the
pathway when you’re ready to print or e-mail the
document.
And finally, it’s important to get rid of
documents that are no longer relevant. The best
way to keep a tidy file is to eliminate documents
as soon as you no longer need them. For
example, if you’ve created several versions of a
document, delete the previous versions once the
final text is fixed. It’s harder to go back and do a
clean up than it is to send it to the trash bin
immediately. If you do have to keep documents
for some length of time, schedule a regular purge
and ask yourself if you’ve used the document(s)
in the past year or if there is a legal reason for
keeping it. If the information is resident elsewhere
in the system you don’t need to keep a duplicate.
It’s easy to allow electronic records to pile up
and get lost. To the eye of the observer they’re
neat and tidy – out of the way – until you click
that mouse and they all spill onto your monitor.
You wouldn’t walk out of the office with piles of
paper documents still open on your desk. The
same policy should apply to electronic
documents. Name them and save them to the
appropriate file folder as you use them.
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| DESIGNER STORY |
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A Spirited American:
Designer Dana Buchman
Energy, passion and excitement were the zeitgeist
of the late '60s and Dana Buchman certainly caught
this spirit.
By Paddy Kamen
B
uchman’s teenage years coincided with the one of the most tumultuous periods of the last century:
a time when self-expression and creativity were highly valued by the youth culture. That is when her
love of fashion, which began when she received her first sewing machine at age 11, became a tool
for self-expression with a hint of rebellion thrown in for good measure.
Now in her mid-fifties, Buchman remains an impressive and spirited woman. Her voice is lively and
bright over the phone from her summer home on south Long Island, New York, where she is vacationing with
her husband and daughters.
“All through high school I was sewing,
beading and embroidering,” she explains.
“But my work wasn’t always well-received.
I was sent home from school for wearing
body paint and showing up with no shoes.
I was on the debating team and even lost
a debate because the judge thought that
my hand-made shirtwaist dress was too
short.”
1.
30
VISION | jul_aug | 2008
She laughs about it now, but there’s
no doubt that her spirit for expression and
experimentation has stayed with her,
mellowed somehow, and been translated
into a highly successful apparel brand
under her own name that has thrived for
over twenty years. As a woman whose life
has many roles she knows what type of
lives women lead and she designs with
this in mind.
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| DESIGNER STORY |
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Dana Buchman Vision provides a
woman with the perfect accessory to
compliment her clothing, which is
designed for the affluent, active lifestyle.
Dana Buchman graduated cum laude First introduced at Vision Expo West in
from Brown University. She was a 2007, the collection originally featured 15
President’s Fellow at the Rhode Island ophthalmic and nine sunwear styles for
School of Design and earned an Advance women ages 32-56. In spring 2008, eight
Degree in Fashion at London’s St. Martin’s new ophthalmic and three sun styles
School of Art. Buchman has been a were added.
member of the Council of Fashion
Each design captures Buchman’s
Designers of America since 1991. She is
timeless sense of style with intricate
currently a board member of this
details translated from her clothing
prestigious organization.
designs. “I spent a lot of time working
“I love making things for women with Kenmark to make sure each piece in
that help them in their lives, and this the collection is beautiful and special,”
goes for my eyewear designs as much as says Buchman.
for the apparel. There’s an artistic side to
One finds modern silhouettes with
the design work and also a technical
sophisticated shapes, rich materials and
side. If, for example, I want a wonderful
signature details for the fashionable
tortoise shell, I have to consider if it is
woman who likes to look and feel
strong and light enough to do the job.”
feminine in Dana Buchman Vision. Several
Buchman chose Kenmark Group to ophthalmic styles feature decorative temple
help her realize her vision for eyewear. embellishments emphasizing tonal stones
“Kenmark has been fabulous to work and luxurious accents. The sophisticated
with. David Duralde, vice president of colour palette includes shades of
creative development, was able to cashmere, caviar, gold, heather gray and
translate my aesthetic into function, exclusive tortoise.
comfort and quality.”
The new sunwear collection features
Duralde enjoyed working with Buchman a variety of shapes with distinctive
and her team as well. “Dana, with her accents such as jewelry cast metal
Buchman’s vision for the eyewear is to
be sleek, chic and above all comfortable.
“When I design pants, it is essential that
they fit really well and that this be true
for a variety of body shapes. The same
goes for eyewear. We’ve paid close
attention to the fit so that this eyewear
doesn’t just look good on the shelf; it
has stability.”
2. MOD. GEORGIA II
temples, decorative stones and Dana
Buchman logo plaques. Each design
features CR-39 or nylon in fashion
gradient tints or solids.
|
personal charisma and unique sense of
fashion, created beautiful eyewear and
sunwear collections to complement the
sophisticated consumer’s wardrobe.”
1. MOD. RIVIERA
“I’ve always been a full time career
woman, with two daughters now in
college and involved in philanthropy. So
I feel my life is much like the women I
design for, which is a version of the
modern ideal of doing everything you
can. We’re so lucky to have all these
options and opportunities.”
|
2.
|
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Many women need glasses that can
work all day and take them into the
evening, observes Buchman. “And others
with a rich social life may have a larger
wardrobe of glasses to be worn with
various outfits. The way they live affects
what they need from me as a designer.”
Giving back is an intrinsic part of
Dana Buchman’s personal philosophy,
one that she translates into action by
applying her business skills to volunteer
work as the chair of Promise, the Center
for Attention and Learning Disabilities, in
New York City. She has also co-written a
book on learning disabilities with her
daughter.
Dana Buchman Vision is found
within the Couteur Designs division of
the Kenmark Group and is distributed in
Canada by Bo Optik.
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| Finance |
Life Insurance:
Time to Re-Evaluate
By JoAnne Sommers
|
As a successful, self-employed business person, chances are you currently have life insurance. The
question is, do you have the right type of coverage to meet your specific needs at this time?
Those needs change as your life
circumstances evolve. That’s why it’s
important to re-evaluate your coverage
annually or when you experience a
major life event, such as marriage,
divorce, the birth or adoption of a
child, or the purchase of a house or
business.
A personalized needs analysis by
a professional is the best way to
determine what type of coverage – and
how much of it – is right for you at any
given time, says Wendy Kellar, a
financial security advisor with Freedom
55 Financial in Belleville, On.
“It depends on a variety of
factors,” she explains. “If you run a
business, do you have a partner or
partners? How much debt do you
have? Are you responsible for an
employee pension plan? What are your
family obligations? There’s simply no
quick rule of thumb.”
There are three main types of life
insurance: term life, whole life and
universal life.
Term life insurance offers affordable
premiums and flexibility. Premiums can
remain the same throughout the
period you own the policy, or increase
at five or 10-year intervals. However,
32
it's important to realize that, unlike
permanent life insurance, term life has
no additional cash value.
Whole life provides permanent
coverage with a level premium that
includes a savings portion. The cash
value can be paid to you if you decide
you no longer need coverage, although
it may be partially taxable. You can
also typically take a loan against the
cash value and the value of any
dividends held in the policy, or use the
policy as collateral for a loan. You can
also use the dividends to pay your
premiums, which is called premium
offset.
Universal life is more flexible,
bridging the difference between whole
life and term and separating the cost
of coverage each year from the contributions to the investment portion of
the policy. These policies typically have
several investment options that can be
mixed and matched. A universal life
insurance policy also allows tax-deferred
growth. With the proper arrangements,
every dollar can be extracted tax-free.
A business owner’s life insurance
needs will be determined in part by
whether he/she is a sole proprietor or
in a partnership, Kellar advises.
Allison Canada Inc. 866-811-2011 • www.allisoncanada.com | Mod. GF 844
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| Finance |
Mortgage Insurance – Let the Buyer Beware
If
you’ve recently purchased a home, you know that just before
you sign on the bottom line the lending institution offers you
life insurance on your mortgage. It’s certainly a convenient way
to insure a major loan but before you commit yourself, there are several
things to consider.
• Ownership: With standard mortgage insurance policies, the lender owns
the policy and is the beneficiary. With an individually owned policy,
you choose the plan options as well as the beneficiary.
• Portability: Mortgage insurance is not portable. If you switch lenders,
you can’t transfer the plan and the coverage ends when the mortgage
is paid off.
• Value: Your coverage equals the amount of the mortgage when you
take it out. Coverage shrinks as your mortgage balance declines, yet
your premiums never decrease. With a policy you own personally, the
coverage doesn't go down unless you reduce it.
• Post-claim underwriting: When you own your life insurance policy, the
insurer takes a detailed medical history and you may be denied
coverage if you have a medical problem. With mortgage life insurance,
you are asked a few medical questions when you apply. However, the
issuer doesn't delve into your health records until after a claim is made.
The claim may be denied if the death is related to a pre-diagnosed
medical condition.
As with any type of life insurance, there’s no hard and fast rule that
applies to everyone when it comes to mortgage insurance. Make sure to
discuss your specific needs with a financial planner to determine what
solution works best for you.
34
“In the case of a sole proprietorship,
the key concerns, in addition to family
support, are having sufficient funds to
cover off ongoing business operations,
repay all creditors and wind up the
business practice. Life insurance provides
the funds to take care of that.”
In a partnership, she says, the
surviving partner may not want to be in
business with the family of the deceased.
If partners hold life insurance policies on
one another, the survivor will have the
wherewithal to buy out the deceased’s
share of the business.
In the case of a corporation with
multiple shareholders, life insurance can
enable the surviving shareholders to buy
out the deceased’s share of the
corporation and provide an estate for that
person’s family.
“Typically, the corporation pays the
life insurance premiums and they receive
the proceeds,” says Kellar. “However, that
money is taxable at the hands of the
corporation.”
There are tax advantages for both
corporations and partnerships buying life
insurance products, she says, adding
that it’s best to discuss them with a tax
professional. ISI
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| Motivate yourself |
Don’t you just love
“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have
any problems, you don’t get any seeds.”
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
By James W. Ahola
| The issue
with great opportunities is that they never present themselves as opportunities; rather they are
cleverly disguised as problems. To illustrate, let me recount how my in-laws acquired a beautiful solid oak floor
in their kitchen and dining room for “free”. Now a beautiful free floor is the happy ending to the story. How the
story began however, is completely different, it was a Pandora’s box of problems.
PROBLEM #1
Looming over my in-law’s humble
Muskokan home was a beautiful large oak
tree that had seen its best days. Although to
the untrained eye it was beautiful to look at,
this majestic beauty which housed much
wildlife, had the potential to destroy a hard
earned retirement home on a bad stormy
night. Being too large and too close to the
home, felling this tree would require the hired
services of a professional.
PROBLEM #2
Within the home was a kitchen floor that
had also seen its best days. A new floor was
desperately needed, and one that would
match the rest of the homes country décor
was desired. Given the size of the space,
different flooring options were considered,
with the most desired option (a hardwood
floor) well beyond their budget. This leads to
the next problem.
PROBLEM #3
Not being born with silver spoons in their
mouths or being fortunate enough to win the
lottery, my in-laws can be best described as
average hard working Canadians. Being
retired and living off their investments meant
a good portion of their income was tied to the
ebb and flow of the stock market. At this
point of time in their life, the stock market
had also seen better days.
This clearly was not the best of times.
With these significant problems and others
circling in the distance, many a night was
spent brooding over what action to take and
the timing. The solution eventually realized
wasn’t option A or B; but rather, their answer
was found about a 10 minute walk from their
home.
Up the road a neighbour was clearing
some land and making boards from the trees
for a project with his recently acquired mill.
My father in-law enquired from the neighbour
about possibly using his services to remove
the potential hazard to their home, hoping for
a “neighbourly” rate. As the tree was
inspected and discussion ensued a mutually
beneficial solution emerged. The tree was
finally removed by the professional and cut
into boards with the assistance of my in-laws.
The oak boards were shared between my
in-laws and the neighbour who was
incidentally desperately looking for oak wood.
A classical trade was made with no cash
outlay, leaving both sides better for the deal.
In one foul swoop that same convoluted nest
of problems helped to remove a threat,
realize a dream, save money, and give birth
to a long lasting business relationship and
friendship.
What I find amazing, is if one of these
problems were missing, the opportunity
would probably never have been realized. If
my in-laws were flush with cash, they would
have simply paid for the floor and removed
the problematic tree as completely separate
issues. If the tree was in good health they
never would have considered cutting it down.
If they had no need for flooring they would
not have cut the tree into boards. It was the
looming presence of the three problems that
shed light on the opportunity right under their
nose.
This summer I comfortably stood on my
mother in-law’s beautiful solid oak floor which
has been there for a few years now. As I
looked through the kitchen window I watched
my father in-law walk past the old oak stump
on his way to help his good friend the
neighbour on yet another project. Amazingly,
though the pains of those old problems are
long forgotten, the precious dividends are still
being paid today.
Problems are a part of life. They are the
wonderful instruments which help us discover
the opportunities that lie at our feet. If you
find yourself laden with some of life’s many
problems, you are not cursed; rather you are
blessed with the seeds of life’s opportunities ISI
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Simply Indispensable:
COLTS Labs Rules the World of Ophthalmic Testing
By Paddy Kamen
| Today, COLTS Labs are known in North America and indeed the world as the leading tester
of optical products. It’s hard to believe that a company now so indispensable to the optical
industry was founded only eleven years ago, in 1997.
| High Mass Impact |
John Young, founder and
president of COLTS was a
mechanical
engineer
who
became an optician. That alone
should qualify him as one
unusual person. Even more
unusual is the breadth of experience he has in the industry.
Back in 1969, Young had a
friend who was working for
American Optical and who urged
him to join this ‘great to work
for’ company. Young decided to
give it a try, and brought his
testing experience from outside
the industry. “This was when
hard coatings for lenses were
coming on stream,” explains
40
Young. “It was a wonderful
development but no one knew
how to test it. I remember
calling Timex and asking them
how they test their watch
crystals, thinking I could learn
something from them. It turned
out that they didn’t test them,
which was a surprise, so I started
from scratch, creating a test that
would measure the quality of the
new lens coatings.”
Eventually, Young decided
to obtain his optician’s board
certification in order to boost
his credibility with eye care
professionals (ECPs). This was
important because he had
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created a cataract lens and American Optical decided to send him out
on the road to speak to opticians
about the product. “The company
thought it would be easier to attract
a crowd if the developer of the lens
was there to talk about it. So I was
sent out with the sales people on
these speaking tours. It was fun, as
well as exhausting, and I was lucky
to have kept my marriage intact
when I was away so much.”
serious bumps on the road over the
first few years, but thankfully the
business has been a success.”
After leaving AO, Young worked
for Silor as director of quality and
then vice president of new product
development for nine years. He was
commuting between Massachusetts
and Florida, and Silor eventually
convinced him to move south, a
change that continues to impress
his wife. “She just loves it here in
Clearwater.”
Much of the credit for Young’s
success goes to his relationship
with Lenscrafters. “They said that if
I established the lab they would
support it and they were good to
their word,” he explains. “They set
up a system with their vendors
whereby new lens products would
have to be tested by us, at the
vendor’s expense.”
Starting his own business was
the next career challenge for Young.
“I had a friend at Lenscrafters who
said, ‘John, you need to start a
testing lab’, and so I did. We had
some money saved and so I took it
to start COLTS. There were some
This arrangement served to
improve the quality of optical lenses
in the industry as whole, and has
therefore been a huge benefit to
consumers, notes Young. “Being
such a large company, Lenscrafters
had a lot of influence. It took them
The business was named
COLTS, because Young wanted a
name that would be associated with
strength. “I liked it because of the
association with horses, a football
team and guns. Then I developed
the long form of the name:
Cooperative Ophthalmic Lens Testing
Services.”
a few years to get everyone to
conform to the quality regime, but
they helped to create standards
because manufacturers wanted to
do business with them. A good
example of this was the fact that
they cut the surface curve tolerance
of the ANSI standard specification in
half.”
Raising the bar of quality in the
optical industry is part of COLTS’
Laboratories mission. Another
important contribution to this
mission is the improvement in
anti-reflective (A/R) coatings through
testing which correlates to actual
wear conditions.
“In the last five years A/R
coatings have come into their own,
which is functionally better,
especially for those over 40 when
visual performance at night begins
to deteriorate,” says Young. “I ran a
clinical study here with a patient
who was lauding the A/R coating
because he is 83 and his wife
wouldn’t let him drive at night
because he couldn’t see anything
and now with this he could drive
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again. This is an interesting story about how A/R coatings have had a positive impact
on individuals. People see eight percent more due to the reduction of reflection and
increased transmittance.”
The early days of A/R coatings had their problems, according to Young. “Cole
National had 2,000 stores and customers were complaining because some of the
coatings were falling off. We needed to distinguish between a good and bad A/R coating so by working with Cole we developed a test over a three month period. It takes
eight days to perform the test and coatings are rated on a “0” to “5” point basis.
At first, a lot of them were rated below three points. Cole kept track of customer
complaints and over a period of four years they stopped when the products tested
3.6 or better. Now most new A/R coatings test above 3.8. Again, this is a case where
the testing resulted in better products for
consumers, and these products really
make a difference in their lives. Manufacturers and the industry as a whole have
more credibility when products are
reliable.”
Virtually all lens companies now use
COLTS testing and those who test above
the 50th percentile of every product
tested in the last three years can receive
the COLTS Performance Seal.
COLTS expanded from testing lenses
into testing of cleaning cloths, dyes,
cleaning formulas, frames and safety
eyewear (visors, spectacles and goggles).
They also created a certification program
for labs. “If dispensers purchase uncut
lenses from a COLTS Certified lab they
don’t have to worry about impact testing
because our certification guarantees that
FDA impact requirements have been met
or exceeded,” says Young. “Certification
is also extended to qualified labs that
produce safety eyewear, and, of course,
the testing requirements for safety
products are more stringent. Canadian
CSA standards are applied to Canadian
labs.”
John Young says that while every
aspect of his work is both interesting and
satisfying, one of the more challenging
aspects is the work they do for Boeing on
testing the interior windows for the NASA
space station. COLTS also tests for the
U.S. military, and Rolex of Switzerland.
Six of 15 COLTS employees are
opticians. “We’re proud of the fact that we
have combined optical experience of over
200 years,” says Young.
44
All COLTS staff and particularly John
Young have a lot to be proud of. They’ve
helped to create an industry where
reliable precision and ever-improving
products are now just a simple fact of
life.
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| OAC |
Events Abound for Opticians this Fall
By Mary Field
| Fall is upon us and right across the country opticians are gearing up for the new season of continuing education events. First
off the mark will be the Ontario Opticians’ Association (OOA) Inside Optics event on Sunday, October 5th. This year there’s a change
of venue to the Royalton Hospitality Centre in Woodbridge, Ontario. A highlight of this year’s schedule will be the three-hour
refracting workshop starting at 8:30 A.M. This track will run parallel to the main lecture track and is designed to provide
continuing education hours for those who have registered with the College of Opticians of Ontario but also to stimulate interest
amongst Ontario opticians in undertaking refracting training. This is the day for the OOA AGM as well.
On October 18th and 19th the Saskatchewan
Ophthalmic Dispensers Association (SODA)
will hold its annual lecture series in
Regina. Conference chair Clarence Mott
has guaranteed an interesting line-up of
lecturers. The theme of this year’s series
is ‘Proud to be an Optician’.
On October 19th the OBC: Opticians of
British Columbia have invited B.C.
opticians to attend their day-long event at
the Executive Airport Hotel in Richmond,
B.C. On that day as well, the College of
Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) will
hold its Annual General Meeting along with
a round table discussion. The round table
has become a regular component of the
COBC’s AGM. During the round table COBC
registrants are invited to discuss, comment
and recommend ideas to the College,
many of which have been incorporated
into College policy.
A few weeks later – on November 7th,
8 and 9th the OAC’s Vision Canada
conference will take place in Halifax at the
Marriott Harbourfront. This year Vision
Canada welcomes two Gold Sponsors:
Essilor and Johnson & Johnson. The
weekend will kick off with the opening of
the trade show on Friday from 5:00 P.M.
until 10:00 P.M. At the time of this writing
the trade show is almost sold out so you
can expect plenty to see and buy. Vision
Canada and the OAC invite you to their
Friday evening cocktail party between 8:00
P.M. and 9:00 P.M., and you can join in the
fun with the fun feature of the weekend,
“Are You Smarter than a First Year
Eyeglasses Student?” Well… are you? Could
th
46
you answer questions that the average
first year eyeglass student is expected to
answer? If you can, you’ll win extra tickets
for the ‘Win A Trip to the Whistler
Olympics’ draw.
The education series starts on Saturday morning with “But I Still Can’t See! –
Troubleshooting the Visually Uncomfortable
Client”. Sponsored by Transitions, this lecture
should give us some tips on what to do
when you’ve tried everything else. We’ve
all had that kind of problem customer. We
know they’re not complaining just for the
sake of complaining but we just can’t
figure out what’s wrong. Next up is “The
Germinator – Infection Control in the
Modern Dispensary”. Cathi Mietkiewicz,
former chair of the College of Opticians of
Ontario, is ready to get out her rubber
gloves, alcohol swabs and set you straight
on how to avoid cross contamination and
disease. Johnson & Johnson wants you to
increase your bottom line with their lecture,
“Contact Lens Growth Opportunities –
Grab Them Now”, and Robert Auger from
Optelec is bringing his popular presentation “Low Vision Challenges – High Level
Solutions”.
The trade show continues on Saturday
from 11:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M., with
luncheon provided on the exhibit floor and
more chances to prove you’re “Smarter
than a First Year Eyeglasses Student”.
On Saturday evening everybody will
want to join the crowd at the Waterfront
Warehouse. For $25 per person you’ll
get a very nice meal plus a live
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| OAC |
band- Gigstreet – for some down east stompin’ and jivin’. The Waterfront Warehouse
Whoop-de-doo is co-sponsored by Vision Canada, the OAC and the Nova Scotia Society of
Dispensing Opticians.
Sunday morning comes bright and early so don’t do too much whooping the night
before. James Ahola from Tura tackles the theme, “Take This Frame and Sell It! –
Communicating Value Differences In Frames”, followed by “Visual Performance And Contrast
Sensitivity”, sponsored by Essilor.
You’re going to really get the ‘Wow!’
factor from motivational speakers, Arnaud
Rajchenbach and Viviane Forest. Viviane
is a world-class skier who has won many
medals and will be competing in the
Para-Olympics and… she’s visually
handicapped. Arnaud is her guide. Want
to find out about overcoming serious
challenges? Don’t miss this opportunity
to be inspired.
Vision Canada is giving you an hour
for lunch but we want you to work too.
We’re offering you the Lunch ‘n Learn
series – A Brown Bag Lunch and
Leadership Workshop. It will be lots of
fun with interaction and participation, the
keys to learning.
The last two lectures of the day are
a must. Stephen Sanger will be handling
“Introduction to Refraction – The Importance
of Client Assessment”. The client
interview is probably the most critical
part of the protocol for a refracting
optician. It is through a careful history
taking and collection of data that opticians
can determine which prospective clients
can be accepted for optician-performed
refracting.
The day and the weekend will be
completed with Cathi Mietkiewicz sharing
her perspective on the “Professional
Challenges of the 21st Century”. Cathi is
currently studying law but her many years
as an optician in Ontario and her length
of service on the Ontario regulatory body
give her a unique understanding of what
opticians need to do to be successful in
the coming decades.
48
The semi-annual meetings of the
national opticians’ groups will be taking
place in Halifax during this week. The city
will be host to the National Association of
Canadian Optician Regulators, the
National Exam Committee, the Opticians
Council of Canada and the Canadian
Association of Optician Educators along
with the Opticians Association of Canada
Board of Directors. The OAC annual
general meeting will take place on
Thursday, November 6th starting at
7:00 P.M., followed by a wine and cheese
get-together. The OAC Board looks
forward to meeting its members from the
Maritimes!
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Viva is Vital
Celebrating Thirty Years
Viva Moves Forward with Alacrity
By Paddy Kamen
| Any business that makes it to a thirty year anniversary with growing profitability must be doing a lot of
things right. But smart companies are always reinventing themselves, identifying strengths, seeking new
opportunities and addressing inefficiencies. Viva is a perfect example of a smart company, one that has been
through significant changes in the last few years.
Early in 2005, Highmark Inc.,
HVHC’s parent company, completed its
acquisition of Viva International Group.
As one of the leading health insurers in
Pennsylvania, Highmark’s mission is to
provide access to affordable, quality
health care enabling individuals to live
longer, healthier lives. The acquisition of
Viva enhanced Highmark’s position in
the health care specialty business,
making it one of the largest fully
integrated vision care providers in the
nation. In addition to Viva, HVHC also
consists of New York-based Davis Vision,
Inc., one of the country's largest
managed vision care companies and
operator of Davis Vision and Empire
Vision Centers, and Eye Care Centers of
America, which is headquartered in
Texas. HVHC has benefited from the Viva
acquisition by offering a great platform
for expanded services to its customers
and a tremendous opportunity for
continued growth.
The appointment of Frank Rescigna
to the president and CEO position at
Viva in January 2008 drew attention to
HVHC’s growth mandate for the
company. Rescigna brings 30 years of
experience in the vision industry to his
position. He was most recently president
and CEO of Marcolin USA, and prior to
50
that vice-president of sales at Charmant,
and stores director with LensCrafters.
During his career, Rescigna led the
U.S. introduction process of several
prestigious fashion brands, including
Dolce & Gabbana, D&G, Hugo Boss,
Chloe, Michael Kors and Roberto Cavalli.
His extensive vision industry experience,
including his work with fashion brand
development, retail store operations and
strategic planning, positioned Rescigna
to lead Viva's management team into
the next phase of its development,
which is characterized by the phrase “the
New Viva”.
Under Rescigna’s leadership, Viva
International Group first engaged in an
in-depth assessment of the entire
company to identify its purpose and
value to its associates, customers,
brands and company. Then, focus was
placed solely on these key channels with
the proper resources, support and
processes. Only areas and initiatives
with full expertise were focused on,
eliminating any external distractions and
non-related issues.
“The difference between a world
class company and an average company
is the ability to stay true to who you are
and what you do well, and knowing
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when to accept or decline an opportunity,
without being enticed by something that
doesn’t align itself with your areas of
expertise,” notes Rescigna.
Key changes have resulted from the
recent leadership reorganization of Viva’s
operations. A more streamlined executive
team has been developed to better
compete with the ever-changing eyewear
industry. The movement of staff has
been more of a shift of responsibility and
department specialization, consisting of
brand management, product design
marketing and sales. Promotions have
elevated individuals at Viva to become
stronger advocates, while maintaining
the integrity of each brand.
Structurally, the organization has
also increased its sales force to better
serve its customers with major upgrades
in communications and response time.
Viva's approximately 200 sales consultants
are also receiving training and support
from an expanded team of regional
managers.
"We have set up and separated
each brand to put cross-functional teams
in place for marketing, in order to work
hand in hand with product development
and design,” explains Rescigna. “We
now have “brand champions” in place to
enhance what we create and deliver to
our customers.”
Viva maintains a robust portfolio of
brands that have directly benefited
retailers, as well as end users. The wide
variety of brands offered by Viva better
serves lifestyle and consumer needs.
Identifying trends in the market is also
key in making sure that there is
accurate-brand
positioning.
Viva
maintains one of the strongest brand
portfolios in the industry with its brand
popularity, which leads to a strong retail
turn.
Viva takes a different approach
when viewing its customer base. The
Business Development department was
created to improve customer profit
centers for all channels of distribution
both international and domestic. Viva
sales consultants are also trained to
educate the sales associates increasing
overall unit sales and brand integrity.
New window merchandising programs
and marketing point-of-purchase materials
have also increased to better showcase
the product’s assortment and ensure
solid sell-through.
Rescigna makes no secret of the
fact that he is positioning Viva for
‘explosive’ growth over the next ten
years, aiming to triple sales in that time
period. The shorter term, three year goal
is to experience double-digit growth. The
company’s International and Retail Sun
divisions lead the way, sustaining
double-digit growth throughout 2008,
and Rescigna expects them to sustain
this pace through to 2011.To support this
growth the company will continue to
invest heavily in its international
markets, with new initiatives and sales
and marketing opportunities.
Viva Canada is the exclusive
distributor of Viva International Group’s
eyewear collections, which include
GUESS by Marciano, Tommy Hilfiger and
GANT, the top-selling brands in Canada.
Through an agreement with Viva
International Group and DeRigo S.p.A.,
Viva Canada also distributes the luxury
brands ESCADA, Ermenegildo Zegna,
Etro, Furla and Givenchy.
The Canadian market is very strong
and continued growth is anticipated. The
stability of its current sales management
has created a strong legacy with over
two decades of commitment. “Viva
Canada has offered us a great advantage
to reach such a vital market,” says Mick
Kunish, senior vice-president of Business
and Sales Development at Viva
International Group.
”Viva is one of the industry's great
companies, with a proud history,
outstanding talent and enviable
positions in many of its product lines
and services,” said Rescigna. “It's a
great honor to be a part of the Viva
leadership team and have the
opportunity to lead a great team of
600 associates worldwide. I look forward
to building on our company's success
and to maintaining our sharp focus on
creating value for our associates and
customers."
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ORBIS Makes
a Canada-China
Connection
By JoAnne Sommers
| Helping others is its own reward, as Toronto-based ophthalmologist Dr. Agnes Wong discovered first-hand when she
recently completed a one-week volunteer visit to Harbin China with ORBIS International, a nonprofit global
development organization that is dedicated to saving sight worldwide.
“Joining ORBIS is something I wanted to
do since I was an ophthalmology resident
and after I finished residency I looked into
going on a mission. They said that I needed
five years’ experience before I could volunteer.
Recently, a colleague passed my name along
to the organization and since I am now
qualified, I was really happy to go on this
mission to China.”
approximately 40 ophthalmology residents
using hands-on surgical training, live surgical
demonstrations, lectures and workshops. The
program concentrated on the treatment and
management of pediatric strabismus, glaucoma
and cataracts, China's leading cause of blindness.
Residents also benefited from clinics on
retinal disease and neuro-ophthalmology, and
from wet lab and surgical simulator sessions.
The ORBIS International's flagship Flying
Eye Hospital arrived in the north-eastern
Chinese city of Harbin with its global team of
volunteer eye care specialists and global
Alliance for Sight partner, Alcon, Inc., on
August 25th, 2008 for a two-week intensive
mission. Their purpose was to train and equip
the next generation of Chinese eye care
professionals and biomedical engineers. They
were there at the invitation of the local
provincial government and the Second
Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.
China’s blind population is estimated at
five to six million, about 18 per cent of the
world's blind. The major causes of blindness
in China, other than cataracts, include
childhood eye diseases, diseases of the
cornea, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
Of the roughly 24,000 eye doctors in China,
70 to 80 per cent work in urban hospitals.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the
country's blind people live in rural areas.
Coupled with resource constraints, such as a
lack of equipment, this disparity has resulted
in people from remote rural areas having
At the latter’s request, the Flying Eye little or no access to quality eye care services.
Hospital program only trained ophthalmic
residency physicians, marking the first time
"The ORBIS' approach is to tailor each
in the plane's history that it has been used as of its programs to the educational needs of
a venue for resident training. During the its hosts, as well as the eye care needs of the
course of the program, the ORBIS medical local people," said Dr. Hunter Cherwek,
team transferred sight-saving skills to medical director, ORBIS International. "This
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residency-specific program was an exciting new venture that
allowed ORBIS to train the next generation of sight-saving doctors
and help China further grow its pool of human resources for
fighting preventable blindness in the region."
Dr. Wong was raised in Hong Kong, leaving for the United
States and then Canada to undertake medical studies at age 18.
Her background made the trip to China especially interesting.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the Chinese people
from a cultural point of view, as well as from my position as a
medical professional. I was very interested to see how medical
care is delivered in China. I learned a lot on many levels, saw some
very interesting cases and enjoyed fascinating academic
exchanges.”
With a Ph.D in neuroscience, in addition to her ophthalmology
training, Dr. Wong is in great demand as a neuro-ophthalmologist
and specialist in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. She is
currently an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Vision
Sciences, Neurology, and Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery at
the University of Toronto. She is also a scientist, as well as an
active staff physician, at both The Hospital for Sick Children in
Toronto and Toronto Western Hospital. She divides her time
between the clinical practice of neuro-ophthalmology and
strabismus, and research in eye movement disorders. Her research
focuses on abnormal eye movement in adults and children who
have strabismus and the underlying neural mechanisms.
Alcon’s relationship with ORBIS reaches back 25 years,
according to Sara Woodward, director of Corporate
Humanitarian and Community Services. “We have a very strong
relationship with ORBIS’ sight-saving programs and initiatives
worldwide because we believe very strongly in their focus on
training ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals”
Alcon’s current commitment to ORBIS is a cash grant of
$600,000 combined with medical gifts-in-kind, for a total
gift of $2.7 million. Over the years, Alcon has donated
state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment, pharmaceuticals and
supplies for the Flying Eye Hospital and its partner hospitals
around the world, making it possible for ORBIS volunteer
ophthalmologists to teach advanced surgical techniques to
doctors in the developing world.
Sara Woodward recently had the opportunity to
accompany the ORBIS flying eye hospital to Vietnam. It was
there that the full impact of the Alcon giving program really
struck her. “I have to say that one of my proudest moments
was standing in the operating room of the flying eye hospital
and being surrounded by Alcon product. We also sponsor the
classroom in the front of the plane. Seeing your company
name so far away from home and in a place where so many
people are being helped was truly inspirational.”
The Alcon Volunteer Biomedical Corps is another dimension
of Alcon’s work with ORBIS. “Alcon biomedical equipment
needs to be serviced, so we have trained biomedical engineers
and service technicians on staff,” explains Woodward. “Many
of these people donate their time to work with ORBIS,
including a team that attended the Harbin mission and the
mission I was on in Vietnam.”
Alcon Volunteer Biomedical Corps members fix equipment
where necessary, but more importantly they train local
technicians to make repairs. “We prefer to train the trainers so
as to create lasting value,” says Woodward. “Volunteers come
from our manufacturing facility in Irvine, California, as well as
from field offices around the globe.”
Woodward, who got to hand out teddy bears to child
patients in Vietnam, was impressed by ORBIS as an organization,
as well as by the volunteer professionals on the team. “They
bring the same level of organization and enthusiasm for the
task wherever they go. It was wonderful to see the dedication
of everyone involved, and to see these very skilled doctors
spending their time transferring their knowledge and skills in
less than ideal working conditions to people who would not
otherwise have access to that level of training.”
For her part, Dr. Wong found the trip very rewarding.
“Working with ORBIS was a fabulous experience and if they
require my help in future, I will definitely be there for
them.”
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publireportage
High Resolution Vision™ :
Visual Performance and
Contrast Sensitivity
| More than 80%
of information transmitted to the brain is received through our eyesight. That is
why, when we talk about High Resolution Vision, we are referring to the sharpest, clearest vision
possible. This can only be achieved by taking contrast sensitivity into account, which is not measured
during the standard eye exam.
VISUAL ACUITY VS CONTRAST
SENSITIVITY
Visual acuity is the accepted
standard for quantifying vision. It is
determined by using the Snellen
chart, which presents a black target
on an illuminated white background.
It only measures a patient’s ability to
perceive images with the ideal
contrast value of a frequency between
1-5 degrees of arc, a relatively small
portion of a patient’s visual boundary.
Contrast sensitivity improves
visual performance by allowing
wearers to see more details. It is the
ability to discern different shades at
various frequencies or intervals.
Contrast sensitivity consists of two
components: contrast value and
spatial frequency. It greatly influences
the quality of perceived vision.
| The Snellen Chart measures a relatively small portion,
represented by the red square, of the overall visual
boundaries of the patient represented by the curved line. |
56
FACTORS IMPACTING CONTRAST
SENSITIVITY
A number of factors impact
contrast sensitivity. In dim light and
near-dark conditions, the human eye
is less able to perceive contrast.
Aging also has a detrimental effect on
the eye’s ability to perceive contrast.
As the eye ages, the aberration of its
optical structures tends to increase
due to breakdown and disease
(i.e. cataract).
Aberrations can also be added to
the optical structure of the eye
through surgery.
For example, “Wavefront” guided
LASIK was developed in an attempt
to reduce the amount of higher order
aberration caused by the procedure.
Ophthalmic devices, spectacle
lenses or contact lenses, all have
aberrations which contribute to the
overall aberration of the ocular system.
In progressive addition lenses, the
changes in curvature required to
provide a seamless transition to near
power may create high order
aberrations across the surface of the
lens. This may highly affect contrast
sensitivity.
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SOLUTIONS TO PRESERVE CONTRAST
SENSITIVITY
The factors impacting contrast
sensitivity can be eliminated by
providing optimal optics, adding
protective coatings and reducing
exposure to harmful light. This in turn
will help to reach our ultimate goal: to
provide perfect visual acuity and
contrast sensitivity to wearers.
Controlling High Order Aberrations
Given the vital role contrast
sensitivity plays in quality of vision,
engineers at Essilor have striven to
create technologies capable of
controlling high order aberrations in
progressive surfaces. Prior to W.A.V.E.
Technology™, lens designs were
calculated using ray tracing programs
which could only analyse three points
of light in a single measurement.
W.A.V.E. Technology allows for the
analysis of the entire beam of light
passing through the lens to the eye
and controls the wavefront which
makes it possible to control high order
aberrations. This is significant, because
it is how the eye will perceive the
design. This process is owned by
Essilor and protected by eight patents
associated with the W.A.V.E. Technology.
Traditional methods of progressive
mold manufacture were incapable of
producing a surface precise enough to
manufacture the designs created by
W.A.V.E. Technology. As a result,
digital surfacing – a new mold and lens
surface manufacturing process – was
invented.
Varilux Physio
progressive design
W.A.V.E. Technology.
applied to most
was the first
to benefit from
It has since been
Varilux designs
including Varilux Ipseo, Varilux Physio
f-360˚, Varilux Physio 360˚ and Varilux
Ellipse 360˚. In all cases, contrast
sensitivity is increased by at least 30%
to provide high resolution vision.
Using coatings, filters and tints
Eliminating reflection, dirt, dust,
scratches and the effects of harmful
blue light is an important step in
preserving contrast sensitivity. The
new technologies developed for Crizal
Avancé deliver maximum efficiency in
reducing reflection, dirt, dust and
scratches to avoid light diffusion. As
well, Essilor polarizing lenses eliminate
glare caused by the light reflecting on
surfaces such as water or snow. Their
filter absorbs the light that is reflected
on horizontal surfaces allowing only
useful light to pass through. As for
blue light, it is reduced by 98% with
Essilor Melanin sun lenses, thus restoring
the loss of contrast.
Pupil
Without
W.A.V.E.
TECHNOLOGY TM
Light-beam
entering
Light-beam refracted
with aberration
With
Contrast sensitivity is a vital
component of perceived visual quality.
Although patients may have acceptable
resolution with 20/20 vision, decreased
contrast sensitivity will negatively
impact their vision. Essilor’s W.A.V.E.
Technology allows High Resolution
Varilux lenses to produce images with
greater contrast than any other
progressive lens. By combining high
resolution benefits with those of Crizal
Avancé, the ultimate level of contrast,
sharpness and clarity is now possible.
The final result is a better visual
experience and more satisfaction for
the wearers.
ISI
| The lens design is created taking into
account the entire beam of light entering
the pupil, that is to say the same way it
will be perceived by the eye. |
Light-beam
entering
Light-beam
refracted without
aberration
57
_vis09-8:8
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| What’s New |
Wescan
Optical
Exclusive
Canadian
Distributor
for Theory
Sunwear
Wescan Optical, a division
of Westgroupe, announces a
distribution agreement with
L’Amy America for the
exclusive distribution of
Theory sunwear in Canada.
Theory, a global luxury
brand, is renowned for its
sophisticated, understated
style and contemporary
design. Distributed in high
end retailers such as Holt
Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue,
and Barneys, as well as high
end clothing boutiques
worldwide, Theory caters
to the discriminating consumer who appreciates high
quality materials, clean
designs and impeccable fit.
Two Birds with
One Stone
Ronor found a judicious way to support
a good cause while presenting its new
Multi Clean bundles. The company has
chosen to help the CNIB, leader in
vision health promotion, by making a
donation to the organization for each
CNIB bundle sold.
The Combo Kit features an
innovative customization program
giving you the possibility of supporting
a cause that is close to your heart.
Each bundle consists of the new
ergonomic bottles with Multi CleanTM
biodegradable solution (125ml and
35ml) and a reusable Multi Clean cloth
– all wrapped in a fresh transparent
package.
Eye care professionals can
personalize the bundles to a social cause
that you are personally involved in by
raising funds for each kit sold. The
Combo Kit is offered in various colours.
58
“We are very pleased
with the addition of Theory
sunwear to the Wescan
portfolio,” states Beverly
Suliteanu, vice-president of
Westgroupe. “The Theory
brand perfectly compliments our other fashion
sunwear collections of
Chloe and Kenneth Cole.”
The launch, scheduled
for August 2008, will consist
of 10 styles – four colours
deep for both acetate and
aviator models. All models
can easily be adapted for
prescriptions, which is an
important feature for both
consumers and retailers. All
models are accompanied by
a leather hard case and
cleaning cloth.
07_vis07-8:Layout 1
19/06/08
11:27
Page 1
ATTRACTS AND MAINTAINS WATER...
FOR ALL DAY COMFORT
T H E CO N V E N I E N C E O F A D I S P OS A B L E L E N S
W I T H T H E P ROV E N CO M F O RT O F P C H Y D RO G E L .T M
• PC TechnologyTM creates a lens
material containing phosphorylcholine
(PC) molecules found naturally in cells
throughout your body
• PC molecules attract water to form
a ‘shield’ around the lens keeping it
healthy, moist and comfortable
even after 12 hours of wear
• Features aspheric optics designed
for crisp, clearer vision
• Optimized lens design and handling
tint allows for easy lens insertion
and removal
For more information, contact your CooperVision Territory Manager at 1-888-475-8555.
© 2008 CooperVision, Inc. CooperVision and the Eye Design, “See Beyond the Ordinary”, and Proclear are registered trademarks of The Cooper Companies, Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
PC Hydrogel and PC Technology are trademarks of The Cooper Companies, Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
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| What’s New |
| P8469 |
Mido
Rodenstock Extends License Agreement
With Porsche Design Until 2018
Rodenstock GmbH located in Munich and
the Porsche Design Group have extended their
license agreement by ten years for the areas of
sunglasses, correction frames and ready-to-use
reading spectacles.
“The success of the Porsche Design spectacles,
for which turnover in 2007 increased by more
than 60% compared to the previous year,
proves that a constantly larger segment of
consumers are placing increasing value on an
appealing, modern design. For this reason, we
are happy to be able to continue to take care of
the collection under license,” says Professor
Dr. Peter Littmann, Chief Executive Officer of
Rodenstock GmbH.
“Porsche spectacles and sunglasses continue
to be a popular brand with Rodenstock
customers, so we are extremely pleased that we
will continue our relationship with Porsche”,
said Bjorn Ramsvik, Managing Director,
Rodenstock Canada.
Porsche Design is a global luxury men’s
brand and is determined by engineered
products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander
Porsche established the Porsche Design brand
in 1972, whose products are attracting
consumers with their technical innovation and
represent functionality and timelessness in its
purest form.
Revolution in
2009
Mido – International Optics,
Optometry and Ophthalmology
Exhibition - points out a change
to its 2009 calendar. Next year’s
show will be held from March
6 - 9, 2009. These dates coincide
with the world’s fashion
accessory week. Milan’s Rho
Pero pavilions will host four
events showcasing the finest
Italian and worldwide production. In addition to Mido there
will be international exhibitions
of footwear, leather goods and
fur, creating a unique chance to
join fashion, design, innovation
and technology.
Transitions Appoints Grady Lenski Director,
Transitions Sunwear
Since August 1st, Grady Lenski, previouly marketing
director, North America, Transitions, assumes the role of
director, Transitions sunwear. In this newly established
position, Lenski is responsible for developing and
implementing global business strategies to grow the
emerging active sunwear category, including the
Activated by Transitions™ lines.
growing sunwear business globally, and are excited that
Grady will be leading this effort,” said Dave Cole,
managing director, North America, Australia and New
Zealand. “His broad base of experience and strengths in
sales, marketing, international business and technology
– combined with his proven ability to create and drive
change – make him an outstanding fit for this position.”
Since the debut of Drivewear® Activated by
Transitions™ and Oakley® Activated by Transitions™
lenses in 2006, these lines of special-purpose sunwear
have been a growing part of the Transitions brand. Every
sunlens product that carries the Activated by Transitions
mark has been enhanced with superior and patented
Transitions photochromic technology to automatically
optimize visual performance in variable light conditions
– creating a “dark to darker” product.
With more than 20 years of industry experience,
Lenski joined Transitions in 1994 as Asia Pacific director,
sales and marketing. In his most recent role as marketing
director, North America, he has made major
contributions to growth and sales through the
development of enhanced communications and strategic
marketing programs. Lenski holds a bachelor’s degree in
Chemistry from the University of Illinois and a Master
of Business Administration from Arizona State
University. Prior to joining the Transitions team, he spent
more than a decade working for PPG Industries, Inc.
“We see tremendous opportunity to expand in the
Topcon’s New Automated Non-Myd Camera:
Ideal for Telemedicine
Topcon introduces the new TRC-NW8 automated non-myd
camera, designed for improved care. Anyone can quickly and
easily capture high quality, crisp, clear images. The camera
features true red free, superior resolution, as well as autofocus
and autoshoot. Work flow and patient comfort are altogether
increased.
Are you ready for telemedicine? Combine the new
TRC-NW8 with Topcon’s IMAGEnetTM Lite – the recognized
standard in image analysis – and obtain a powerful telemedicine
colour fundus screening package.
You would like to connect your different instruments and
eliminate much of the paper? Turn to EyeRoute®. Topcon’s
EyeRoute allows integration from virtually any ophthalmic
instrument, enabling you to manage and access patient
information quickly and securely, from anywhere in the world.
60
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| What’s New |
A Question of
Perception
20/20 Accessory Source is proud to be the exclusive
Canadian distributor of Perception® Mirrored Clip-Ons
from Shade Control®. The clip-ons are available with a
copper driving lens and a bronze frame in its most popular
shapes and sizes.
The polarized shatter proof lenses meet or exceed all
international standards for optics, UV and polarizing
efficiency, and eliminate 99 per cent of reflective glare.
Perception clip-ons are available in a 20-piece oak fitting
kit for easy storage and clip-on organization.
VSP Vision Care
Acquires Marchon Eyewear
VSP, the largest eyecare benefits
provider with 55 million members
in the United States and Canada,
has acquired Marchon Eyewear
for $735 million funded in a
combination of cash and debt.
Under the terms of the agreement,
Marchon will become a whollyowned subsidiary of VSP. Al Berg,
Marchon president and CEO, and
Larry Roth, executive VP of
Marchon, along with the Marchon
global team will continue in their
current roles. Marchon will
operate from its New York-based
headquarters as an independent
entity within the VSP organization.
Altair Eyewear, the VSP-owned
eyewear company, will become a
division of Marchon and remain
in its Rancho Cordova, Calif.,
headquarters.
“Bringing together the worldclass products and expertise of
Marchon with Altair, VSP’s
for-profit eyewear company,
creates an integrated organization
that benefits eyecare professionals
and their customers,” says Rob
Lynch, president and CEO of
VSP (photo). “Together we will
deliver value by focusing on
quality and operational excellence.”
62
Marchon manufactures and
sells branded and proprietary
eyewear and sunwear for such
internationally-recognized brands
as Calvin Klein, Coach, Emilio
Pucci, FENDI, Jil Sander, Karl
Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, Nautica,
Nike, Oscar de la Renta, Sean
John and X Games. Additionally,
the company manufactures its own
collections of eyewear including
products such as Airlock® and
Flexon®.
Marchon offers the North
American optical industry the
most
widely-used
practice
management
and
electronic
medical records software through
OfficeMate® Software Solutions.
The acquisition merges OfficeMate with VSP’s Eyefinity®, the
leading Webbased eyecare business management partner, to form
the industry’s premier eyecare
business solutions organization.
As part of the transaction, VSP
will also acquire Marchon’s 50
percent ownership interest in Eye
Designs®, which is a leader in the
design of custom interiors and
merchandising systems for the
optical industry.
“Given the rapidly changing
eyecare marketplace, this is a win
for Marchon, VSP and the optical
industry,” Al Berg, president and
CEO of Marchon, states. “This
merger will help us continue our
vision for growth by expanding
our products, services and programs
to our global customer base.”
VSP and Marchon will provide
the marketplace with vision care
benefits and services, a global
distribution channel, an international
portfolio of eyewear brands,
integrated eyewear design and
manufacturing capabilities, practice
management technology as well
as custom interior designs and
merchandising systems.
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| What’s New |
Body Glove’s First Eyewear Collection
Released in August 2008 by Optika
Eyewear, the brand new Body Glove
collection features eight ophthalmic
styles available in two colours. This
unisex sports line targets active
individuals who are looking for style
and durability.
The acetate sport temples provide
maximum support and the high
strength stainless steel frames are ideal
for active people.
Body Glove was founded in 1953 by
two ex-surfer/scuba diving instructors,
who opened a diving and surf retail
shop. Today, with global distribution,
they are famous for designing high
performance water sports equipment
such as surf boards, water skis and
wetsuits, but they are mainly known for
high fashion bathing suits.
“Join and See” Awareness Campaign
Makes a Visible Difference for School
Children
The Eye Disease Foundation’s (Fondation
des maladies de l’oeil) “Join and See”
campaign has reached 21,700 Quebec
families with school-aged children this year
with the support of the Transitions®
Healthy Sight for Life Fund. Through the
program, a tour – spanning 46 primary
schools in 12 regions – serves as a forum to
provide children with free vision screenings
and remind parents of the importance of
annual eye exams and sight-enhancing
eyewear at school and at home.
As a result of the screenings, some children
were identified as needing a more thorough
eye exam, and parents were notified to
schedule an appointment with an optometrist
or ophthalmologist when needed.
“Involving the parents is critical,” said
Hélène Tremblay, general manager, Eye
Disease Foundation. “During vision screening,
a major problem was detected in one of the
children. His parents themselves were illiterate,
and were unaware that their son had learning
and reading difficulties. That child has now
received the appropriate ophthalmologic
treatment, which can only positively enhance
his academic progress.”
Through the Transitions Healthy Sight for
Life Fund, more than 400 pairs of eyeglasses
were distributed to lower-income families
identified through the tour – reinforcing the
important role that vision wear can play in a
child’s performance at school.
“We’re honored to support the Eye Disease
Foundation in their efforts to help prevent
64
ocular diseases and blindness and in educating
families about protecting healthy sight for the
future,” said Frederic Brais, account manager,
Quebec and Eastern Canada, Transitions
Optical. “We were especially inspired by one
story, in which a student’s marks went from a
D to an A after our visit. The child reports that
he enjoys school now, and people around him
have commented that his behavior has
changed significantly – going from disruptive
to attentive. This is the reason we’re involved
with the tour, and we look forward to
supporting the Eye Disease Foundation
throughout future events.”
Transitions Optical’s alliance with the Eye
Disease Foundation is funded through a
national grant made possible by consumer and
eye care professional participation in
Transitions’ Certificate of Authenticity
program. For each pair of Transitions® lenses
registered in Quebec, a contribution is made
toward the Eye Disease Foundation’s ocular
health awareness campaigns.
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| What’s New |
Silmo : Exclusive Services, a Revamped Website and
New 2009 Dates
Silmo, The World Optics Show, is getting ready
to receive eye care professionals from all countries
at the Paris-Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center,
from October 30th to November 2nd, 2008. Taking
advantage of the newly formed group Viparis
Venues in Paris, Silmo offers an array of exclusive
services, aiming for maximum comfort and satisfaction of all participants before, during and after the
show. This first-class program of premium services
is fully supported by a newly-revamped website.
The exclusive services include:
• Logistical support and travel assistance throughout
a network of 60 offices around the world;
• Travel packages, airfare and hotel accommodation
at special rates, such as negotiated rates with the
French Railways Company SNCF and with the
Sky Team Alliance of Airlines;
• Information available at major airports/train
stations, and bus shuttles from major Paris hubs;
Leis Vision distributes several lines
of contact lenses including the
Extreme H2O spherical lenses, the
Extreme H2O toric lenses, the Soflex
contact lenses including their silicone
hydrogel lines, and a wide range of
custom lenses designed for solving
clinical challenges.
66
• Exclusive concierge service for Silmo exhibitors
and VIPs.
This first-class program of premium services is
fully supported by a revamped website, offering a
new design, user-friendly site navigation and
well-written texts. This website is constantly
updated and allows exhibitors and visitors alike to
organize meetings with other Silmo participants on
a permanent basis, all year round.
In addition, Silmo points out a change to its
calendar. As of 2009, the show will take place in
September giving the opportunity to professionals
to discover and order the new collections sooner,
particularly sunglasses. The 42nd edition will be held
from September 17th until September 20th, 2009.
Quantum Optique
Introduces
Three New Lenses
| CA 1021 |
Ron Nightingale
Joins Leis Vision
Leis Vision announces the appointment
of Ron Nightingale as territory
manager working out of Fredericton,
New Brunswick. Ron was the founder
of Nightingale Lens labs which operated
in the Maritimes. Subsequently he
worked throughout western Canada
and Ontario with major corporations
in the industry. Ron is recognized in
the industry as a very knowledgeable
and trusted person.
• Personalized assistance through “Silmo Help”, a
new service created to help visitors find taxis or
guide them toward the Metro when they leave the
show.
Attractive Carisma
Perfect Optical announces the launch of Carisma, its
latest line from the resurging Italian manufacturing
sector. The introductory collection consists of 18 models
for men and women reflecting the refined elegance of
Italian design.
“In a market flooded with the gaudy and extreme,
Carisma concentrates on subtlety and fit,” says Adrian
Maas from Perfect Optical. Comfortable progressive
height, soft burgundies, warm browns, and muted
patterns characterize this unique offering.
This new line is available this Fall.
Quantum Optique introduces three new lenses –
ProfileXL, Ergonex and 1.74 ASP – each one
featuring distinctive attributes and superior
Arctic Extreme A/R coating.
The Profile XL is a CR-39 lens offering a 1.50
index and a 2.3mm center thickness that drops to
1.8mm as the lens power augments. Ideal for small
rimless frames that require a nylon groove, this
finished product is aesthetically appropriate.
The Ergonex is a 1.57 index lens with extreme
resistance to severe impacts. Performing like a
regular hi-index, this lens is ideal for drilling and
nylon grooves. No stress cracks occur around the
holes after drilling. Ergonex does not require any
special grinding wheel and is edged like any other
plastic lens. It is suitable for sports goggles, safety
glasses and children’s eyewear.
The new 1.74 ASP high index lens is the
thinnest plastic lens available in the industry. In
range of powers of up to -4.00 cylinders, it is in
stock for immediate delivery.
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Page 69
| What’s New |
Eschenbach Optik
Targets Emmetropes
and Contact Lens
Wearers
New Canadian Direction at
DeluxEYEwear
Sam Nassif, DeluxEYEwear’s current CEO, has announced the
nomination of Mario Ouellet as the exclusive distributor for Canada.
Recognized for his commitment to customers and strong eyewear
fashion support, Mario Ouellet brings over ten years of sales and
marketing experience in the optical trade.
“I am very excited to be the distributor of DeluxEYEwear in Canada,
with brand names of Renata Occhiali and Pantanera. I think my existing
relationships with top optometrists and opticians, matched with my own
sales goals will prove to be a successful combination for achieving
DeluxEYEwear’s growth in the Canadian market. I am sure that all my
friends and customers are ready for new European fashion brand names
and will love all the models that I will show them this season,” says Ouellet.
Solar3®s are a new line of filters designed for
those that don’t wear glasses but who still want
the benefits of contrast-enhancing eyewear.
Their wrap-around style is ideal for
emmetropes and contact lens wearers and they
are available in five lens tints: polarized gray,
yellow, amber, orange and plum.
Sam Nassif will apply his knowledge to the international expansion of
the company.
Offered in a comfortable, lightweight frame
style, Solar3s are designed to improve contrast
and reduce intraocular glare, thereby providing
a more comfortable viewing experience. The
“wrap-around” style complements Eschenbach’s
“fit-over” SolarShield® line which is worn over
a patient’s prescription eyewear.
All Solar3s filters block 100% of UVA/UVB
and feature bend-to-fit temples for a custom fit.
An attractive, rotating display is available with
the purchase of 20 Solar3s or SolarShields.
LASIK MD Opens
a New Clinic in
Sherbrooke
LASIK MD has opened a new clinic in
Sherbrooke, Quebec, at 2935 Portland Blvd
(facing Carrefour de l'Estrie). The clinic is
the company's 20th in Canada and fifth in
Quebec.
"With this new clinic, we are better able to
serve our patients in the area. Sherbrooke
residents no longer have to travel to our
Montreal or Quebec City clinics to receive
high quality, affordable laser vision
correction,” says Dr. Mark Cohen, LASIK
MD's president, co-founder and co-national
medical director.
The Sherbrooke clinic is staffed with a
team of experienced professionals who
specialize in providing eye care. "We are
pleased to have well-known, highly
experienced surgeons working with us in
Sherbrooke including Dr. Jacques Gregoire,
Dr. Michel Giunta and Dr. Mark Cohen, all
of whom are affiliated with the University of
Sherbrooke Ophthalmology Department,"
says Dr. Avi Wallerstein, the company's
co-founder and co-national medical director.
LASIK MD offers its clients different
procedures: LASIK, PRK, total cornea
LASIK, Zyoptix personalized laser vision
correction, intra-ocular surgery, Intacs, LTK,
punctual plugs, conductive keratoplasty and
monovision.
69
| classified ads |
_vis09-8:8
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09:57
Page 70
✍ | PLEASE NOTE |
Our classified ad section is a free
service for all optical practitioners,
in the canadian optical industry.
All submitted classified ads will be
included on the Breton
Communications Web site :
www.bretoncom.com/classified
PLEASE SEND YOUR CLASSIFIED AD
BEFORE
OCTOBER 22ND, 2008 TO:
c/o Vision Magazine
Breton Communications Inc.
495 St-Martin Blvd. West, #202
Laval, Quebec H7M 1Y9
Fax: (450) 629-6044
E-mail: lauren@bretoncom.com
|Advertisers Index|
Allison Canada _________33
Audace Lunettes __________6
Bausch & Lomb _________43
| BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY |
Excellent Opportunity! Well
established optical store for
sale. Owner wants to retire.
Please call (905) 302-8700 or
e-mail rlbopt@gmail.com.
__________________________
Minutes west of Toronto - 19
years established dispensary for
sale in busy medical building.
Turnkey operation in top
location. 9,300+ patients, 2 eye
doctors come on site, very
profitable. Lease rate is
irresistible at $2,000 month
including TMI. Priced to sell.
This opportunity will not last
long.
dispensary4sale@hotmail.com.
__________________________
briot/Weco ______________41
Canadian Optical
Supply Co. __________44, 47
Centennial _____________15
Chantilli ________________58
CIBA Vision _____________67
Seeking business partner for
frame distributorship in Ontario.
For more information please
respond to s.code@sympatico.ca.
__________________________
CooperVision _____29, 59, 71
Essilor _________False Cover,
Inside Back Cover
Groupe Optique
Prisme __________22, 28, 42
Hoya ___________________11
Importlux _______________53
Johnson & Johnson________7
Kio Yamato _____________61
Klear-Glass of Canada ____62
Luxottica _Inside Front Cover
McCray Optical Supply ____66
Mezmereyes ____________69
Modular Design _________23
Nikon Optical
Canada _________Back Cover
OAC ___________________68
| EMPLOYMENT |
A leading optical wholesaler
currently has a sales representative position available in
Ontario for a highly motivated,
enthusiastic individual who is
able to work independently.
Both experienced sales people
and/or opticians would be ideal
candidates. If interested please
e-mail or fax your résumé to:
Attention Kinga Dym at
kingadym@google.ca or (888)
497-3937.
__________________________
Opal Optical __35, 36, 37, 38
Optika Eyewear__________27
Perfect Optical __________63
Plan ''B'' Eyewear_________5
Rodenstock _____________13
Ronor __________________21
Serengeti _______________55
Silmo __________________45
The Optical Group _______54
Topcon Canada __________48
Transitions ______________17
VCOS __________________34
Venus Eye Design ________65
Viva International Group __49
Wescan _________________3
Younger Optics __________19
Zig Eyewear _____________64
70
Due to reorganization and
expansion, a leading optical
wholesaler, has an opening for
a sales representative in B.C.
As this is a well established
territory with a broad clientele
it represents a fantastic opportunity for the right person.
Candidates will ideally have
optical or/and sales experience,
be enthusiastic, self-motivated,
and able to form and maintain
long term relationships. If you
think you are that person,
please e-mail or fax your
résumé to: Attention Kinga Dym
at kingadym@google.ca or
(888) 497-3937.
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
Family optical is looking for a
licensed
optometrist
with
knowledge of Spanish, preferable
but not an issue, for a Kitchener
location. Please send résumé and
availability to family-optical@
hotmail.com.
__________________________
LASIK MD is the leading
provider of laser vision correction in Canada. Our organization is proud to have been
named one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada. We
are happy to announce the
opening of our 22nd location in
Waterloo, Ontario and are currently searching for Opticians,
(full time and part time). Generous remuneration will be offered to suitable candidates. If
you are looking for a meaningful career within a challenging,
and rewarding work environment, please send your resume
to Genevieve Pilon at hrresumes@lasikmd.com or by fax
at: (514) 904-1199. Please indicate reference # WKOOP07 in
the subject of your job application.
__________________________
Hakim Optical is looking for
licensed opticians for the
following
areas:
Calgary,
Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina
and Red Deer. Please fax your
résumé to (416) 323-0660 A/S
Human Resources.
__________________________
Image Optical Brampton in
northeast Brampton (Airport
and Bovaird) is looking for a
licensed optician immediately.
Full time and part time positions available. Excellent pay
and benefits. Flexible schedule.
New graduates welcome. Please
fax résumé to (905) 494-0411
or e-mail to parmdhillon@
hotmail.com.
__________________________
Independent Sales Reps wanted.
3 exciting collections from
Europe are available for Alta,
Sask/Man, Ontario, Quebec and
Eastern provinces. High commission rates and incentives for
qualified reps. Experience an
asset. Please e-mail résumés to
sales@i2ieyewear.com or fax at
(800) 886-0669.
__________________________
LASIK MD is the leading
provider of laser vision correction in Canada. Our organization is proud to have been
named one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada. We
are happy to announce the
opening of our 21st location in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and
are currently searching for Opticians, (full time and part time).
Generous remuneration will be
offered to suitable candidates.
If you are looking for a meaningful career within a challenging, and rewarding work
environment, please send your
résumé to Geneviève Pilon at
hrresumes@lasikmd.com or by
fax at: (514) 904-1199. Please
indicate reference #SASOP03 in
the subject of your job application.
__________________________
LASIK MD is Canada's leader in
laser vision correction. Our organization is proud to be one
of Canada’s 50 Best Managed
Companies in 2007. We have
22 clinics across Canada and
the United States. LASIK MD in
Montreal, Laval, Brossard, Quebec and Sherbrooke is currently
searching for Optometrists and
Opticians (full-time and parttime). Generous remuneration
will be offered to suitable candidates. If you are interested in
working in the exciting field of
refractive surgery, please send
your resume to Geneviève Pilon
at hrresumes@lasikmd.com or
by fax to: (514) 904-1199.
Please indicate reference #
QODOP02 in the subject of your
job application.
__________________________
Optical store in Newmarket, ON
is looking for licensed optician
/ contact lenses fitter for part
time position. We pay good
salary and high commissions. If
interested please e-mail your
résumé to: ysnewoptica@
gmail.com.
__________________________
Optical wholesaler requires full
time sales agent to call on
optometrists and opticians.
Extensive over night travel
throughout the province of
Ontario. Candidates should
have strong communication
skills and have a professional
appearance.
Compensation
package based on results.
Guaranteed base + commission
+ expenses. Training provided.
Fax in résumé at (506) 859-9611
or by e-mail at chcam@
nb.aibn.com.
__________________________
Optiq Frames/ On-Guard Safety/
Hilco Agency - We represent the
most complete range of optical
products available to Canadian
eyecare professionals, from top
optical industry companies. Our
agency
represents
Optiq
Frames, On-Guard Safety and
the complete range of 20,000
Hilco products. We are in need
of experienced professionals in
Western Quebec including Montreal. A substantial monthly
guarantee, expenses and bonus
structure is available for the
right person. Please contact
Don Coulson at (705) 321-8199 or
at don.coulson@optiqframes.com.
__________________________
Oshawa, Ontario. Optometry
office requires a Senior Optical
Dispenser for professional optometric clinic. Friendly staff
and positive work environment.
Modern dispensary includes
state of the art edger/tracer.
Base rate is $16-24/hour and remuneration will be determined
based on experience. Fax résumé
in confidence to (905) 434-7904,
or to izesight@yahoo.ca.
__________________________
Oshawa, Ontario. Optometry
office requires an Optical
Dispensary Manager for professional optometric clinic. Modern office, friendly staff, positive
work environment. Base rate is
$16-24/hour and remuneration
will be determined based on
experience.
Fax résumé in
confidence to (905) 434-7904,
or email: izesight@yahoo.ca.
__________________________
Perfect Optical Inc. is currently
looking for an experienced
optical salesperson in British
Columbia. Lacoste, Elle, Aristar,
and Cube represent a fantastic
opportunity for the right
candidate.
Kindly
fax
résumés
to
(514) 270-6974 or e-mail to
info@perfect-optical.com.
__________________________
71_vis09-8:8
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Page 1
12/09/08
09:59
Page 72
| classified ads |
_vis09-8:8
VISION +
$499.00
Comprehensive software at a reasonable price.
Point-of-Sale Software, Inventory Control, Automatic order pricing,
Patient Invoicing, Marketing Tools, Sales Reports, Demographics
Ability to submit orders electronically to various labs
(519) 749-0374
MSF Computing Inc.
| EQUIPMENT |
REPRESENTATIVES
WANTED
Optik K&R, a well
established ophthalmic
industry leader has openings available for Client
Sales/Service Representatives. Positions available
across Canada. Products
include Contact Lenses,
and Optical Laboratory
Services. Knowledge of
these products is essential. Representatives will
be responsible for maintaining and building client
relationships
through
face-to-face, and telephone
contact. Please send your
résumé to Ryan Maxwell
at rmaxwell@KandR.com
All applications will be
treated confidentially.
Sales representatives required:
Optika Eyewear, Canada’s leader
in high fashion, quality eyewear,
is seeking experienced sales
representatives for Ontario and
Maritime provinces. Candidates
must be highly motivated and
have strong connections within
the optical industry. Compensation
packages are excellent. Agents
are welcome to apply. Please
fax résumé to (514) 334-0354 or
e-mail at richardj@bellnet.ca or
visit www.optikaeyewear.com.
__________________________
2004 Essilor Kappa edger and
3-D tracer, built-in groover.
Equipment has been very well
maintained. Looks like new!
Asking for $20,000. Call Peter
at (416) 618-4862 or e-mail
Peterfan@gmail.com.
__________________________
Auto Tonometer for immediate
sale Topcon CT-20 for $6,700
obo and Optician computer/digital photo system for $3,000 or
obo. call Susan at (819) 684-0748
or e-mail at llochan22@
videotron.ca.
__________________________
Display units for sale. Want to
sell quickly, Asking $4,000. Will
take best offer. You must pick
up or ship. Call Paul Carey at
Carey Optical (519) 832-5000 in
Port Elgin, Ontario.
__________________________
Essilor edger Alpha with tracer,
in excellent condition, comes
with Poly, Plastic and polishing
wheel.
Very well maintained and hardly
used as we have 2 edgers. Asking
$8,900 OBO. For more info and
pictures please contact me at
Marchello9595@hotmail.com.
__________________________
For sale: B&L used slit lamp and
keratometer. Both in excellent
working order. Approximately 12
years old but are both wonderful clean pieces. They are truly
work horses and just won't
quit. Asking $1,800 for the pair.
Unfortunately, there is no table
with these two pieces. Arthur
Kochberg (416) 529-0336.
__________________________
• Topcon lensometer
• Ophthalmic tools
• Bead warmer
Please call (613) 234-1964
__________________________
Grand Bend Optical store
requires licensed optometrist to
work with refracting optician.
Part time and flexible hours.
Please reply to greeneoptical@
hay.net or fax résumé to
(519) 238-6782.
__________________________
Optical equipment for sale.
Closed optical dispensary.
Finishing lab and refracting
lane. Refracting lane includes,
optical chair, phoropter, projector, retina scope, ophthalmoscope, wall mount bracket, slit
lamp, tonometer. Finishing lab
with weco edger, coburn handstone, bead pan, handtools, tint
unit, B&L lensometer, approximately 50 frame rods. Would
prefer to sell complete. Best
reasonable offer. Everything
must go. Call (519) 440-3947 or
e-mail john_19_64@hotmail.com
for the complete list.
__________________________
Help wanted! We are looking for
enthusiastic individuals for a
growing Canadian company.
Sales representatives for our
territories
of
Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Quebec and the
Maritimes are requited immediately. Top commissions are paid
plus bonus! Fax or e-mail résumé to: Mezmereyes, A/S
Chuck Fellnermayr, phone 1-866405-3937, fax 1-866-882-3937,
e-mail at sales@mezmereyes.ca.
__________________________
Optical equipment for immediate
sale $20,000 OBO:
• Doctor’s hydrolic chair with unit
• Pupilometer (auto)
• Topcon slit lamp
• Swing table attachment
• Topcon table, hydrolic manual
• Overhead lamp
• Trial lens set
• Trial frame
• Vectograph
• Perkins tonometer
• A/O projection chart
• Topcon auto-refractor
• Welch-Allyn retinascope
• Topcon keratometer
Optical store closed! Frames for
immediate sale. Med-High
grade. Over 750 frames, valued
at $20,000. Lines: Venus eye
design, Babyphat, Phatfarm,
Modo,Gant, Rayban, Adidas,
and much more. If interested
contact Susan at (819) 684-0748
or e-mail to llochan22@
videotron.ca.
__________________________
www.visionplus.cc
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aligne-a-lens II layout blocker
Topcon ALE 100 DX edger
Novamatic groover
Finishing/feathering stone
9 pot tint unit
Ultrasonic cleaner
Pupilometer
Sensormatic security system
with labels
Contact Frank at (613) 736-6658.
__________________________
Top-of-the-Line:
Briot-Weco
Alta NX Edger and Alta XL
Centering Device. Still under
warranty. Would love to keep
it, but need to sell due to family commitments. $47,000 or
best offer.
Please contact:
shirt_pants@live.com.
__________________________
Topcon ALD 3500 Edger with
tracer and blocker for sale.
$2,500. New plastic wheel and
serviced regularly. Please call
Margaret at (905) 575-8589 or
e-mail mg8589@hotmail.com.
__________________________
| SERVICE |
Licensed Optician, bilingual,
with over 27 years experience
available in Ottawa for part/full
hours. Customer service #1
priority. For further details call
(613) 884-2152.
__________________________
Refracting and lab equipments
for sale.
• Alliance phoropter
• A.O. projector with mirrors
• B&L stand
• B&L chair
• Humphrey auto-refractor with
table
• Topcon slit-lamp with table
• B&L Keratometer
• Small trial frame and lens kit
• A.O. lensometer
OPTICIANS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
To become a member of the Opticians Association of Canada and take
advantage of its many membership benefits please call
1-800-847-3155 • canada@opticians.ca
OPTICIANS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA : 2706-83 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 4J9 • www.opticians.ca
72
Now fitted to individual wearing parameters
Experience even more contrast and optimized visual
performance with Varilux Physio f-360˚TM. The customlocated near vision area based on individual wearing
parameters, will allow presbyopes to enjoy comfort
like never before.
Winner of the 2007 Golden Silmo Award
HIGH RESOLUTION VISION™
74_vis09-8:8
04/09/08
09:15
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advertisement - Opticians Association of Canada

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