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GREENSBORO, N.C.—Independent Optical Lab (IOL), an advanced automated freeform lab located here, announced the promotion of optical lab veteran Mike Lake to national sales director. “IOL has quickly gained a following in the mid-Atlantic region since our March 2020 launch,” said Ben Collier, the company’s founder and CEO. “Mike has been instrumental in the lab’s early success. We started the company with a mission to show the independent eyecare community that ‘independent is the new local’ and Mike is the perfect person to help the lab realize this mission across the U.S.”

Lake has been with the company since its early 2020 launch and enters this role with over 35 years of industry experience. An ABO certified speaker and trainer, he spent a number of years with Southern Optical Company, serving as the regional director of operations over eight labs. His prior experience includes owning and operating retail optical practices. Lake’s most recent role as territory sales executive over Virginia and North Carolina with U.S. Optical gained him a well-respected reputation among eyecare professionals in the mid-Atlantic and beyond.

As national sales director for IOL, Lake leads a team of veteran account reps, covering a significant portion of the U.S. The team consists of Bob Kite, Southern California; Tim Wooster, Northern California; Jim Reavey, New Jersey and New York City; Dave Metzger, New England; and Rusty Lookabill, Tennessee and Georgia.