The Vision Council announces Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program
The Vision Council, through the Better Vision Institute, is pleased to launch the Open Your Eyes Scholarship Program, a charity designed to support high school students in marginalized communities throughout the United States who have an interest in pursuing a career...
Coburn Technologies introduces Christopher Lentocha as new Director of Service
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to welcome Christopher Lentocha to their service team as their new Director of Service. Lentocha will lead and implement Coburn’s service plans for their United States and Latin America markets. This will include providing...
The Vision Council announces topics and speakers for the 2021 Executive Summit
The Vision Council shared details on the themed breakout sessions planned for the 2021 Executive Summit, taking place virtually from January 26–28, 2021. On Wednesday, January 27 and Thursday, January 28, The Vision Council will present three breakout sessions each...
tooz technologies launched smart glasses in China
tooz technologies has developed an optical platform which enables cost-effective, unobtrusive and turnkey smart glass solutions. In December 2020, the German start-up, a spin-off from Zeiss and today a Zeiss-Telekom joint-venture, launched its first smart glasses...
The Vision Council releases VisionWatch Q3 2020 Market Research Reports
The Vision Council has released its quarterly VisionWatch market research reports for Q3 of 2020, indicating a net increase of 1.2 million vision correction users year over year from September 2019 to September 2020 and $37.46 billion in retail revenues during the...
Optical Coating Entrepreneur, Jean Gehrig, dies at 79
Jean Gehrig, founder of SCL International, a cleaning and hard coating machine manufacturer based in France, passed away in November 2020. For all who met Jean, they will remember a gentleman, a professional, a real entrepreneur. He was an electrical engineer who...
IOT launches new personalized lens calculation technology
Digital Ray-Path 2 works in synergy with nature by harnessing the innate power of the human eye to create advanced lens designs. IOT has just launched the Digital Ray-Path 2 technology, an evolution of its predecessor, Digital Ray-Path. This new technology, in...
Schneider Anti Fog: Now available for most AR-coaters
The bad news: Wearing face masks will most likely remain for some time to come. The good news: Glasses will no longer fog up thanks to the Schneider Anti Fog Coating technology. All you need is one single consumable chip! Insert and go: No matter what equipment and...
Coburn Technologies announces new ProCoat hard lens coating
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to introduce ProCoat, their most robust and feature-rich hard coating for backside lens coaters. ProCoat is the “pro” when it comes to unsurpassed abrasion resistance, adhesion, tintability, clarity and stability. Expertly...
Vision Expo East: Launch of new online continuing education platform
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, co-owners of Vision Expo, are reimagining the Show’s continuing education offerings with the launch of VisionEd Direct, a new virtual continuing education platform offering on-demand accredited courses, and plans for a new...
Satisloh launches new AR coating to eliminate foggy lenses
Satisloh Fog-Free is the company’s solution to eliminating the annoying issue of foggy eyeglasses. Fog-Free consists of two elements: a new coating process for Satisloh vacuum box coaters and pre-treated consumer microfiber cloths, which activate the anti-fog...
Sagnières and Del Vecchio step down from their current positions at EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica has announced a major change in leadership. Hubert Sagnières leaves all his executive responsibilities at EssilorLuxottica and its subsidiaries and will remain as nonexecutive Vice-Chairman of the company. In order to preserve the equal powers...
Mojo Vision and Menicon announce joint development agreement on smart contact lens products
Mojo Vision, the Invisible Computing company, and the contact lens manufacturer Menicon announced that both companies have entered into a joint development agreement on September 21, 2020. Mojo Vision is developing Mojo Lens, the first true smart contact lens, a...
Luxexcel reaches next milestone in volume manufacturing
Luxexcel, the technology provider for 3D printed prescription lenses, reports that its manufacturing platforms in the US and Europe have reached a milestone in its production volume. Luxexcel’s VisionPlatforms™ have printed over 50,000 lenses for customers in the...
New partnership: MEI and B&S
MEI announces a new partnership with the traditional German wholesaler for optical equipment and eyewear B&S (Breitfeld & Schliekert) for the distribution of the dry cut lens edger EZFit in the German market. Breitfeld & Schliekert has successfully been serving the...
Coburn Technologies announces the new Agility Autodeblocker
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to introduce a new product category to their surfacing line of products with an automatic lens deblocker, the Agility Autodeblocker. Developed for large labs seeking speed and efficiency, Agility is the fastest automated deblocking...
Social Business is a job engine in developing countries – example OneDollarGlasses
Labour markets in developing countries are often characterised by informal and insecure employment; in view of demographic developments, the pressure on them will increase enormously in the coming years. Prominent organisations now also ascribe a great deal of...
The Vision Council concludes first all-member virtual meeting
The Vision Council hosted the organization’s first All-Member Virtual Meeting yesterday, Thursday, November 12. The meeting brought together more than 300 members of the vision care product and services community for an afternoon of engaging presentations from The...
MEI launches the new 4RacerTBA Swift
MEI launches the new 4RacerTBA Swift. The new lens edger features unparalleled automatic inspection abilities and fast self controlled edging process, with the smallest physical and environmental footprint of the market. With its new control unit and the new lens...
The Vision Council launches 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey
The Vision Council has announced the launch of the 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey. Developed in partnership with Nonprofit HR, one of the leading full-service human resources firms focused exclusively on the nonprofit sector with expertise in DEI...
Bruno Fischer will become CEO at Satisloh
After 5 years with Satisloh, first as Head of Region North America and for the last 2 years as President/CEO for the global Satisloh Group, Pete Lothes will take on a new leadership role within Essilor of America as SVP Operations and Supply Chain effective November...
Salem announces rebranding and restructure of the company
Salem Distributing Company, Inc. is excited to announce a major rebrand and divisional restructure. These changes reflect the company’s evolution and desire to serve its customers with a greater focus to better meet the changing needs of the fabrication industry.Salem...
Mitsui Chemicals acquires Cotec
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. announced that group company SDC Technologies, Inc. has acquired Cotec, an established innovator in the development and manufacture of high quality PVD (physical vapor deposition) and MLD (molecular layer deposition) materials for hydrophobic,...
DAC’s Virtual trade show booth
DAC Technologies launches a new digital experience with a virtual booth where customers can navigate and learn more about DAC's line of surfacing, cleaning and finishing equipment along their consumable lines. Customers can view equipment images rotate 360 degrees,...
Cancellation of opti 2021
A sad consequence of coronavirus-related developments: opti, the international trade show for optics and design, which was planned to take place from 8th to 10th of January 2021, has been cancelled due to the current volatile developments: This decision was a result...
MIDO postponed to June 5 – 7
MIDO 2021 drops its traditional February dates to schedule a June show. A sensible choice, driven by the aim to ensure exhibitors and visitors an exhibition offering peak international traffic potential and profitable business transactions. The show’s well-known...
Vision Expo East postponed to May 25 – 28
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, today announce that Vision Expo East 2021, originally scheduled to take place from March 18–21, will now take place May 25–28, 2021 (Education: May 25–28; Exhibition: May 26–28) at the Javits Center...
Coburn Technologies introduces the new Acuity Max Soft Polisher
Coburn Technologies is pleased to introduce the latest technology in conventional lens processing that eliminates the need for traditional hard tools. Developed in conjunction with the CTL65 Compact Lens Generator which the company introduced several years ago,...
Luxexcel prepares for the next phase of growth in the smart glasses market
Luxexcel introduced its volume manufacturing solution to 3D print smart prescription lenses to the smart eyewear market, and has subsequently strengthened its leadership team to support this move. The company is now geared to enable high-tech companies to make a...
EssilorLuxottica cooperates with Facebook for smart glasses
EssilorLuxottica and Facebook announced a multi-year collaboration to develop the next generation of smart glasses. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the news during Facebook Connect, an annual conference held virtually from California. The partnership...
The Vision Council launches diversity, equity and inclusion task force
The Vision Council announced the launch of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. The task force launch is part of the organization’s larger brand reimagination focused on community-building and industry growth and follows The Vision Council’s recent unveiling...
The Vision Council launches new brand identity and website
The Vision Council has announced the launch of a new brand identity, including a reimagined logo and a new website designed to better serve and accommodate the needs of members and the vision care community at large. The rebrand and website launch represent the...
Changes at Board of Directors of Bühler Group
Stefan Scheiber, CEO of Bühler Group, was elected as a new Member of the Board of Directors of Bühler Holding AG at an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting on August 28, 2020. The shareholders elected him unanimously as a new member of the Board of Directors of...
New OptoTech furnace series
OptoTech has announced the release of their new OCF furnace series for curing hardcoatings on ophthalmic lenses as well as curing blanks. The 2 available versions (OCF Premium 2 and OCF Premium Plus 3) have individually controlled modules and adjustable feedrate for...
Vision Expo to host virtual career event
Vision Expo has announced plans to host the Virtual Career Zone, a virtual networking event designed to connect young professionals and students with optical companies. Set to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 11-11:55 a.m. EDT, the virtual event is inspired by...
Update on legal proceedings of EssilorLuxottica against HAL and GrandVision
EssilorLuxottica acknowledges that yesterday a Dutch district court issued a judgment in the summary proceedings that were initiated by them. The company had announced in July that it had taken legal steps intended to assess the way GrandVision conducted its business...
Satisloh announces on-demand support with assisted reality technology
Satisloh expanded their technical support portfolio with the new Distance Step program, providing labs real-time help and information without a tech visit. “We’re excited about offering Distance Step – especially now with the uncertainty of travel. It gives our...
MAFO – The Conference 2021 confirmed
After the inevitable cancellation of MAFO - The Conference 2020 due to the corona crisis it is now certain: MAFO - The Conference 2021 will take place! The motto for the annual industry meeting ties in with 2020: Smart and Sustainable - reloaded. And the date is also...
Coburn Technologies introduces new express lens edger
Coburn Technologies has released the next generation in their lens edging technology, their fastest edger to-date, the HPE-910 Exxpert Express Lens Edger. The faster edging speed is the result of smart processing and quick mapping, completing a job in 80 seconds....
Safe Business Platform: opti 2021
From September 1st on, trade fairs may take place again in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The upcoming opti, which will be held in Stuttgart from 8th to 10th of January 2021, will then be the first ophthalmic optics trade show within a year, where the industry can meet...
Silmo 2020 outside the walls
After announcing that the 2020 edition would not be held at Paris Nord Villepinte, from Oct, 2 to 5, Silmo Paris activated its plan B to address the expectation of the optical and eyewear industry and the anticipation of exhibitors and visitors hoping to reunite. This...
Schneider goes contact lenses and IOL
Schneider is entering the market for contact lens and IOL manufacturing technology with two new solutions for single-point diamond turning. The fully featured UPC 100 Vision is designed for the manufacturing of mold inserts with surface roughness values in the 1-2 nm...
Digital use has increased in corona times
A representative study among spectacle wearers shows how much digital use has increased in the times of corona. This also has an impact on our visual dynamics today. Whether video conferencing, e-mail, chat or video streaming: As a result of the corona crisis with...
Silmo 2020 cancelled
Organizers of Silmo 2020 announced today the cancellation of the event which had been scheduled at the Paris Nord Villepinte Centre, Oct, 2 to 5. In its statement, Amelie Morel, chairwoman of the Silmo Association, wrote, "Since the beginning of the worldwide health...
N-Tec Talks in the Rhine Valley
The high-tech congress N-Tec Talks will take place parallel to the fair W3 + Fair Rheintal on September 23 and 24, 2020 in Dornbirn, Austria. The event focuses on prospects, opportunities and ideas for the high-tech industry after the corona crisis. More than 35...
Vision Expo West 2020 cancelled
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions have announced the decision to cancel Vision Expo West 2020, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 23–26. Over the past several months, Reed Exhibitions’ Vision Expo team and The Vision Council worked...
W3+ Fair Rhine Valley 2020 firmly scheduled for September
After the gradual easing of the corona regulations in Austria, preparations for the 2nd high-tech trade fair W3+ Fair Rhine Valley are once again picking up full speed. With its event date in September, the fair will be the start of the second half of the business...
Coburn announces new spin coating system
Coburn Technologies is releasing the Velocity LTE Spin Coating System — a semi-automated spin coater that builds on the Velocity coating platform and provides the control and ease of use needed by small to mid-sized labs. It offers the same coating technology of the...
IOT has launched reactivation plan for partners
IOT has launched ‘IOT restart’, a personalized plan for customers to reactivate their operations and “return to normality”. The motto of the program is “more united than ever to achieve new successes”. The company sees teamwork, sharing information, knowledge and best...
The Vision Council honors Alan Ritter
The Vision Council is honoring the life and work of Alan Ritter, one of the founders of the organization who passed away last week. Ritter was one of the original founders of The Vision Council, serving as its first president in 1986, and a pivotal figure in the...
opti looks forward to 2021 edition
In the middle of the corona crisis, opti prepares for 2021. The entire industry is currently facing an immense challenge, and opti is also faced with new conditions due to the corona crisis and the upcoming move to Stuttgart in 2021. According to the organizers, the...
Silmo Paris 2020 is preparing to welcome the industry back
When the theme for the 2020 edition – #FUTURISSilmo – was first conceived, it was impossible to foresee that the current crisis would bring even more meaning to the subject. Now, it is as essential as ever to accompany the optical and eyewear industry to ensure that...
Vision Expo West 2020 is open for registration
Vision Expo West will return to the iconic city of Las Vegas, Nevada on September 23-26, 2020 under the banner of One Vision – One Focus – One Future. The much-anticipated Vision Expo West is where the optical industry will unite and get back to business. The Vision...
Changes of personnel at Buhler Group
Dieter Vögtli, member of the Buhler Executive Board, passed away on Friday, June 5, as a result of a short, serious illness. Dieter Vögtli headed the company's global Service & Sales (SAS) organization. Before that, he was responsible for Buhler's business in Asia....
Schneider offers new CMMS
In order to provide preventive maintenance and remote support in times of the new normal, Schneider has developed a computerized maintenance management system, CMMS. It enables labs to perform maintenance reliably like professionals. The system provides intelligence...
Schneider and Team Henrich & Krall now fully merged
Effective October 1st, 2020, Team Henrich & Krall GmbH (Team H&K), a member of the Schneider Group, will merge into the Schneider GmbH & Co. KG. The full range of products will be continue to be available through Schneider and existing customers will be fully...
Michael Vitale is new Lab Division Liaison
Following the retirement of Steve Sutherlin, the Lab Division Liaison responsibilities are taken on by Michael Vitale, The Vision Council’s Senior Technical Director, Lens Division Liaison, and Lens Processing & Technology Division Liaison. Vitale looks forward to...
Bühler gives first webinar
Bühler Leybold Optics has organized their first live webinar for the ophthalmic market. The webinar with the title "meeting market requirements from fast coating solutions to premium processes” will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The current ophthalmic market...
SatislohLink: virtual booth
Wanting to stay connected with labs, but at their customers’ convenience, Satisloh has created their new virtual booth, SatislohLink. Responding to canceled trade shows around the world, the company built this new online tool to keep the ophthalmic market informed and...
Shamir announces program to support first responders
Shamir is collaborating with US optical laboratories nationwide, which produce their freeform or digital lenses, and have chosen to participate in the company’s #VisionFIRST initiative. The program was designed to provide complimentary prescription lens designs for...
IOT webinars for education during confinement
The research and development company in the field of optics says it wants to enliven the weeks of confinement with its own webinars that encourage to strengthen knowledge in a pleasant and productive way. IOT has decided to publish weekly different webinars that seek...
The Vision Council announces the publication of ANSI Z87.1–2020
The Vision Council has announced the revision of the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. This standard sets criteria related to the general requirements, testing, permanent marking,...
California Lab Committee Announces Norm Kester as 2020 Goodfellow Award Recipient
The California Lab Committee has announced Norm Kester, President of ophthalmic coatings company Quantum Innovations, Inc., as the recipient of the 2020 Goodfellow award. The annual award recognizes a lab executive or business leader who actively contributes to the...
Schneider joins development project for ventilators to save lives of corona patients
Amidst the current global health crisis Schneider has teamed up with the Phillips-University of Marburg, Germany to refine, optimize and manufacture a scaled-down version of a ventilator that may serve as a last line of defense against the corona virus. Within a few...
Bühler appoints Irene Mark-Eisenring as new Chief HR Officer
Irene Mark-Eisenring will take charge of Bühler’s Executive Board function of Chief Human Resources Officer from Dipak Mane effective September 1, 2020. Dipak Mane is stepping out of this function to pursue other important management tasks within the organization,...
Steve Sutherlin to retire from The Vision Council
After five years with The Vision Council, Steve Sutherlin has announced his retirement as Lab Division Liaison. He held the position of President of the Optical Laboratories Association from 2005 to 2006, and was a member of the Association’s Board from 1998 to 2007....
Mido postponed to 2021
The Mido Management Board announced today that the the 50th edition of of the traide fair had to be postponed to 2021. They said the decision was difficult but unavoidable. “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Italy and its swift spread to the rest of the world, along...
Vision Expo Announces Virtual Connections Program
Vision Expo today announces Virtual Connections, a new program designed to encourage and facilitate conversations and virtual meetings for Vision Expo East 2020 exhibitors and attendees who had registered for the event that was postponed as a result of COVID-19....
MEI srl donates 500 thousand euros for the Coronavirus emergency
To face the Coronavirus emergency lens edging machines manufacturer MEI wanted to manifest its solidarity by contributing to the fundraising initiatives launched in the area of its Italian headquarters. Bergamo, Italy is one of the cities most affected by the Covid-19...
Essilor reorganizes itself to speed up its integration with Luxottica
In view of recent world changes, Essilor has decided to speed up its integration with Luxottica in order to build a more resilient, flexible and agile combined organization. To this end, Paul du Saillant, 61, is appointed CEO of Essilor. He succeeds Laurent Vacherot,...
MAFO team: business as usual (almost)
The MAFO editorial and commercial team is there for you as usual to ensure that you continue to be provided with the latest information from the industry. Even under the Covid-19 circumstances there are no restrictions on our work. MAFO - The Conference is also not...
Consolidation of Vision Expo East with Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, September 23–26
The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, today announce plans to consolidate Vision Expo East, due to be held March 26–29 in New York City, with Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, September 23–26. The decision is based on active and close...
Vitaloni explains the new dates for Mido
Following the evolution of the spreading of the Coronavirus, Mido 2020 was rescheduled for Sunday, 5 to Tuesday, 7 July 2020. Mido’s president, Giovanni Vitaloni, has explained the Board of Directors reasoning behind the new dates in Mido’s online magazine. “It is...
Hilary Halper steps down as co-CFO of EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica announced today that Hilary Halper has decided to step down as co-CFO of EssilorLuxottica.The Company is in the process of appointing a new co-CFO who will be announced shortly.
Mido 2020 rescheduled for 5-7 July
The Mido organizers announced the new dates to celebrate the fair’s 50th anniversary, which will now take place from Sunday, July 5 through Tuesday, July 7 2020, dates compatible with any coming provisions made by the competent authority for the health crisis and for...
MAFO – The Conference has been postponed
As was announced on Saturday, February 22, Mido won’t take place as scheduled due to the health crisis in Italy. We therefore have to postpone MAFO – The Conference accordingly. The situation is currently unpredictable. We will keep an eye on the developments and will...
Mido’s 50th edition has been postponed
Today, Saturday February 22, the Board of Directors of Mido met in order to set up and define a strategic response to the CoVID-19 emergency, in relation to the upcoming edition scheduled for February 29 to March 2. Mido’s organizers have announced that the board has...
Mido – digital platform for “Fair East” exhibitors
While the fiftieth edition of Mido will take place regularly, in compliance with the health regulations in force and by putting additional preventative measures in place, the “Fair East” area (pavilion 7), which traditionally hosts the Asian exhibitors, will not be...
A historical mark for the training at Bühler
70 apprentices started their professional training at Bühler in Switzerland in August 2019 - 10 women and 60 men. Together, they have already achieved a milestone for the company in their short professional career. Along with them, more than 8,000 young adults have...
Mido celebrates 50th anniversary
At the first edition of the Mido Eyeware show in 1970, there were 95 exhibitors (67 Italian and 28 from other countries) who displayed their products in 3.000 m2 of exhibit space. In 2019, more than 1.320 exhibitors and their wares occupied 7 pavilions and represented...
Nathan Troxell joins The Vision Council as Director of Industry Development, Think About Your Eyes
The Vision Council has appointed Nathan Troxell as Director, Industry Development for 'Think About Your Eyes. In this role, Troxell will help to grow the reputation of Think About Your Eyes among industry partners and expand participation and sponsorship of the...
Quantum Innovations inks strategic partnership with Optimal Technologies
Quantum Innovations, Inc. has completed a five-year agreement with UK-based Optimal Technologies last November. Optimal Technologies, best known for its ophthalmic hard coating and cleaning equipment, identified Quantum Innovations as the best solution for expanding...
Mido to take place as scheduled
Mido has confirmed that the 50th edition of the fair will take place as scheduled, in compliance with current health regulations. The organizers are carefully monitoring the situation surrounding the Coronavirus health warning, paying close attention to all the...
Change of ownership at MAFO
Petros Sioutis, Silke Sage and Efstathios Efthimiadis have taken over MAFO’s former Media Welt publishing house from founder Jörg Spangemacher in August of this year under the new name EYEPRESS Fachmedien GmbH. As former employees of the company, all three have many...
What the world looks like with eye diseases
In collaboration with optometrist Roshni Patel, Lenstore has used images to show how people with various eye diseases and visual impairments perceive everyday situations. More pictures on: www.lenstore.de/vc/durch-andere-augen-sehen ...
EssilorLuxottica – 2019 International Share Ownership Plan
EssilorLuxottica announced the results of its international share ownership plan (“Boost 2019”) with a subscription rate of over 67% of eligible employees. More than 56,000 employees now hold a financial stake in the company. In November this year, EssilorLuxottica...
Hoya celebrates 40 years in Germany
Hoya has been active in Germany since 1979. For many years, their German headquarters have been situated in Mönchengladbach. On November 23, 2019, a big anniversary party with more than 650 invited guests took place there with a top-class entertainment program with...
WHO publishes report on eye health
2.2 billion people worldwide have to live with visual impairment or blindness, with one billion of those cases being preventable or treatable. This is what the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Report (WHO) published for the first time. The most common...
DAC Technologies – New Latin America Sales Manager
DAC Technologies is pleased to welcome Nestor Paz as Latin America Sales Manager. Nestor will be responsible for supporting customers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining DAC, Nestor worked 15 years in the optical industry, most recently focused on...
A&R changes its ownership
With his retirement in view, the founder and main shareholder of Automation & Robotics (A&R), Christian Closset, created a plan for the future of the company that combines his own wishes and the strategy of the Walloon Regional Investment Company (SRIW), i.e. to...
Jörg Spangemacher honored for his life’s work
The traditional Vision Council Lab Division Hall of Fame Dinner is always a highlight of the Vision Expo West. At the Hall of Fame Dinner – in festive atmosphere with cocktails and a splendid buffet – people are honored for their outstanding contribution to the...
Lothes to expand role to President and CEO at Satisloh
Pete Lothes, who became Satisloh’s worldwide President at the beginning of 2019, has been named the company’s President and CEO effective September 1st. “Satisloh globally over the last eight months has been fast-paced and rewarding. I am excited to take on the CEO...
Coburn Technologies introduces the new Duality AR
Coburn Technologies, a provider of innovative, end-to-end customer solutions to the world's ophthalmic lens processing industries, introduces a new version of the Duality lens processing platform – the Duality AR. “The Duality AR expands the family of Duality,...
A Space Odyssey – farewell words by Jörg Spangemacher
An ophthalmic optician like me is not directly involved in the optical industry. He only needs to know that they make spectacle lenses. However, this all changed for me in 1979 when I attended a seminar in Amsterdam on the question of how to prevent scratches on the...
Satisloh names Luis Cerqueira Head of Region Latin America
Following the move of Christian Jakober to VP of Global Strategic Accounts, Luis Cerqueira takes over as Head of Region Latin America effective September 1, 2019. “Luis’ expertise in directing sales teams, running manufacturing facilities, and managing large...
New sustainable eyewear material
“BD8 – Bio Plastics” is a 100% bio-degradable plastics which can be naturally broken into carbon, water and bio mass. In a world where approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into the oceans every day, “BD8 – Bio Plastics” offers an...
The Vision Council announce the publication of new eye protection standard
The Vision Council is pleased to announce the publication by ASTM of a new eye protection standard, ASTM F3164-19 Standard Specification for Eye Protectors for Racket Sports (Racquetball, Squash, Tennis). This new standard replaces the previous requirements for racket...
The IOT website now speaks Chinese and Portuguese
IOT continues to update its website to make t he information and knowledge available for all customers to manufacture the best lenses. From now on, all that information is available in two new languages, Portuguese and Chinese, which are added to the English and...
Speed Dating at Vision Expo West
Vision Expo West is pleased to introduce The Next Generation of Retailers - Speed Dating event at this year’s Show. For the first time ever, new and potential business owners will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with some of the industry’s most successful...
Coburn Technologies introduces the new Spectrum Prismatic Lens Blocker
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce the newest innovation in Lens Blocking Systems, the Spectrum Prismatic Lens Blocker. Designed for compatibility with all common surfacing machines, the Spectrum Prismatic Lens Blocker provides extremely precise...
Replacing tape: Schneider’s new spin protection technology
Problems with wrinkles, bubbles, detaching, commonly known with tape, are a thing of the past thanks to the SPP Modulo. It replaces tape to optimally protect the lens during the surfacing process utilizing UV-curable liquid protection layers. Evenly distributed across...
opti to get a new home in 2021
Onwards to new horizons: in 2021, 2023 and 2025 opti will be held at the fairground “Messe Stuttgart”. The reason: in these odd years, fairground Munich is only able to give opti exhibitors a narrow window of time in which to construct their stands due to the “BAU”,...
EssilorLuxottica to acquire HAL’s 76.72% interest in GrandVision
EssilorLuxottica S.A. (“EssilorLuxottica”), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses today announces an agreement with Hal Optical Investments B.V. (“HAL”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HAL Holding N.V,...
Hall of Fame Inductees 2019
The Vision Council is pleased to announce the Lab Division’s Directors’ Choice Award recipient and the industry veterans who have been selected to be inducted into the Lab Division Hall of Fame for 2019. The Division has named Steve Sutherlin, The Vision Council’s Lab...
EssilorLuxottica confirms discussions to purchase ownership interest in GrandVision
EssilorLuxottica confirms it is having discussions to purchase the 76.72% ownership interest in GrandVision N.V. of HAL Holding N.V. No agreement has yet been reached and no assurance can be provided that these discussions will lead to such an agreement. In addition,...
Vision Expo West provides diversified education content
New education at Vision Expo West 2019 will offer attendees a wide range of tracks, courses, workshops and competitions featuring the latest in leadership, marketing, patient care and more with real-time planning and interactive demonstrations. With over 300 hours of...
New building extension @ FISA Ultraschall – Kandel – Germany!
In order to improve services offers and to better meet the customer’s needs, FISA has extended their site in Germany. 150 sqm more for the benefit of their customers: new technical office for the after-sales team, new spare parts store as well as new FIMM Germany...
SCHNEIDERs Modulo Line wins German Innovation Award
On May 28th, 2019, SCHNEIDER was honored w ith the German Innovation Award by the German Design Council for the invention of the Module Line – the first fully automated Industry 4.0 ophthalmic lens production system. Following its nomination, SCHNEIDER was chosen by...
Coburn Technologies launches brand new Consumables E-Commerce Website
Coburn Technologies, Inc. has officially launched a brand new e-commerce website for optical consumables and spare parts: www.ShopCoburn.com. Digital Surfacing, Traditional Surfacing, Finishing, Coatings & Chemicals, Diagnostics and Spare Parts are the primary...
Refrigerant gases and vacuum pump parts available at DAC technologies Europe
DAC Technologies Europe offers a line of non-toxic and non-flammable refrigerant gases and vacuum pump parts. These refrigerant gases are more efficient and provide better performance while producing lower temperatures faster with less power consumption. They are...
Registration now open for Vision Expo West 2019
Registration is now open to all for Vision Expo West 2019. Returning to the Sands Expo Convention Center in the iconic city of Las Vegas on Sept. 18 - 21, this year’s Show will feature new destinations, education courses, empowering panels and more. “In this ever -...
Contour Fine Tooling appoints new VP of Sales & Marketing
Contour Fine Tooling, a global leader in single-point diamond cutting tool solutions, appointed Bob Cassin as new VP of Sales & Marketing North America and General Manager of its USA subsidiary. Bob Cassin has been appointed per June 17th, 2019 as the new Vice...
Successful Optical Innovation Summit
The Vision Council hosted the second of four events in their new Summit Series. The Optical Innovation Summit—held June 5–6 in Boulder, Colorado—gathered C-level executives and emerging companies in the vision care space to discuss the inevitable changes affecting...
Coburn Technologies’ Velocity Spin Coater wins award
Coburn Techologies, Inc.announced that their Velocity Spin Coater has been named “Best Value Enhancer (Lab)” by the CiO VisionPlus Awards.“We are thrilled and honored to receive this award for our Velocity Coater, especially considering our focus on developing...
The Vision Council introduces new summit series
The Vision Council is proud to introduce their new Summit Series for 2019, facilitated by Bart Foster, strategic advisor to The Vision Council. This series of exclusive events will help feed the growing desire to better the optical industry and individuals’ careers...
EssilorLuxottica and Delfin sign settlement agreement
EssilorLuxottica announced that EssilorLuxottica and Deflin S.à.r.l. agreed upon a settlement agreement to overcome the governance issues and set the basis for a renewed start of profound collaboration between Essilor and Luxottica. The agreement settles any existing...
The Vision Council announces:
President Trump to increase third list of China duties, remaining Chines-origin products threatened with additional tariffs. President Trump tweeted his intent to raise the China 301 duties from 10 percent to 25 percent, currently being assessed on approximately $200...
UN road safety week
Essilor and Groupe Renault pool expertise to better integrate visual specifications to improve drivers’ experience and promote the importance of good vision for road safety. On the occasion of the 5th United Nations Road Safety Week, Essilor and Groupe Renault...
EVOlens improves the user experience through data
IOT presents EVOlens, a system that objectively selects the ideal lens for each patient by considering previous patients’ lens feedback. Based on the satisfaction of previous patients, the system selects the lens that best suits your visual profile by searching among...
Coburn Technologies welcomes Jason Frank
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Frank as their new Sales Manager for the Latin America market. Jason will replace Pedro Parra, who is currently in the role and will be retiring after more than 38 years with Coburn. Parra will...
A great success: MAFO – The Conference 2019
The 20th ‘MAFO – The Conference’ was held in Milan on February 22, 2019. More than 60 participants gathered at the NH Hotel, just outside the Mido, to enjoy an exciting day with interesting lectures and discussions. Under the motto, “Future Technologies”, 13 speakers...
Coburn Technologies introduces new spin coater with dual-coating technology
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce the newest innovation in lens coating equipment, the Velocity 2D. Velocity 2D is the next generation of the current Velocity Automated Spin Coater, now designed with dual-coating technology. Derived from the existing...
Schoolchildren receive free pair of eyeglasses with 3D printed lenses
Luxexcel, developer of 3D lens print technology and IFB Solutions a North Carolina based nonprofit, celebrate one year of partnership. To mark the anniversary, nearly 20 local schoolchildren received a free pair of eyeglasses and a comprehensive eye exam. The...
Luxexcel advances 3D printing technology for ophthalmic lenses
Luxexcel, the pioneer in 3D printed ophthalmic lenses, announces that its proprietary 3D printing technology has advanced from the pilot phase to printing commercial lenses. Over the past 12 months, 5000 lenses have been printed on several VisionPlatforms™ installed...
Satisloh to donate 50,000€ to Light for the World by holding an auction at MIDO
Satisloh will mark the production of their 1,000th VFT-orbit generator at MIDO 2019 in Milan by holding an auction on February 23rd at 2:30 pm, The company will donate 50,000€ of the winning bid to global vision disability and development charity, Light for the World...
Essilor International completed four transactions: Brille24, Union Optic, Indulentes, Metalizado Optico Argentino
Essilor International, an EssilorLuxottica subsidiary, is actively pursuing its acquisition and partnership strategy with the completion of four transactions worldwide, representing combined full-year revenue of around €48million. Essilor further strengthens its...
Coburn Technologies promotes David Kilfoil to marketing manager
Coburn Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce the promotion of David Kilfoil as the new Marketing Manager for the company. Kilfoil has been with Coburn for more than three years now as the Marketing Specialist, with primary responsibilities including the full...
MEI to debut new solutions at MIDO for lens edging
MEI returns to MIDO again this year, confirming its now-traditional dual presence: once again, the institutional stand, targeting the industrial sector, will be joined by an exhibit space given over entirely to EZFit, the compact edger dedicated to retail users....
Bühler appoints Mark Macus as new CFO effective September 1, 2019
Andreas Herzog (61), who has held the CFO position for 17 years, will retire for age reasons effective September 1, 2019. His successor is Mark Macus (47), who was employed at Bühler before for five years and who currently serves as CFO of the Vitra Group. Andreas...
The Vision Council releases Annual Report
The Vision Council is proud to release its 2018 Annual Report, highlighting the organization’s many accomplishments throughout the year. In 2018, The Vision Council welcomed 54 new member companies and saw the success of the first year of the Optical Retail Division...
Interactive and creative education available at Vision Expo East 2019
Vision Expo East 2019 will introduce new and widely-requested education courses to this year’s Show. Various business- and healthcare-focused programs have been specifically designed to fit every professional agenda to afford attendees the complete education...
Richard Hughes named President Satisloh North America
Following the move of Pete Lothes to President and CTO of Satisloh globally, Richard Hughes takes over as President Satisloh North America, effective January 1. Hughes began his 22 year optical industry career as Director of Sales and Service for ophthalmic...
Coburn Technologies welcomes Al Bednar as new director of laboratory sales
Coburn Technologies is pleased to announce the appointment of Al Bednar as their new Director of Laboratory Sales for the United States and Canadian markets.“Al is a seasoned veteran in the optical industry, and his vast experience extends from ophthalmic lens process...
SIOF 2019 is going to shine again in the Pearl of the Orient
SIOF is pleased to announce that the 19th China (Shanghai) International Optics Fair enjoys a giant leap forward with a bigger number of participants. The annual event is scheduled to take place on 21- 23 February 2019 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition &...
Satisloh: Two optical industry veterans make career moves
After 19 successful years with Satisloh, first at the helm of North America and for the last 4 years as global President and Group CTO, Larry Clarke takes the opportunity to pursue a new leadership role within Essilor of America. Clarke will become...
Lensware International will celebrate 10 years aniversary at opti Munich 2019
A unique seminar will be organized on Saturday 26th of January in the conference room of the exhibition center - Conference room C51 - from 09h30 to 11h00, with the purpose to invite our partners and friends to join our commemoration. The...
Countdown to Vision Expo East 2019
Vision Expo East 2019 is gearing up to take over the Javits Center (Education: March 21 – 24; Exhibit Hall: March 22 – 24) with a Show everyone can count on to meet their professional needs. Vision Expo East 2019 will feature the latest in fashion, technology and...
DAC Vision to become DAC Technologies
DAC Vision in Europe will be renamed DAC Technologies for its operations throughout Europe, Africa as well as the Middle East, effective January 2019. DAC Technologies, the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of supplies, changed its...
Vision Expo Presents “7 Days of Giveaways”
Alexandria, VA – Dec. 4, 2018 – Vision Expo has announced the first-ever “7 Days of Giveaways” holiday contest. In collaboration with various merchandise and exhibiting companies, Vision Expo will reveal a new giveaway item on Instagram for seven days beginning on...
EssilorLuxottica held first combined Shareholders’ Meeting
Charenton-Le-Pont (November 29, 2018 – 8:00 pm) EssilorLuxottica held its first Combined General Meeting today at the Espace Grande Arche at La Défense, chaired by Leonardo Del Vecchio, Executive Chairman, and Hubert Sagnières, Executive Vice-Chairman, of...
Schunk Group acquires stake in OptoTech
Corporate succession is a significant topic of today. The sustainable protection and continuation of business operations for shareholders, customers, suppliers and employees are thus in the foreground. This question also arose for OptoTech as to what should happen in...
Essilor appoints Professor Kovin Naidoo Senior Vice President of Inclusive Business, Philanthropy and Social Impact
Essilor is proud to announce Professor Kovin Naidoo has been appointed Senior Vice President of Inclusive Business, Philanthropy and Social Impact. In this newly created position, Professor Naidoo will lead the Group’s efforts to reach the 2.5billion people living...
Jean-Claude Hache, a man of commitment
Silmo announced news of the death of Professor Jean-Claude Hache with a great deal of sorrow. A doctor of science, neuro-ophthalmologist and professor in ophthalmology, he was the first in France to develop a visual function exploration department at the CHRU of...
Essilor and Delfin successfully complete the combination of Essilor and Luxottica
Luxembourg and Charenton-le-Pont, France (October 1, 2018) - Delfin S.à.r.l (“Delfin”), the majority shareholder of Luxottica Group S.p.A. (“Luxottica”) and Essilor International (Compagnie Générale d’Optique) (“Essilor”), announced the successful completion of the...
SILMO Paris 2018: A trade fair that keeps its promises
The 52nd edition of the International Optical Fair demonstrated its appeal on this rather dynamic global market with a satisfying turnover. Over four days, more than 37,000* professional visitors (56% of international) were able to admire the creativity of the 965...
Vision Expo West 2018 breaks records
Alexandria, VA – October 3, 2018 – Vision Expo West’s 30th anniversary was a sweeping success, with the overall Show experiencing a nearly double digit increase in attendance compared to 2017. Pre-audited results show close to 13,000 eyecare professionals from across...
The Vision Council releases Tariff Impact Report: Potential Industry impact from Eyewear Tariffs
The Vision Council’s research team released a first-of-its-kind report in September, which attempts to gauge how potential U.S. tariffs on Chinese eyewear could impact consumer buying habits, intentions and spending. Through a questionnaire to recent eyewear buyers...
Luxexcel opens Customer Demonstration Lab in Atlanta, GA.
Luxexcel announced yesterday the opening of the new US-based Customer Demonstration Lab in Alpharetta, GA (greater Atlanta area). The facility will house a full Luxexcel VisionPlatform™ system and supports the Luxexcel customer base. Luxexcel Customer Demonstration...
IOT has a new corporate look
IOT is dedicated to innovation in optical technology. As a result, the company is in a constant state of growth and evolution. IOT’s change in brand identity is part of an overall strategy to better communicate its unique culture, values and approach to market. The...
Luxexcel breaks into the next phase
Luxexcel, the pioneer in 3D printing of ophthalmic lenses, announced today the appointment of Fabio Esposito as Chief Executive Officer to lead the company in its next growth phase. Fabio brings to the company a strong track record of transforming businesses from...
Transforming lives through the gift of vision
WestGroupe is a proud supporter of Optometry Giving Sight. The company offers in Canada a complete frames & lens package with the Superflex collection in partnership with Zeiss lenses. Together they have raised over $20,000 to date. From every package sold, WestGroupe...
DaTE 2018 – The exhibitors
MOSCOT introduced five new frames for Fall 2018 at DaTE with a nod to some of the brand’s most memorable characters from years past. Zack Moscot, 5th Generation, Chief Creative Officer, drew inspiration from the brand’s 103-year old archives, adding intellectual flare...
The Vision Council comments on third list of Chinese Tariffs – United State Trade Representative
On Sept. 6th, The Vision Council, on behalf of its members and the U.S. optical industry at large, submitted comprehensive comments to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) opposing the proposed imposition of a 25 percent tariff on imports from China through...
“Trip to L.A.” – Contest, EyeInnovate 2018 Ticket Giveaways, Randy Jackson Keynote and More…
Calgary, Alberta, Can.—Marketing4ECPs, the organizers and hosts of EyeInnovate 2018, have just announced some great, new developments to create even more excitement about the November 6, 2018 one-day conference event. - Win a “Trip to L.A.” for two to attend...
Programs aimed at millennial ECPs drive attendance growth at Vision Expo West
Alexandria, VA – September 10, 2018 – As of three weeks pre-show, Vision Expo West pre-registration for young professionals is trending strongly ahead of 2017. Vision Expo West (Education: September 26–29; Exhibit Hall: September 27–29) will feature various programs...
The Vision Council announces updated Data Communications Standard
Alexandria, VA – The Vision Council’s Lens Processing and Technology (LPT) Division is pleased to announce that the Data Communications Standard Committee—with Robert Shanbaum of Ocuco Inc. as chair—approved version 3.12 of the Data Communication Standard. The Data...
Laila Ali promotes annual eye exams on Hello Giggles, She Knows and More
Think About Your Eyes partnered with pro-athlete and lifestyle expert Laila Ali to promote annual eye exams to parents during the back-to-school season. Ali herself knows the importance of annual eye exams at a young age: she started wearing glasses at age 11 and her...
Coburn Technologies welcomes Marina Vaynberger as new International Regional Sales Manager
Coburn Technologies, Inc. announced the appointment of Marina Vaynberger as their new International Regional Sales Manager for the Russia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. “We are very excited to have Marina on board with us. She has extensive...
The Vision Council Lab Division announces Directors’ Choice Award Recipient and 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees
Alexandria, VA (August 3, 2018) –The Lab Division of The Vision Council announced the industry veterans who will be recognized during the Directors’ Choice Award and 19th Annual Lab Division Hall of Fame celebration on Wednesday, September 26, in conjunction with the...
Established and emerging Panelists announced for independent luxury eyewear panel
Alexandria, VA – August 29, 2018 – Vision Expo continues to deliver high value content and create unique networking opportunities for attendees in the Exhibit Hall. Building on its past success, the Boutique Buyer Panel at Vision Expo West 2018 will feature panelists...