By Jeff Hopkins / Contributing Editor
Thursday, February 18, 2021 12:30 AM
The optical industry is often viewed as a family: it is relatively small, as industries go, and it often seems like everybody knows everyone else. But many optical businesses, including labs, are literally family affairs passed on from one generation to the next, creating a continuity of culture and customer relationships. To understand the attraction, advantages and the rewards of working in the family business,
VM spoke to four lab leaders who are following in their parents’ footsteps and creating new ones of their own.
By Jeff Hopkins / Contributing Editor
Thursday, February 18, 2021 12:29 AM
The first two decades of the 21st century have seen many new developments and large investments in lab automation. Automating functions increases efficiency, reduces turnaround time and points of failure in lens fabrication and finishing, and almost everyone who knows the lab business would agree that the changes are for the best.
By Staff
Thursday, February 18, 2021 12:27 AM
Solving problems within the Maui Jim Rx lab does not happen within a vacuum. It takes a team to identify the problem and then work together to find the solution, according to Paul Ponder, vice president, Rx lab operations for the popular sunglass brand.
By Andrew Karp
Friday, January 8, 2021 8:30 AM
It’s a plotline straight out of the movies. Three former optical wholesale lab owners leave behind the daily grind of making prescription eyewear to become producers of independent films featuring Alec Baldwin, Marisa Tomei and other big name stars. Like the legal disclaimer seen at the start of many movies, this story is based on actual events. In fact, the main characters—Michael J. Rothstein, formerly Hirsch Optical in New York, Mike Palkovicz, formerly of I-See Optical Lab in New Jersey and Greg Ruden, formerly of Expert Optics in Illinois—are real people who are well-known to many in optical. How they landed their dream job is the true story of three middle-aged guys who each sold their successful family business, invested in an indie production company, took a leap into the unknown and landed on their feet.
By Staff
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 12:15 AM
ARCHAMPS, France—Jean Gehrig, founder of
SCL International, a cleaning and hard coating machine manufacturer based here, passed away Nov. 13, 2020, at age 79. The news was reported this week by Satisloh, whose parent company,
Essilor,
acquired SCL in 2016. Gehrig was an electrical engineer who founded two companies before SCL International was formed in 1993, producing dip coating technology. Two years later their first piece of equipment with the SCL label was produced.
By Andrew Karp
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 6:30 PM
Optical laboratories have always been an important part of Vision Monday’s editorial coverage. Over the years, we celebrated and elevated labs because they are the backbone of the optical industry, providing support for eyecare professionals and optical retailers while serving as an essential link in the optical supply chain. Our original research and in-depth reports spotlight the accomplishments of the companies and individuals who contribute to the growth of this vital sector of our industry
By Jeff Hopkins, Contributing Editor
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 6:29 PM
With the optical lab landscape seemingly dominated by manufacturers’ networks and a few large independent labs, you could be forgiven for thinking that there is no room in the market for new players. Yet optical veterans continue to find fertile ground for the establishment of new small independent labs, and success is following.
By Andrew Karp
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 6:28 PM
McLeod Optical discovered that the shape of a frame tracing did not stay the same when the demo lens was removed from the tracer. “The frames would lose their shape when demos were removed,” said Scott MacLeod, president of the Warwick, Rhode Island-based lab. “The b measurement would become smaller and the a measurement would increase. This would affect the first time fit at edging and the cosmetics of the job would be off, causing customer complaints.”
By Staff
Tuesday, December 15, 2020 12:18 AM
REDDING, Calif.—Corrine S. Hood, 74, passed away at Willow Springs in Redding, California on Nov. 1, 2020. Hood was born in Benton, Illinois on Oct. 19, 1946.
By Staff
Monday, December 7, 2020 12:30 AM
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Optical lab veteran Morley Gwirtzman passed away peacefully in the presence of his family, Nov. 29, 2020, at age 81, in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y.
By Staff
Friday, December 4, 2020 12:21 AM
EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands—
Luxexcel, the technology provider for 3D printed prescription lenses, reported that its manufacturing platforms in the U.S. and Europe have reached a milestone in its production volume.