Tommy Crooks, OD.

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—Clarkson Eyecare, one of the largest eyecare groups in the Midwest, has acquired EyeCare Associates (ECA), a 19-office optometry practice in Alabama and Pinnacle Optical LLC, a full-service wholesale lab in Alabama. Details of the transaction, which was backed by FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based U.S. private equity firm, were not disclosed.

The move is FFL’s third acquisition in the optical industry following growth investments in Eyemart Express in December 2014 and Clarkson Eyecare in April 2015.

“EyeCare Associates’ business model parallels that of Clarkson Eyecare in several ways,” said Anthony Nunn, president of Clarkson Eyecare. “This partnership will enable ECA to further expand their presence throughout the state and surrounding states, and we will be working closely with Dr. Tommy Crooks, president of ECA, and his team to do so. We look forward to introducing some of the processes that have contributed so much to Clarkson’s success over the years, and helping EyeCare Associates continue to be the leading eyecare provider in Alabama.”

James Wachter, OD, Clarkson’s chief professional officer, added, “The doctors at EyeCare Associates have been providing

James Wachter, OD.
exceptional care to the people of Alabama for years. We will maintain this high level of care as we add more locations, and grow our team of doctors and opticians.”

Tommy Crooks, OD, commented, “Joining forces with the great people at Clarkson Eyecare and other like-minded optometry groups is the next step in the evolution of ECA and is the exact vision the founders of ECA had back 20 years ago. We believe that the consolidation occurring in our profession and in the industry is long overdue and we are looking forward to working with Clarkson Eyecare to lead the way into the future and we believe that the future is indeed very bright.”

Based in St. Louis, and founded in 1979, Clarkson Eyecare currently offers comprehensive medical eyecare services at more than 80 offices located throughout Missouri, Southern Illinois, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The company was ranked 18th in Vision Monday’s Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers Report.

Founded in 1996, ECA provides comprehensive vision and eye health examinations, and is a full-service provider of eyeglasses and contact lenses.