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Hilco Vision’s Made in the USA OnGuard safety frame collection is a staple in both the Made in USA and safety eyewear categories. Not all of Hilco Vision’s products are made in the USA, but the fact that their safety line is American-made makes perfect sense. Hilco Vision’s director of marketing and communications told VM last year that the Made in USA story works particularly well in the safety eyewear category, “where the end user of the frames is often working in manufacturing environments that require safety eyewear.” This year, Donna Geruso, Hilco Vision’s sport and safety product manager expanded on this idea, telling VM, “our customers are excited to have a product line where the growth of U.S. manufacturing is literally represented in each prescription frame dispensed.”

Geruso also said that being American-made has been particularly beneficial due to the ever-changing nature of international shipping this year. She said that, over the past 18 months in particular, “There have clearly been impacts on products from overseas, increasing material costs and shipping disruptions throughout the industry and beyond… It has been a tremendous asset to have some of our top items manufactured right here in the United States. From raw materials to the actual molding, assembly, and final packaging—having every step of the process in the USA has allowed us to provide timely delivery of necessary product to our customers.”





Removing those obstacles involved in overseas production has been important, as Hilco Vision has seen an increase in demand for safety frames in 2020 and 2021. Geruso said, “We have a great team here at Hilco Vision that has worked to mitigate the impact of these challenges and an increased demand for safety frames. We see continuous improvement and programs, like our Made in the USA collection, are leading the way.”

The goal, for Hilco, has always been “to develop an end-to-end USA safety frame that would satisfy the needs of the market,” Geruso said. They’ve done exactly that, and felt the impact. Geruso concluded, “it’s a terrific feeling knowing we are supporting both our manufacturing partners and customers in an unprecedented way.”