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& IDEAS
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MARCH 2018
PRODUCTS
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OPINIONS 02 04 06
Rollins on Marketing In the Lab One-to-One with Kurt Gardner VP, Sales Operations, FEA Industries
OPTICAL LAB LEADERS 10
Steve Sutherlin, Lab Liaison, The Vision Council
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Kenneth Lin, President, X-Tra Lite Optical
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Fred Chandonnet, VP, Manufacturing, SVS
13
Neil Torgersen, National Manager of AR Operations, Walman Optical
RUNDOWN 14 15 16
Michael Ness Memorial New for the Lab News
EDITORIAL STAFF VP, EDITORIAL | John Sailer • JSailer@FVMG.com PROFESSIONAL EDITOR | Jim Grootegoed • JGrootegoed@cox.net EDITOR | Cara Aidone Huzinec • CHuzinec@FVMG.com ART DIRECTOR | Megan LaSalla • MLaSalla@FVMG.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER | Eric Rollins • EricRollins@Comcast.net PRODUCTION & WEB MANAGER | Anthony Floreno • AFloreno@FVMG.com
BUSINESS STAFF PUBLISHER | Terry Tanker • TTanker@FVMG.com EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | Shawn Mery • SMery@FVMG.com VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING | Debby Corriveau • DCorriveau@FVMG.com
www.Facebook.com/OpticalLabProducts www.Twitter.com/OLP_Magazine www.Linkedin.com/company/Optical-Lab-Products
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A Common Road
TO SUCCESS
I
am struck by the commonality of responses of this issue’s Lab Leaders and went to the internet to do some research. Whatever search term I used, I ended up with blogs, articles and books that generally referenced the famous Tom Peters/Tom Waterman book, In Search of Excellence, published in 1982 that remains one of the biggest selling business books ever. Peters and Waterman examined 43 of Fortune 500’s top performing companies. Interestingly, General Electric was one of the casualties that failed to make the cut. Peters said that part of his research was to prove that certain established methods such as those used by GE and Xerox, were wrong. He “passionately” wanted to prove how crucial people are to business success and to release business from the “tyranny of the bean counters.” (Interestingly, GE is currently undergoing dramatic restructuring, and Xerox is but a reorganized shell of what it was.) They found eight common themes that they argued were responsible for the success of the chosen corporations: A bias for action, active decision making, getting on with it; Being close to the customer, learning from the people served by the business; Autonomy and entrepreneurship, fostering innovation and nurturing champions; Productivity through people, treating rankand-file employees as a source of quality; Being hands-on, value-driven, management
BY JIM GROOTEGOED
CONTENTS
MARCH 2018
showing its commitment; Sticking to the knitting, focusing on the business that you know; Simplifying staff, some of the best companies have minimal HQ staff; Having simultaneously loose/ tight properties, autonomy in shop-floor activities plus centralized values. This can all be distilled to three words – people, customers, action. Way back in 2005 OLP identified what factors led to a successful lab. From open-ended interviews with seven successful labs (most now owned by manufacturers), the commonality of their responses led us to the following core values to success. We titled the article, In Search of Excellence (with apologies to Peters/Waterman). Our conclusions were less ‘businessspeak’ but essentially identical: A recognition that their customers are why they are in business; A commitment to technology; A recognition that their employees are their most important asset; An involvement in the industry beyond their own business; A strong central leader(s) with a “vision” for their business that is communicated and understood by every member of the company. The individuals chosen as this year’s Lab Leaders are large and small, wholesale and retail, relatively new or well established, and all verbalized several or all of the values noted above. Collectively, they represent the best of our industry, and I personally wish to congratulate each and every one.
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Rollins on Marketing
OPINIONS
WHAT MAKES a Lab Leader?
By Eric Rollins
O
ur lab was a definite leader. We had automated edging, surfacing and conveyors long before they were the norm. Our owner was truly a “lab guy,” focusing on production and essentially never doing any job outside of his lab career (other than service in the
with a strong customer service department driven by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. We also made great use of our suppliers with frequent lunchand-learn sessions. We were also very good on turnaround time and excelled at getting the tough jobs done, especially after experiencing a remake. By
No lab can be great without having great employees. We had very talented people in all areas of the lab. Army). What made us leaders? As the owner of the company, he made great decisions most of the time. Here are some things that stand out. FOCUS ON PRODUCTION: It sounds a little funny to consider these areas as “production,” but this included all three of the “pick two” categories: price, quality and service. I believe that all three areas feed off great production. We had one price list, and it was aggressive but not the lowest anywhere. Most of our competitors were priced higher. Our quality was driven by investing in the best equipment available, having great partnerships with the suppliers we worked with, and training our people to be the best they could be. Our service was also excellent,
having great production, our costs were kept lower, and our inherent value to our customers was higher. PEOPLE: No lab can be great without having great employees. We had very talented people in all areas of the lab, many of whom were 20- or 30-year veterans. The owner made sure to keep our “bench strength” as good as it could be and paid our staff well. For areas outside of his skill set, he hired or consulted with good people. He was not afraid of spending money to make money. I believe each of these areas are still key to being successful for today’s labs.
Eric Rollins is a veteran of the optical retail, frame and lab industries. His firm, Rollins Consulting, LLC, consults with the three Os to improve profitability. Email him at EricRollins@Comcast.net.
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OPINIONS
In The Lab
Follow the LEADERS In this issue, we share the stories of OLP’s Lab Leaders, four people who are shaking up the business.
By Cara A. Huzinec
A
s a “newbie” in the optical industry, it has been a year of many “firsts,” including this, my first column as Editor of OLP. I attended my first Vision Expo (last spring in New York), where I actually saw for the first time the
equipment and products I write about, as well as my first Lab Division Hall of Fame this past September at Vision Expo West. I traveled to Dallas in November for Satisloh’s SLUGFest (witnessing the first automated AR loader was impressive) and to Orlando last month to attend Transitions Academy, at which the company debuted it’s new marketing strategy (including the introduction of additional lens colors and flash mirrors). Through both lab tours and reporting for articles on customer service and environmentally conscious labs, I spoke to many lab owners and employees who taught me about surfacing and finishing, lab management
systems and coating processes. I’ve heard funny words such as “swarf” and learned that a “puck” doesn’t only relate to hockey. Many of you, along with my colleagues John Sailer and Jim Grootegoed, have so patiently explained to me the process of lens manufacturing and equipment functionality, and for that I thank you. In this issue, we share the stories of OLP’s Lab Leaders, four people who are shaking up the business through innovative uses of technology, by mentoring peers and employees, or by facilitating connections among those in the lab business. My hope is that you read their stories and recognize the
independent lab industry as one composed of many who are truly invested in this business and to ultimately giving endcustomers the gift of vision. My other hope is to meet many more of you at Vision Expo East this month and if not, that you keep in mind I’m only a phone call, e-mail or Facebook message away. I want to hear from you what’s news: whether it be a lab trend, a new way of using a machine or technology, a new product that has helped your business, or an invaluable employee or peer you respect. I’ve always believed that readers want to hear from peers and colleagues, and I want OLP to tell you these stories.
Cara Huzinec is Editor of OLP. CHuzinec@FVMG.com.
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ONE TO ONE:
KURT Gardner
Q&A Q: You just joined FEA as vice president of sales and marketing. Why did you switch from IOT, a lens design company, to an independent lab? A: When I came to IOT, it was a small company with big dreams. IOT won the lens design space. We had to build the groundwork of private label or personalized lens products. People automatically assume private label is cheap, but it means not nationally marketed or turned into a commodity, and that’s what IOT is. From my part, IOT’s dreams were realized, and I wanted the next challenge. Now the battle is convincing ECPs there are more than just commoditized lens products. The best way for me to do that was to go to the people who are directly servicing the ECPs. That’s not IOT; that’s the independent labs.
Q: How did you get your start in optical? A: I was folding sweaters at a unionized clothing store that fired you at 11 months so they didn’t have to pay union dues for you. The store manager said, “Kurt, what are you doing folding sweaters? You want to be an optometrist.” I always wanted to
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Licensed optician Kurt Gardner sought his place in optical in his teens as a file clerk for Pearle Vision and has made his mark through positions with Salem Distributing, IOT and now as VP for FEA. Here he discusses his achievements and goals within the optical lab community.
be an optometrist. I’m legally blind without correction. I’m about a plus eight unaided. He said, “Go find a job in the optical industry.” So I walked into the Pearle Vision that I had gone to since I was a little kid and applied for a job as a file clerk. Pretty soon, I was working in the lab and became a licensed optician running between stores and assisting the owner and manager. After college, I ended up being a manager for that owner at a location in South Carolina where we did the work for his stores and some other folks as needed. Because I was a plus eight, I learned how to make plus lenses pretty well, so we became known for that. Then I told the guy who’s been my mentor post the optician part of my life, Dick Pennington, “Hey, I want to do what you do.” He helped me get my first interview with Younger Optics, but they passed because I didn’t have sales experience. Then Salem gave me a shot. Steve Albright said, “Yeah, let’s give it a try.” I went there with a small territory that grew and grew. Then IOT came calling, and I went to work for them.
Q: What was your first major accomplishment in optical? A: The first time I fit a kid with
glasses. It might seem small, but the first time you help a kid see for the first time, it doesn’t matter how many millions of dollars you help a company earn. It still brings a tear to my eye. That’s what we do on a daily basis. It was exciting for me. I started working in the lab when I was a teenager. I made my first pair of glasses before I could drive a car. It gave me a deep respect and passion for our industry because literally this has been my life.
Q: What were you able to achieve when you went to Salem? A: Growing the territory was important. That’s how I could justify keeping my job, but the greatest thing was that I was able to get involved in some R&D. We developed some neat products. We developed a pad called the Tak pad, we did some dry polish, developed Aspire, did some testing on other polishes. It was exciting to be involved in that. It’s the stuff that I miss. I also did an internship at Vistakon in R&D. I really enjoyed people bringing me a problem and let me find a way to fix it; I still do. That was all right at the cusp of digital. What are the new products that labs are going to need in five, ten years? The exciting stuff was developing new products that
actually improved the work of our customers.
Q: Do you have a background in math or engineering or an education in opticianry? A: I studied clinical science. I’m also a licensed optician in the state of New York and South Carolina. I’m ABO certified, that’s something you’re required to be. I don’t have a background per se in math, but I always enjoyed math. I took a lot of optics in college. I grew up in Rochester, NY, which is like the home of optics. So you’re surrounded by that in the education model. When you’re in sciences, you’re going to take some optics courses. Until recently, I had never taken a business class. I decided to go back to school because I was trying to develop myself into a more well rounded business person. I had never taken a business course, so I ended up going back and getting a degree from Southern New Hampshire University in business administration. And I’m going on to get an MBA. My background in engineering and understanding lens design came from IOT. When I first started with IOT, I went to Spain and got a course in ophthalmic optics and calculus and understanding the principles behind lens design.
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Q: Going back even further, what did you do for Powell Gebhard and Pearle Vision? A: Powell Gebhard, was Doctor Powell and Gene Gebhard. Gene was the guy who gave me my start. He gave me a chance. When I wanted to learn more, he gave me more to learn. And when I asked for still more to learn, he just kept going. The biggest thing I did there was when I came to work at the lab he had in South Carolina, he had a really high breakage number, and we got that lab snapped into shape pretty quickly. Now, everybody has all these coatings. But 20 years ago, not everybody had AR coating on everything, and we were doing progressives in an hour.
Q: You decreased breakage from 14% to about 2%. How were you able to do that, and what is your cost-of-business-by-theminute philosophy? A: Too many people in every business look at the small problems. Say you have a lab that does 150 jobs a day, and we spend two hours trying to figure out what happened to one lens. That’s a waste of time when you figure out how much you spend per minute just to turn the lights on in your building. If you’re spending half an hour to try to fix a two dollar lens, you just lost money. It doesn’t make sense. See if you can figure it out. If you can, great. But if you can’t, grab a new lens and start over. When I came, breakage was
really high. The manager felt there wasn’t anybody looking at strategy. We would break a lens then try to fix the lens while we are also trying to run a new lens. Maybe the problem was a fining pad or a tool. This is the olden days of hard tool polishing. So it was looking at all that and sorting it out and that was really useful for me later when I went to Salem because that was part of my job. If the lab would have a problem, they would call me and I would try to sort it out for them.
Q: What would you say are the greatest challenges in optical today? A: For the independent lab or the independent group, I would say the greatest challenge is the fear of consolidation. Notice I didn’t say consolidation, I said the fear of consolidation. So many people are afraid of the two largest optical companies merging or a group buying up all these private practices. Maybe it’s just my attitude, but all that does is leave opportunity. As companies grow, it’s like becoming a bigger ship. If we can learn anything from history, our navy’s best warships in World War II were little wooden speed boats. Why? Because they could go into shallow water, they could shoot and then get out quickly. IOT is the PT boat of the optical industry. Independent labs still have that ability to be the PT boat for the industry. I truly believe that my new position with FEA lets me prove to the industry that we don’t have to fear consolidation but that consolidation has to fear us.
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Q: And what are the greatest opportunities? A: Finding your niche and owning it. Nobody does personal service better than small business. Go on social media and see what people say about how they’re treated by the largest companies. Independent business can own the individual because it’s people serving people not a giant international conglomerate.
Q: And what are the keys to doing that? A: That’s my marketing strategy, so I don’t want to give too much away, but the key from the ECP perspective is to know your market. Don’t try to be what some expensive consultant tells you to be. Go outside, walk down the main street of your town, look at the people. Figure out what they want and be that.
Q: Where do you see things headed? A: My goal is to form an alliance among independent laboratories. I would love to see independent labs see each other as allies not enemies. We are stronger working toward a common goal than working against each other. We have some pretty large companies counting on the paranoia of independent labs to be our ultimate downfall, and part of my future is making sure that doesn’t happen.
Q: That’s a big goal. Wasn’t that what the OLA used to be? A: The OLA, The Vision
with them. I’m involved in The Vision Council. It serves a very important purpose. But The Vision Council has to look out for all of its members, including companies that have interests that include taking the lab work from independent labs. My goal is to have a more exclusive club. The owners of labs get together. Not some giant corporation, not some vice president. The guy whose name is on the building, the guy who owns the shop are the ones who should sit down and talk and have a cohesive alliance, a partnership so they can take advantage of when some of these bid opportunities that happen, with venture capital groups for instance. Right now, no independent lab can service 150 locations. Five or ten independent labs working together can stand up to these international corporations. You just need consensus on how the work is done. Obviously I want to see the same for FEA. They are the ones who asked me to join them. But in ten years when we have this same type of interview, we should be talking about how independent labs have bonded to take on the big guys as an independent force.
Q: Lofty goals there, Kurt. I will call you in ten years to see what you’ve accomplished. Now, for the record, what does FEA really stand for? A: Fast, efficient and accurate, and that’s my final answer.
Council, there’s nothing wrong
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OPTICAL LAB LEADERS Here they are, those the industry has selected as OLP’s Optical Lab Leaders!
EARLY ADOPTER
Steve Sutherlin, Lab Liaison, The Vision Council, Alexandria, VA
Kenneth Lin, President, X-Tra Lite Optical, Huntington Beach, CA
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MENTOR
While The Vision Council annually honors those who are inducted into the Lab Division’s Hall of Fame, and OLP itself presents
In this special OLP section, meet the following four Optical Lab Leaders that our readers and members of the optical industry selected as the Organizer, the Early Adopter, the Tech Titan and the Mentor. Here they are, OLP’s and the optical industry’s Optical Lab Leaders:
TECH TITAN
its yearly Lab Innovator of the Year, by celebrating the Optical Lab Leaders in this special issue, OLP seeks to highlight those people who are so integral to the success and growth of independent labs yet don’t often receive the recognition they deserve.
ORGANIZER
Optical Lab Products (OLP) asked members of the optical lab industry to nominate who they view as an “Optical Lab Leader,” citing those who know what it takes to run a successful optical lab, who take risks investing in the latest technologies, and who have the skills and experience necessary to turn their vision into the reality of operating an efficient and successful optical lab.
Fred Chandonnet, VP, Manufacturing, SVS, Mount Clemons, MI
Neil Torgersen, National Manager of AR Operations, Minneapolis, MN
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OPTICAL LAB LEADER
Organizer
Steve Sutherlin, Lab Division Liaison The Vision Council, Alexandria, VA “I’ve long admired Steve and his knowledge of the lab business, since my days at a lens manufacturer to now at The Vision Council. Steve is the epitome of expert when it comes to lab management, and he applies his knowledge and expertise to the benefit of our lab members and optical labs throughout the industry. He has led the charge to strengthen our annual lab meetings. He works to perpetuate the stature and integrity of the Lab Hall of Fame, recognizing other leaders and elevating the profile of optical labs and the important work that they do. ” – Maureen Beddis, VP, Marketing, The Vision Council
BACKGROUND: A familiar face in the industry (he can be seen at trade shows, conferences and various optical industry meetings), Steve Sutherlin, current liaison of The Vision Council’s Lab Division, knows labs – and lab people.
TEACHABLE MISTAKE: Acknowledging that decisions were thought out (“mostly due to my brother John” ), one was a mistake.
He served as president of Kansas City, MO-based Sutherlin Optical for 24 years, vice president for 14, and as president of the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA), the Midwest Optical Laboratories Association and Lightbenders, Inc. In 2008, Sutherlin was inducted into the OLA (now Lab Division) Hall of Fame and is a two-time recipient of the Missouri Optometric Association’s “Friend of Optometry Award.” He also received the Vision Service Award by the Kansas Optometric Association and the Heart of America Eyecare Congress.
BEST INVESTMENTS: “When I started, glass was the only material.” There were no Transitions, anti-glare or high index, he explained. By his retirement in 2015, Sutherlin Optical was using free-form technology and making lightweight lenses in a mix of materials with in-house, glare-free coatings.
He took over as head of the Lab Division in 2015 (a day after retiring from Sutherlin Optical) with a goal toward effectively communicating and implementing additional benefits to The Vision Council’s Lab Division members, regardless of size. The Lab Toolkit, which includes marketing services, customer service training and a discount shipping program, among others, was created under Sutherlin’s leadership. “I have come to realize that the most important message is that The Vision Council is the industry’s greatest champion,” he said. “A great example is our recent work on the FDA Unique Device Identifier regulation, which one well-informed member called ‘a nuclear bomb pointed directly at labs.’” (The Vision Council was able to reach an agreement with the FDA that excludes Rx lenses from the regulation, thanks to the work of Michael Vitale, Rick Van Arnam, and the management team of The Vision Council, according to Sutherlin.)
“In the early days of hardcoating, we bought a system based on our relationship with a sales rep. That was a complete disaster,”
“My brothers and I invested in state-of-the-art equipment from the day we took over the company. But hands down, the two best investments were putting in anti-reflection equipment, creating our own house brands and installing the DVI Lab Management System.” House-branded lenses enabled Sutherlin Optical to reduce outsourcing, control quality and provide a brand that was exclusive to partners of the lab. “DVI taught us a new way to run a lab that was far superior to what we were doing before,” he explained. ADVICE: “Always take the high road. It rarely takes you to the wrong destination.”
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: For Sutherlin, relationships are the building blocks of success. So much so, he considers the ones he’s forged during the course of more than 45 years in the business one of his greatest accomplishments. He also said a main source of pride is understanding his company was successful because of the employees and knowing they’ve been able to make a living and feed their families because of the lab.
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Early Adapter
OPTICAL LAB LEADER
Kenneth Lin, Owner X-Tra Lite Optical, Huntington Beach, CA “Ken runs one of the most successful independent labs in the Los Angeles area. His focus is highest quality premium products. One of the oldest labs remaining in the area, Ken embraced digital processing early on and also offers full service AR coatings, including private and brand label coatings as well as many major branded digital designs and private label offerings. Xtra Lite has a reputation for personalized service, quality and accuracy. A true family-owned lab that can compete in today’s corporate lab environment.” – John Haigh, Sales Manager, Western U.S. region, Schneider Optical Machines
BACKGROUND: Without any experience in optical, Kenneth Lin’s parents bought an optical shop in 1991. “My dad was retired and bored, and my sister was in optometry school, so he came up with the brilliant idea of buying an optical lab in the same city where we lived,” Lin said. “He figured out real quick he was way over his head and tried to recruit me, but I was working as a test engineer for Northrop Grumman and wasn’t interested.” Eventually, Lin’s hours were cut at his full-time job, so he started working part-time in the lab in 1994 and full-time in 1995. THE LAB: After Lin’s family purchased the lab they upgraded with Gerber Coburn and National Optronics equipment and OMICS lab management software. “We eventually switched over to Satisloh equipment and made the jump to DVI [in 2008],” said Lin. “When we started we were doing about 100 jobs per day and now do about 150 jobs per day, so we are still a small lab.” In 2012, the lab moved into new 5,400-square-foot facilities the company purchased and invested in digital surfacing equipment, becoming the first independent wholesale lab in southern California to run Schneider’s Sprint line. “We were thinking we would do AR at the previous location, but it wasn’t big enough and the power necessary to run all the equipment wasn’t there, so we knew we had to move,” Lin said. In 2014, he installed the Satisloh ESCurve five-axis edger and last year put in the Schneider EBC600 AR coater. X-Tra Lite is also beta testing the new Satisloh Mini-BSM compact backcoater since late last year to do Crizal, for which it is already validated using the Schneider coater.
dot-matrix printer they had no use for but came along with shipping software. They paid month after month because the leasing company gave them no way out of the agreement. “Every time we purchase equipment, we talk to other labs, visit facilities using it, and find out if we can send it back if it doesn’t work out. One question we always ask users of equipment we are considering is, “If you were to do it again, would you purchase that piece of equipment?” ADVICE: “Life never goes as planned, just try to keep moving forward,” said Lin. “Find something for which you have passion, something that you really like to do, and be good at it. I can honestly say I really love what I do. I don’t consider it going to work these last 23 years.” BEST INVESTMENTS: “DVI was a great investment. There is so much support from them. I don’t have to worry about them when changes and growth happens in our lab. With the reports we know how we are doing, how much we are spending, how much we can save and it gives us a good idea on ROI. It’s definitely a key to our success.”
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: “I would have said ‘no’ if you asked me ten years ago if I was going to put in AR, but here we are,” said Lin, citing taking coating in-house as among his better decisions, which is the same way he feels overall about going into optical. “When I decided to go into optical, a lot of friends thought I was crazy. ‘You’re an engineer. What are you doing in optical?’ they’d ask. I stuck with it, and looking back, I really don’t have any regrets at all. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made.” TEACHABLE MISTAKE: Lin learned to “do your homework when purchasing equipment and always have an exit strategy.” When his parents bought the lab, it came with a monthly lease payment on a
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OPTICAL LAB LEADER
Tech Titan
Fred Chandonnet, VP, Manufacturing SVS Vision, Mount Clemons, MI “Fred Chandonnet has one the most automated labs in the U.S. After the lenses are placed in the tray they are not touched again until they enter the AR room, or if it is not an AR job, they aren’t touched until after edging. There are only a handful of truly automated labs to this extent, and the owners and staff at SVS really have something to be proud of.” –Joel Johnson, National Sales Manager, Ultra Optics
BACKGROUND: Fred Chandonnet began his career in optics in 1975, right out of high school when he went to work for Bell Optical in the Flint, MI, area, which produced eyeglasses for 21 retail locations under the name of NuVision Optical. After a few months working in the frame and lens stockroom, he was sponsored by master optician Richard “Dick” Cliber, who enabled Chandonnet to participate in a five-year apprenticeship program to become a journeyman optician. In the early 1980s, he was promoted to lab manager for Bell Optical. As NuVision grew from 21 to 242 locations at its height, to become the fourth largest in the country, Chandonnet managed three total lab remodels until its Bell Optical subsidiary made its final move in the early ‘90s to a 43,000-square-foot facility that would be capable of producing upwards of 5,000 jobs per day. It incorporated 1,286 feet of gravity-fed conveyor (auto conveyors were not available at the time). “I had to plan and construct every foot,” said Chandonnet. “We never did need that 43,000 square feet, though” he said, because Cole National bought the company in 1997 and ended up closing the facility. Chandonnet then went to work for another optical company in Detroit, Henry Ford Optimeyes, until 2002, during which time he built a full production lab and was also put in charge of the company’s superstores. After that, he joined SVS Vision. THE LAB: Since starting at SVS Vision in 2002, Chandonnet went through many lab transformations there as well, first upgrading to LOH polishers, then seven years ago converting to all soft-tool, freeform processing (Schneider) and adding an AR department (Leybold box coaters). Currently, the lab produces up to 1,400 jobs per day, exclusively for SVS Vision’s 76 locations. A complete renovation of the SVS lab over the last year and a half included removing three inches of wooden flooring (the building used to be a roller rink) and replacing it with a new concrete floor, all without missing a day’s work. “We had to hang conveyors from the ceiling, and we replaced the floor with five different concrete pours,” said Chandonnet. The new conveyor system was installed by a company that was not previously in the optical business, IMS in Glasgow, KY. “They have a very user-friendly, barcode-reading camera system; a true routing system,” he said. The lab is fully automated at this point, and “within
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the next six months, jobs will go directly from surfacers to edgers,” Chandonnet said. The lab management system is VisionStar. ACCOMPLISHMENT: “Seven years ago, we went to free-form processing overnight,” said Chandonnet. “There was no back-up plan. It was like jumping into the ocean hoping your life vest holds you up. We shut down on a Thursday night and ran 700 jobs through surfacing on Monday.” TEACHABLE MISTAKE: “One thing that caused me a lot of sleepless nights was when we relied on an outside vendor to monitor the quality of one of our processes,” Chandonnet said. “This hurt us badly because we had a flaw in one of our processes and they were way behind on inspecting our lenses, we didn’t find out until after we ran several weeks of production. We do all our own internal checking here now, and we’ve instituted daily and weekly quality assurance.” BEST INVESTMENT: “Investing in the right people is by far the best thing you can do,” said Chandonnet. “From an equipment perspective, automating the lab and the AR coating department were among our better investments. They save a lot of time and money, and we can control our own processes.” ADVICE: “Anyone looking for direction should start with the people who are part of the process because it gives ownership to employees, it provides better advice, and it saves you a lot of money.”
OpticalLabProducts.com
2/22/18 8:53 AM
Mentor
OPTICAL LAB LEADER
Neil Torgersen, National Manager AR Coating Operations, Walman Optical Neil has headed up the AR department at Walman Optical for over 13 years. He was formerly the AR coating lab manager for over nine years. More recently, Neil has been the national manager of AR Operations for Walman and oversees the daily operations and instituting programs for use at Rite Style Optical, Omaha, NE; Harbor Optical, Traverse City, MI; Toledo Optical, Toledo, OH; and the Walman Optical Service Center (OSC) in Brooklyn Park, MN., since December of 2013. He oversees production of over 4,500 AR jobs a day and maintains a can-do attitude when it comes to helping out his fellow employees.
BACKGROUND: Like most kids, Neil Torgersen wanted a summer job in high school. His father suggested he work at Walman Optical, where he got a job and continued to work during summers and school breaks, learning the ins-and-outs of surfacing. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology (“Very relevant to the optical industry!” he joked), and a brief stint working in the outdoor retail industry, summers spent at Walman led Torgersen to fulltime employment there in 2004, supervising the ZEISS AR coating department. “It was trial-by-fire because I had zero experience managing production,” he said. “I was a jack-of-all trades.” By 2006, he moved over to supervising the Crizal department, his first experience managing an around-the-clock operation. Today, Torgersen oversees Walman’s entire AR coating operation and sits on both ANSI Z80 and Z87 committees. THE LAB: Torgersen was instrumental in helping to open Walman’s Optical Service Center in Brooklyn Park, MN, which was planned and designed to accommodate 10 years of growth without having to do any major renovations. It opened in 2011, combining both ZEISS and Crizal coating departments, and Torgersen took over both. Everything in the lab is currently run on digital generators, and about 65% of jobs go through AR. The AR lab currently utilizes a collection of equipment from Satisloh, Buhler, SCL and others, while the surfacing lab operates using a mix of equipment from Satisloh and Schneider Optical Machines, plus OptoTech and Practical Systems, Inc. and a lab management system from DVI, Inc.
TEACHABLE MISTAKE: A self-described “control freak,” Torgersen has learned to “let things go” and delegate. “The biggest mistake is trying to do everything yourself, which became apparent to me in going through the process of building the Optical Service Center,” he said. “I was trying to take care of admin and maintenance and sometimes running production, working 60- to 70-hour weeks for several weeks.” Torgersen also said delegating shows employees you have confidence they can get the job done. “It allows my supervisors to grow professionally,” he added. “It empowers them, and sometimes they come up with better ideas than me.” ADVICE: “I’m a data-driven person, so I’m not someone who shoots from the hip,” he said. “I try to dig down and get to the root cause of a problem. You can always put on a band-aid, but only in understanding the real issue can you make a true, lasting change.” BEST INVESTMENTS: Without hesitation, Torgersen said his employees are his best investment. “It’s important for me to have a cohesive team and a positive working environment,” he said. “It’s up to the people who do the hiring to find those who not only will be dependable but also who will get along with their co-workers. Happy workers are productive workers.” Cross-training employees is also wise, he added, enabling them to tackle other tasks and fill in for others when needed.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Torgersen said when the Optical Service Center opened about 2,500 jobs per day were processed through surfacing and AR. Today, the lab is doing about 6,200 jobs each day. “On a professional level, being able to design and build this facility is one of my biggest accomplishments,” Torgersen said. “I was still managing the day-to-day operations in Crizal, and then the ZEISS manager left so I had to run both departments...It was almost a year from concept to completion.”
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MEMORIAL
Michael Ness
THE MICHAEL NESS ‘STORY’ “Hey, you’ll get a kick out of this…” THIS WAS A COMMON GREETING WHEN MICHAEL NESS MET A FRIEND AND BEGAN A STORY.
By Jim Grootegoed
M
ichael, who passed away Dec. 30, 2017, at age 61, was one of the most influential people in our industry since joining it in 1990, yet he may not be that well known as he generally was working in the background rather than seeking the limelight. If you had the opportunity to meet him, you would certainly remember him as a warm, always smiling, low-key guy. He began his career in pharmaceutical sales and marketing and held senior management positions at several optical manufacturing companies during his career. From 1990 through January 2001, Michael worked for Essilor beginning as the vice president of marketing of Varilux Corp., where he led the team that launched Varilux Comfort. He later served as vice president of strategic marketing for Essilor of America and Essilor International in France, where his role was to guide product strategy and product management. Bob Colucci, recently retired from Essilor of America, said: “We met in 1990 when Michael joined what was then Varilux Corp. as the VP of marketing and I was the VP of sales.
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While there are many stories I could tell both business related and personal, I believe the highlight of our time together was the launch of Varilux Comfort in 1994. I believe, and I know Michael did as well, that it was one of – if not the – most successful launches of any product in our industry. Michael was a great friend and always had a smile on his face, as well as a story to tell. He will truly be missed by all who knew him.” From 2002 through February 2009, Michael served as vice president of sales and marketing for VISION EASE. During his tenure, Michael led the sales and marketing team that launched LifeRx photochromic lenses and Coppertone polarized sunglass lenses, both foundations of VISION EASE’s current business. Michael had much to be proud of, but one would never know it, as he was a humble, gracious man. A fact noted by many. Jay Lusignan, director, marketing communications for VISION EASE, noted: “Michael Ness was the VP, sales and marketing, when I joined VISION EASE. What was special about Michael was his warm personality. Regardless of your position, Michael always took the time to know an individual personally and make a connection. After he left VISION EASE, I would bump into Michael periodically at a vision show, and
he wouldn’t miss a beat, picking right up where he left off, always asking about personal lives, then business.” Michael joined HOYA in 2009 as the director of new product development. In 2010, he was named president of HOYA Lens of America, a division of HOYA Vision Care dedicated to serving the independent and commercial distri-
made you feel like you personally experienced the entire timeline start to finish. Many times, Michael would start the story when we got into the car to go to lunch, and many times he would still be telling the story when we returned from lunch.” Rick Tinson, vice president of HOYA Vision Care, recalled Michael’s passion for cycling: “Because Michael loved to bike
Michael had much to be proud of, but one would never know it, as he was a humble, gracious man. A fact noted by many. bution channels. Michael’s depth of knowledge and ever positive outlook helped the company grow. From 2015 through 2017, Michael changed focus to vice president of strategic marketing with a keen eye for new technical capabilities to contribute to the culture of innovation at HOYA. Barney Dougher, president, HOYA Vision Care, fondly recalled Michael’s storytelling: “When Michael joined HOYA I had the chance to work with him on the same team. His skills made me a better executive, and his candor kept all of us at HOYA grounded in taking care of our customers and their business. Daily, the executive team would go to lunch, and we actually looked forward to, ‘Hey, you’ll get a kick out of this… ‘ Michael’s ability to tell a story was like no others I have ever met, and the detail of the story
and was an avid fan of the Tour de France, we at HOYA relived the event daily by every mile. I knew that every July, I would get a call from Michael on a Saturday morning when the Tour de France would hit the Basque mountain stages. We’d laugh hysterically at the crazy naked guys in ‘man-kinis’ that always showed up running alongside the leaders. That joke just never got old. Michael’s love of the sport was deep in his heart, and he participated in one of the most grueling bike races in Texas: the ‘Hotter ‘n Hell 100.’ “ For Michael, who is survived by his wife Dora and daughter Hannah, it was always about what made somebody else special, and he was part of that specialness. We’ll all miss hearing: “Hey, you’ll get a kick out of this… “
OpticalLabProducts.com
2/22/18 11:00 AM
NEW For the Lab YOUNGER LAUNCHES POLARIZED PHOTOCHROMIC
Optical laboratories are now offering Younger Optics’ NuPolar Infinite Gray polarized sunwear lens in polycarbonate. “The number one complaint I hear about polarized lenses is that they’re too dark,” said president and CEO David Rips, “The second most common is that they’re too light! Younger Optics is now introducing a polarized sunwear lens that is very light gray when it needs to be and very dark gray when the wearer needs it most.” The darkness of the lens is controlled with a new UV-responsive photochromic technology that offers the widest range of light absorption of any polarized photochromic lens, according to the company. The transmission range is from approximately 35% transmittance in low-UV surroundings to about 9% in very bright, reflective environments. Currently available in gray, single-vision polycarbonate, NuPolar Infinite Gray will soon be available in single-vision hard resin. For more information, contact Younger Optics at 800.366.5367 or Marketing@YoungerOptics.com.
FASTGRIND DESIGNED FOR OVERSEAS SHIPMENT
Packed for custom designed crates made specifically for the U.S. military, Super Optical International’s FastGrind in-office lens-surfacing system is used throughout the world to produce eyewear for foreignbased troops as well as for humanitarian purposes. The system and all its accessories are packed in custom designed crates for shipment as well as for simple portability, allowing them to move from location to location with ease. Super Optical also designed a water recirculation system to enable FastGrind to be used in remote locations when tap water may not be readily available. For more information, contact Super Optical International/ FastGrind at 800.543.7376 or Jennifer@SuperOptical.com.
GUNNAR DEBUTS 35BPF LIQUET LENS
GUNNAR Optiks’ new Liquet Lens combines the digital eyewear company’s proprietary filter that defends against dangerous artificial blue light with a subtle, transparent lens. It offers a 35 BPF (the company’s patented Blue-Light Protection scale), which GUNNAR says is the highest protection rating available in a discrete, almost colorless lens. Similar to the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) scale for sunscreen, the BPF scale accurately measures the degree to which a lens protects your eyes from damaging (HEV) blue light and UV light. The lens technology blocks a minimum of 35% of blue light and 100% of UV light, according to the company. The new Liquet Lens is available in GUNNAR’s popular digital eyewear styles, including Enigma, Haus and Vertex. For more information, contact GUNNAR Optiks at 888.486.6270 or Support@GUNNARS.com.
DIGITAL VISION TAKES OUR CUSTOMERS TO THE NEXT LEVEL Do you feel stuck at your lab with manual workarounds? Do simple tasks seem harder than they should be? DVI's flexible software and responsive support helps you take command of your lab's processes. Our guiding principle is to empower customers of all sizes to run their labs efficiently, in a way that makes sense for them. Our industry leading system provides tools to streamline, automate, and integrate all aspects of your business. Our consulting partnership ensures you're never left wondering what to do next. As an independent company focused solely on the optical lab industry, our only agenda is your success. Phone: 503.231.6606 Fax: 503.231.4943 6805 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland, OR 97202
www.thedvi.com
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LAB
News
Transitions Optical Names Winners of
2017 TRANSITIONS INNOVATIONS AWARDS Transitions Optical recognized ECPs for their commitment to the brand at the company’s annual Innovations Awards ceremony, held February 13 at the Swan Hotel in Orlando, FL.
THE WINNERS IN SIX CATEGORIES WERE:
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Transitions Brand Ambassador: Jennifer Lyerly, OD, Triangle Visions Optometry, Raleigh, NC Best in Marketing: Opto-Réseau, Quebec, Canada Best in Training: 20/20 Visions, Plymouth, WI Canadian Retailer of the Year: Greiche & Scaff, Quebec, Canada U.S. Retailer of the Year: Costco Optical Eye Care Practice of the Year: Pacific Eye Care, Port Orchard, WA We are part of a community that is so dedicated, so passionate, so innovative,” said Drew Smith, director, North America Channels, and host of this year’s awards. “And we’re very fortunate in this industry to be part of this community.” The ceremony capped off two days of networking and presentations for about 900 attendees that ranged in topics from effective marketing and management to eyewear trends and children’s vision. Notable speakers included Jeremy Gutsche, author and founder of Trendhunter, and Jason Dorsey of the Center for Generational Kinetics.
”
Save The Date FOR OCUCO MEETING
Ocuco will hold its Innovations and Labzilla lab management system users group meeting May 4-5 at the Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater, FL. In the recently remodeled hotel, the event will include a first look at new products, training workshops, one-on-one assistance and networking opportunities with other Innovations and Labzilla users. “The Innovations product family has had many changes over the last year, each release rich in new features and functionality,” according to Ocuco. “We will provide you with product updates, share our roadmap and enable you to see what we have accomplished thus far with our new Innovations ULS software. We also take this opportunity to get feedback and ideas from you, our customers.” For more information, contact Ocuco Inc. at 800.708.1610 or Sales@Ocuco.com.
Creative conveyor layouts for labs
Essilor Honors Lab Partners at National Sales Meeting
FlexLink is listening. We’ve taken your feedback and are excited to offer a brand new conveyor technology that you can afford. Simple modular installation, lower noise and elimination of pneumatics are just a few of the improvements with Vision X®. Call us on +1 6109738200 or email us at info.us@flexlink.com for further information. flexlink.com
FlexLink is part of Coesia, a group of innovation-based industrial solutions companies operating globally headquartered in Bologna, Italy. www.coesia.com
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Essilor, during its national sales meeting last month, presented awards to the lab members of its Independent Distributor Division (IDD). Very Important Partner (VIP) Awards were presented to Spectera and New York City wholesale lab Perfect Optical. Cherry Optical, Inc. of Green Bay, WI, won the VIP Award for national lab as well as the Varilux Award of Excellence and the overall Independent Lab of the Year Award. “We’d like to acknowledge our peers for their successes as well as give thanks to those who supported us,” said Cherry Optical, Inc. “Congratulations, everyone! Without our partners and amazing eyecare professionals, we wouldn’t have made it this far, thank you!” The Xperio UV Award of Excellence went to Walman Optical of Minneapolis, MN, the Transitions Award of Excellence to Luzerne Optical Labs of Wilkes-Barre, PA, the X-Cel Outstanding Achievement Award to Korrect Optical of Louisville, KY, and the Crizal Award of Excellence to startup Green Optics in Auburn Hills, MI, for 240% growth. VSP Optics Group won Managed Care Lab of the Year. The Essilor Vision Foundation presented the Lab Excellence Award to Elite Optical of Rancho Dominguez, CA. Surprise guest Michael Daley, recently retired from Essilor, honored Bob Colucci upon his retirement from the company after nearly 30 years.
OpticalLabProducts.com
2/22/18 8:54 AM
Leybold Optics CCS610T+ Redesigned with a thermal evaporator and more powerful ion source This fourth generation coater has been redesigned - packing more capability into a smaller footprint - while retaining an affordable entry price.
Questions? leyboldoptics.cary@buhlergroup.com 919.657.7100
Innovations for a better world.
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The world’s fastest generator
HSC m dulo XT Redefining acceleration With HSC Modulo XTS, SCHNEIDER has accomplished a quantum leap in high-speed cutting, creating the fastest generator in the market. The heart of the machine is the new and extremely powerful XS-motor, redefining acceleration in ophthalmics. The generator’s machine base has been designed to be extra rigid to withstand the extreme forces exerted. Combined with high-frequency drive technology, a new milling spindle, and intelligent algorithms, an ingenious generator is formed. A sophisticated swarf management system efficiently keeps the work space clean. The result: The best lens in the shortest time – Full stop.
Come and visit us at Vision Expo East 16 – 18 March 2018, Level 1, Booth LP4253
SCHNEIDER GmbH & Co. KG Biegenstrasse 8–12 35112 Fronhausen, Germany Phone: +49 (64 26) 96 96-0 www.schneider-om.com
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SCHNEIDER Optical Machines Inc. 6644 All Stars Avenue, Suite 100 Frisco, TX 75033, USA Phone: +1 (972) 247-4000 info-us@schneider-om.com
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