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O P T I C A L
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NOVEMBER 2018
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LAB INNOVATOR 2 018
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In The Lab
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2018
OPINIONS
OPINIONS 01 02 04
In the Lab Rollins on Marketing One-to-One with Dana Weeks
FEATURES 06 14 16
A Lab With A Vision It’s All In The Planning Sierra Rising
RUNDOWN 17 18 20
New for the Lab Oh, What A Night! News
EDITORIAL STAFF VP, EDITORIAL | John Sailer • JSailer@FVMG.com 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 REGIONAL SALES MANAGER | Eric Hagerman • EHagerman@FVMG.com
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AN INNOVATING
A
s 2018 winds down it may be time to review the past year, whether it be how to spend your remaining budget dollars (equipment investment, perhaps?) or annual employee reviews, which Eric Rollins discusses in his column on page 2. If you attended Vision Expo West, it could be you need to process any new technology and equipment you saw or lenses that were introduced, and assess how they may fit into your lab’s business. There’s so much to digest and so much to do on top of keeping a business in check that it’s no easy task. Here comes OLP to the rescue. We attended the Lab Division’s Hall of Fame banquet and as usual, it was a wonderful evening filled with camaraderie and friendship, even among competitors, which is part of what makes the lab industry special. In this issue’s One to One (see page 4), OLP chatted with Dana Reese Weeks, a newly minted Hall of Fame inductee and former president of Optical Services International, who spoke about the lifelong personal and business friendships she has made throughout her long career. Coming out of retirement to receive the award in Las Vegas, Weeks noted she’s
Industry
keeping busy as a grandmother (and playing golf!), but she certainly does miss being part of the industry on a daily basis. That’s a testament. But apart from the receptions and parties, Vision Expo was about products: from a new progressive by Shamir that utilizes Artificial Intelligence and Transitions’ lens style colors and mirrors to Schneider’s brand new “lab in a box” and Optotech’s new blocker, to name a few. And one lab that has invested in equipment is our Lab Innovator of the Year, SVS Vision (see page 6). When we visited the Mt. Clemens, MIbased lab (a former roller rink), we couldn’t help but note happy and loyal employees, many of whom have worked there for 20 or 30 years. SVS even made custom “Lab Innovator of the Year” t-shirts for each employee. The very knowledgeable Fred Chandonnet guided us through the lab, explaining its design and layout. The company’s owners were initially brought on to sell it, but their vision saw something else: They purchased the business and transformed it into the state-of-the-art lab deserving of this recognition. Cara Huzinec is Editor of OLP. CHuzinec@FVMG.com.
NOVEMBER 2018
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OPINIONS
Rollins on Marketing
ANNUAL REVIEWS: Why and How
By Eric Rollins
W
ith the end of the year coming up, it’s time to prepare for annual reviews. For many small businesses, it is easy to just not do them, but that is a mistake. Let’s take a look at why we do annual business reviews and how they should be carried out.
Why: Annual reviews can and should take some time to perform. You should think about what you have expected from your employees for the past year and how they have performed individually and as part of the team. The main reason to perform annual reviews is to let your employees know what you expect from them. It has been reported that the main reason employees fail is because they have never been told what their boss expects from them! It is a lot easier to groom a current employee than to hire and train a new one, so use the annual review to set performance standards and set goals. Another reason to do annual reviews is that it documents the
employee’s success or failure in meeting performance standards. If the employee ever needs to be terminated, this becomes a large part of the paper trail protecting you from legal action.
How: It should begin with a standardized annual review form, available from many sources, including the internet. Have the employees fill them out first. Then ask at least a portion of the people with whom the employee interacts to fill out the form for that employee, ensuring their answers and identities are confidential. Many companies make the mistake of only getting input from the person who manages the employee and not those who report to the employee. This can mask some
really bad behaviors from upper management. Then the HR department (or the lab owner in most cases) can review the employee using this information. Set realistic goals for the coming year, give coaching for the areas where the employee falls short, and congratulate the employee on the areas where they excel. Now move forward for a great next year!
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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ONE TO ONE: DANA REESE WEEKS
Q&A Q: You were just
inducted into the Lab Division Hall of Fame at Vision Expo West in September, not your first industry recognition. What was it like to come out of retirement, reconnect with former peers and be recognized by the Lab Division?
A:
It was wonderful! I have not been to a Vision Expo in four years, so seeing long-time associates and friends was exhilarating. Being honored by the Lab Division was quite a humbling experience and something I did not expect. It was also very emotional. I miss this industry and being involved in it daily. We had such great lab members at Optical Services International and support from our many vendors and partners. They were far more than business acquaintances; but friends.
Q: You are the third
generation of your family to make a career in the lab business. Did
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Former president of Optical Services International, Dana Reese Weeks is the third generation of her family to make a career in optical. OLP caught up with the recent Lab Division Hall of Fame inductee to talk about her family’s legacy, OSI and retirement.
you always know you wanted to work in the industry?
A: No, I didn’t. My father had
started OSI in 1984 and by 1988, he asked me to join him. We meshed perfectly. It was a natural fit. We were growing quickly, and I was able to put more emphasis on marketing and education than there had been previously. Oh, and we imported frames. That was a real education, in so many ways. What a tough business. My first job in the industry was working in the lab while in middle school, washing completed jobs, boxing them and delivering to customers in downtown Mansfield. That did not leave a real hunger in my heart for the industry!
Q: Your family history is not unique to the laboratory business. Tell us about it.
A:
My grandfather started Reese Optical in Mansfield, OH, back in the 1930s. My dad, Duane Reese, joined him in 1946 after the war and built it from one lab to nine locations
in three states and three contact lens labs. In 1969, he sold Reese Optical to Bausch + Lomb, where he was vice president of the Laboratory Division. I have never attended a trade show where someone has not told me stories of my father bringing them into the industry or working for him and how it changed their lives. It is a wonderful legacy.
played a major role for these labs but did not meet their everyday needs. OSI filled that gap to a large degree. Our members benefitted through our contacts and major buying power, the training we provided for sales people and business training for both principals and lab management. OSI became a valuable asset to our member labs.
After he left B + L and a very short retirement, he acquired a lab in Atlanta: Vision Optics. He built that up, sold it and retired again—briefly! It was then that three old friends, Ray Art, Ed Schmidt and Fritz Balester, who had worked for him and owned labs, asked about forming a group for independent laboratories. That was the birth of OSI, which eventually grew to 39 member labs in the U.S. and Canada.
Q: How long did you
We were a powerful group that did all we could to support one another and grow each lab’s business. We were the largest independent laboratory group in both members and sales. When OSI started, the lab business consisted of small, independent companies across the U.S. The OLA [Optical Lab Association]
manage OSI?
A: I started at OSI in 1988 and was made president five years later. I was there for 28 years before closing the business due to industry consolidation. We represented independent labs, and there simply were not too many left. I am so happy to see new independent labs opening again and giving the ECPs real choices again.
Q: What was it like to
work with your father?
A: I am one of the lucky ones!
I have heard of so many difficult family situations while working for family. My experience was terrific, and I am so thankful that I was able to work
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Q: What do you enjoy
with my dad for so many years. It was so fulfilling seeing him not as ‘Dad’ but on a professional level. And, those traits he displayed as ‘Dad’ carried over into the industry: honesty, integrity and fairness. All areas I strive for in my life.
now that you have retired?
A: I have heard so many people say, ‘How did I get everything done when I was work-
ing?’ and it is the truth. I play golf, I travel and work in my
Q: You’ve also been a
member of The Vision Council, The OLA and a board member of the OWA (Optical Women’s Association), which honored you with its Pleiades Award in 2004. Why is the OWA significant in the industry?
garden. I spend a lot of time as
a caregiver and of course love
the role as mom and grandma. I am blessed with a wonderful Weeks with J. Larry Enright (left) and Steve Sutherlin (right) at the Hall of Fame Banquet.
A: Everyone needs mentors in
their lives. As women in a traditionally male-dominated industry, women need the help, advice and encouragement from other women. Education and
mentoring are keys as is networking and exposure in the industry. The OWA does so much to promote women in leadership positions in all aspects of the industry.
network of friends who keep me busy in one project after another. I have served as president of
the Women’s Golf Association and on the Executive Board at my golf club. But, I still miss optical!
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LAB INNOVATOR 2018
L A B I N N O VATO R 2 018
A LAB WITH A VISION Headquartered in Mt. Clemens, MI, SVS Vision serves 77 retail locations in eight states from Michigan to Georgia and underwent a major renovation and equipment upgrade two years ago. Purchased by a private equity company in 1997 that eventually brought in current President Kenneth Stann to sell the company, Stann and Rob Farrell, OD, ended up purchasing the company themselves, turning it into an optical powerhouse that is poised to open three additional locations by the end of this year. OLP visited SVS’s state-of-the-art, automated lab and spoke with Fred Chandonnet, vice president of manufacturing, to find out its unorthodox back story and the keys to its continued growth.
OLP: SVS’s lab has 53 lab employees and most of them have been here 20, 30-some-odd years. That’s a testament. Fred, how did you get started in the industry? Chandonnet: Well, I started fresh out of high
school. I turned down a scholarship to go to a college in Chicago because I had an opportunity to get into an apprenticeship in the optical industry. At the time, my brother-in-law was working for a Michigan-based company here, New Vision, as a manager. He got me in one of the last apprenticeships that they had. Back then, they had the five-year apprenticeship program. I started in 1975. Then, New Vision was bought out by Cole National. At that point in time, I parted and went to work at Henry Ford OptimEyes. I was enticed to come over here by Dr. Farrell, who’s one of the principals now, and run their laboratory here at SVS. It’s been 17 years. We were doing about 600 jobs a day on all antiquated equipment. But it was a roller rink. The floors were horrendous. It was hard to keep the
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place clean because wood and water don’t mix, and anytime you’d have a spill you’d have a warped floor.
OLP: Tell us a little bit about SVS’s history and how you and the current president got involved. Chandonnet: Avery Sterling and I hit it off years and years ago. He had a small wholesale lab back in 1974, I believe, here in Michigan. He was servicing a few small retailers around here. He ended up acquiring four offices from one of his customers that he was doing lab work for, and he kind of grew from there. We were in the middle of an all-union workforce here with the automotive industry, and he had an opportunity with Ford Motor Company. He started an insurance entity, and he sold them insurance. So, the company was built around the Ford Motor Company. That’s why we were in 11 different states when I came here, because wherever there was a Ford plant, Avery would put an office to service all the Ford workers, the hourly workers, because he had a contract with
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run out 20 feet and it would try to get out. It was terrible. We’d have times you’d come in and it would be like a speed bump in the middle of the lab. We’ve had times where the old coaters were almost flipping; they were tipping over like it was going to fall over because the floor would push them up.
them to take care of that. He put small locations with doctors and would take care of all the Ford patients.
OLP: Did that evolve into Henry Ford OptimEyes, or were they just a big competitor? Chandonnet: They were a
big competitor. First Optometry was the retail end, and Henry Ford had optical shops in their Ford entities, their Ford hospitals. But they were not very well run, because they weren’t retailers. They were trying to run a retail office like a medical office and it didn’t work. So that’s where that merger came in— Henry Ford basically bought out First Optometry.
OLP: That’s the old UltraOptics coaters? Chandonnet: Yeah, the old
UltraOptics MR3s. We poured a concrete pad big enough just to have them sit on them so they would be level.
There are no holes in our boards in our stores.
You could sell the same frame 10 times in the same day.
I don’t have to worry about frame-to-come When I came on board, I want to say we had 52, 53 offices. We at all. That’s a big advantage. were owned by a private equity - Fred Chandonnet out of Chicago. Then, Ken was brought on a few years after I came in to basically sell the company, but there was an issue with selling the company because it had such a concentration of Ford lives that it was a big risk. Long story short, Dr. Farrell and Ken ended up purchasing the company 10 years ago. Then, they were on a mission to turn it into a real retail company. Now, Henry Ford’s just a small part of our business, but we still have that contract. Two years ago was when we decided we were going to totally automate and get rid of all the old wood. That’s what we’ve done. It works very well now.
OLP: You had to use a suspended conveyor system, correct?
Chandonnet: What we did is
we suspended it from the ceiling, so we took all the legs off and suspended it so they could pour the concrete underneath it. continued on page 8
CONGRATULATIONS
OLP: What prompted the renovation and the need to really automate this lab? Chandonnet: Ken’s got a very aggressive growth strategy. If we
couldn’t sustain the workflow and the throughput, it wouldn’t work. That’s why we said we’re going to build the lab up first, get the infrastructure built, and then fill it out. And our workforce is getting older. As we grow, there are two philosophies: you put in a whole bunch of equipment or you work the equipment you have longer. We chose to work our equipment longer because we don’t have an endless building. We’ve got 7,000 square feet here. I can’t put 10 generators and run one shift. So we’ve opted to run the equipment longer: three shifts for four days a week.
OLP: Pre-renovation, when it was the wood flooring, let’s say there’d be a spill, it would buckle. In the midst of work you would just remove the wood floor, pour some concrete and keep running? Chandonnet: Yes, we would pour patches of concrete. It was cra-
SVS VISION LAB INNOVATOR 2018 SCHNEIDER congratulates SVS Vision. Thank you for your innovative spirit!
zy. The water would run underneath that floor. You may have a leak in one corner and 20 feet out it would warp because the water would
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continued from page 7 When Carryline came in and put those conveyors in, we only had two-thirds of our concrete poured in our surface department, so the final third of it had to be poured after the conveyors were in. So we removed all the legs, strapped it from the girders of the building with ratchet straps—18 feet up. Then, they came in and poured all the concrete under it. We came in on Monday and put all the legs back on and fired it up.
OLP: What made you decide to go with Schneider? I’m guessing your history was mostly Coburn.
A DETROIT STATE OF MIND Detroit sports fans are sure to have noticed SVS Vision: The company sponsors several local, major league teams.
Fred Chandonnet had a table made from the original roller rink floor.
In 2007, SVS became a sponsor of the Detroit Red Wings, at the Little Caesers Arena, the team’s home ice. Extensive branded company content runs throughout the event center, from programs and digital panels to inclusion in both the Red Wings’ app and website. SVS also sponsors the goals under review during play as well as game delays caused by needed glass repairs. Since 2009, SVS has been the official optical provider of the Detroit Lions football team, and an entire concourse at Ford Field is named after SVS Vision. But that’s not all: SVS has also been a sponsor of the Pistons since 2014, and take in a Tigers game at Comerica Park and you may spot SVS Vision on the right field center sign, in instant replays and occasionally, on the back pads. SVS has sponsored the team since 2004.
Chandonnet: It was Coburn to start with. I mean, when I started all we had was glass back then. We were all Coburn 506, 504s. We had hand pans.
OLP: What equipment are you running from Schneider?
Chandonnet: We’re running the Modulo blockers—two auto blockers and we have two manual blockers. We have three smart XPs and four Modulo polishers. We have the automated de-taper and de-blocker, two automated lasers and we run their dip coater in our coating room. We’re upgrading that to a BCH 200, and we’re putting in the 1400 AR coater. We run anywhere from 600 to 700 AR coatings a day through those two Modulos.
OLP: What do you do for your edging?
Chandonnet: I use MEI. We have three with TBAs on them. They’re incredible. They do a great job.
OLP: You also have some equipment from OptoTech and A&R.
“As a life-long Michigan resident and Detroit sports fan, I understand the importance that our Detroit sports teams have in our community,” said Kenneth Stann, president. “SVS Vision is a Michigan-based company that has strong roots in Detroit. We’ve always felt that it is important for us to create strong relationships with the teams in an effort to support our community.”
Chandonnet: We have just one piece of OptoTech, the auto taper,
In addition to sports, SVS became a sponsor of both the Detroit Zoo and The Parade Co. last year, and SVS debuted its float at the 2017 America’s Thanksgiving Parade.
still use a little SOLAMAX. SOLAMAX and Adaptor are our entry-level covered product. But right now, all of our Essilor products are freeform, even an Adaptor. I do an Adaptor freeform, Accolade, Ovation. We do all of those freeform. We used to sell a lot of Zeiss GT2 and if somebody can’t adapt to a freeform type of thing, we’ll put them back into a GT2 or something like that, or some fringe stuff. But we’re probably 85% freeform.
“We have such great partnerships with the Detroit sports teams that we wanted to get involved with more Michigan-based companies and charitable entities,” Stann added.
and we use A&R’s mapper.
OLP: You also control your lenses. Are you doing any standardized PALs, or are you just generating them all?
Chandonnet: A lot of our patients are all insurance-driven. I
OLP: You have Zeiss, Essilor and Seiko, correct? Chandonnet: And Vision Ease. We use all the primaries.
OLP: IOT for designs?
Chandonnet: IOT, yes. Zeiss is our primary.
OLP: EyeDef is your private label line of lenses, correct? What’s the advantage of EyeDef?
Chandonnet: EyeDef is a full series of single vision and variable progressives, all freeform designs. It’s the newest technology out there, and it’s custom made for us. I mean, it’s been tweaked just for
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us. The good part about it is it can always be the newest technology. If somebody comes out with a newer, better lens tomorrow, we can upgrade our EyeDef lenses tomorrow. We don’t have to worry. So we’re going to always have fresh, new designs under that umbrella.
OLP : What percentage of safety do you do?
Chandonnet: Today it’s about 8%. That’s by design. It used
to be higher than that—12% to 14%. We’ve kind of backed away from that where we don’t have retail entities, in essence. We used to do a lot of East Coast business with a lot of utility companies because we had a good relationship with them. We decided to focus on the retail entities or on safety where we can drive the patients into our retail.
OLP: Fred, for you, what’s the difference between building a lab for a retail chain as opposed to a
wholesale, independent lab? Is there a difference? Chandonnet: Oh, there’s a big difference. We
can control the lenses we use, but I think one of the things we can also do is we can make sure that we have the cohesiveness between the lab people and the retail people. If you have an employee in our retail location that has an attitude or something about your laboratory, we can address that. We can deal with it and make them communicate better. And I’ve dealt with some wholesale situations where it can be pretty testy. The frame situation is huge. We have that database. We don’t key anything.
OLP: Every frame is stocked in the lab?
Chandonnet: Not every, but all of the ones except for a patient’s own or an enclosed frame [a frame that comes from an office’s
continued on page 10
Congratulations to SVS Vision on Being named the 2018 Lab Innovator of the Year! On behalf of the Essilor Integrated Independent Group, we are proud to partner with a company that is committed to providing the optical industry with innovative products, along with exceptional customer service and quality. We appreciate your partnership and continued support! Congratulations on this great honor!
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continued from page 9 inventory] which is about 8% to 10% of what we do. We pull brand new frames out of the boxes and replenish our stock inventory here.
Chandonnet: I just ran a report, and our average turnaround time
OLP: So it doesn’t come from the store?
OLP: And that’s on how many jobs per day would you say you average?
Chandonnet: There are no holes in our boards in our stores. You
could sell the same frame 10 times in the same day. I don’t have to worry about frame-to-come at all. That’s a big advantage. It’s huge. The biggest bottleneck is matching a frame up to that tray. We don’t have those kind of bottlenecks, because we control the whole thing.
OLP: Do you ever subcontract any jobs?
Chandonnet: Very few and only with some specialty jobs. I don’t do glass.
OLP: What is the lab’s average turnaround time on orders?
this month so far is 2.12 days overall. On safety it’s 1.46.
Chandonnet: Right now we’re averaging about 1,200 a day.
OLP: Do you process much polycarbonate? Chandonnet: Poly is about 75% of what we do right now; photochromics are about 30%.
OLP: What lab management software do you use and what do you use it for?
Chandonnet: We use VisionStar. It’s very robust. The inventory
module works wonderfully, and we use it to its fullest. I mean, we do everything on the frame ordering, everything on the lens ordering: the tracking, the ease of operations, and they’re very easy to work with. And they’ll do custom things for you. I have them working on a project right now to help sort our AR coatings by different strip times and things. But they’re going to build that right in to where it’ll make it easier for the operators to sort things. Little stuff like that, which is important.
OLP: How often do you run reports, would you say, from that system?
OptoTech congratulates SVS Vision on being named 2018 Lab Innovator of the Year. An honor well deserved!
Chandonnet: Daily.
OLP: And analyze? Daily?
Chandonnet: Daily, yes. We look at every lens that goes through here and we log it. I see every job that goes through every machine every hour. We can look at that and analyze and see, you know, ‘Why is this generator now two jobs an hour less than the other ones?’ You know, those types of things. It’s all there.
OLP: How much AR do you do?
Chandonnet: Right now we’re between 45% and 50%, so we’re running anywhere from 600 to 700 ARs a day through our AR coating room. We have our own private label AR.
OLP: What about coatings such as mirrors?
Chandonnet: We’re big into mirrors. I actually used to take pucks
and have them mirror-coated and put them on our shelf, and then we would just pull them off and do a progressive on the back and AR-coat the inside, and away you go. So we could do mirror-coated
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and AR-coated backside virtually the same day. That’s the way we run our mirrors now. We keep them all on hand and on-shelf for our mirror coating.
OLP: Is there anything unique about the lab or anything of which you’re particularly proud? Chandonnet: Well, like I alluded to earlier, when I
laid this place out, I looked at how many steps everybody takes. I try to keep things close together. I’ve been in laboratories, and you’ve probably been to them also, where it’s very difficult for the operators to maintain a lot of equipment. If you look at our layouts, even the new layouts when we maximize, we add more polishers, more generators, I still only need one person to keep that stuff running on one shift.
OLP: The surfacing area is a ghost town.
Chandonnet: We have the same person running the generators, run-
ning the lasers, running the polishers and maintaining the de-blocker and de-taper. One person. But I make it accessible to them. I make it easy for them to do. Even when we put in more equipment, that one person will handle all of that. Our people are trained to do that. I’ve been to some places where they have people that just watch for green lights on the polishers, and they can’t get to the generators because they’re too walled off by the conveyors. I don’t like that. They have
to stand on each side of the conveyors and talk to each other because they can’t get under them.
OLP: Speaking of training, when you get a new lens style, how do you train your retail branches?
Chandonnet: We get the information out. We have tests that they have to take. We’re improving that all the time. We have webinars and we can go office-to-office; we can do a group setting. It’s not cookie-cutter, but we’re constantly improving that. We also give tours here. We brought 300 people through here when we were still in the midst of building this place. I did a half-hour session with them on prism and thickness and those kinds of things, which all helps. But we don’t add a lot of new lenses very often. We just refreshed our whole portfolio. We sent all the literature out and said, ‘On this date, we’re going to switch. Here’s the difference between this one and that one.’ So they had all of the information there. They had to read that and initial it, and it’s on file that they know we’ve gone through the testing. But, like I said, we’re always improving on that. It’s the doctors that we’re working with a lot now in trying to educate them on freeform. There’s a deficiency in optical training for doctors. They don’t get lens training. But the lens training that they got in their freshman year could be totally different by their senior year, so it’s hard to do. But, personally, I think they ought to have an internship, kind of like a residency in a laboratory.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SVS VISION OPTICAL CENTERS ON BEING NAMED LAB INNOVATOR OF 2018
CONTINUED SUCCESS FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT ULTRA OPTICS
OpticalLabProducts.com
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11
Since inception, SVS Vision has grown into the bran target markets with a retail focused strategy, supe
1997
SVS Vision sold to PENMAN
Rob Farrell and Kenneth Stann purchase SVS
Private Equity Group in 1997
1974
2007
2002 Kenneth Stann comes on board
SVS Vision becomes a
sponsor of the Detroit Red Wings
at PENMAN, puts SVS Vision up for sale
1974 SVS Vision was founded in Sterling Heights, MI
12
NOVEMBER 2018
2009
2004
SVS Vision becomes a
sponsor of the Detroit Tigers
SVS Vision becomes a sponsor of the
Detroit Lions
OpticalLabProducts.com
In m V
R
ti
the branded, full service vision care provider of choice in its gy, superior brand recognition and robust product offerings.
2010
SVS Vision
2015
SVS Vision becomes a
sponsor of the Detroit Zoo and the Parade Co. with its
retains large vision Insurance contracts
first float in America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
2014
9
2017 2018 SVS Vision
will have 80 stores in 8 states by
the end of 2018
SVS Vision moves
In 2010 VSP allows SVS Vision to manufacture its own jobs. SVS Vison also wins Transitions
Retailer of the year for the first
time
SVS Vision becomes a
sponsor of the Detroit Pistons
OpticalLabProducts.com
it’s corporate location and launches the EyeDef brand and the private label Vance
In 2017, SVS Vision completed
renovation of a state-of-the-art manufacturing lab
NOVEMBER 2018
13
TECHNOLOGY
IT’S ALL IN THE PLANNING
OLP spoke with Walman Optical to find out how its Omaha location successfully planned, chose and installed high capacity equipment with minimal disruption.
BY JIM GROOTEGOED
M
ost growing labs run into the same problem, when business increases and production capacity has been reached, service either slows or becomes limited. The solution is threefold: quit growing, create additional capacity or add higher capacity production equipment.
THE PROBLEM
Ray Stavneak, branch manager, has produced as many as 50 bread-and-butter jobs per hour but routinely pushes out 40 jobs per hour with a combined mix of materials, allowing for two generators to replace three circa 2006 HSC Masters with CCP102/103 polishers. The Orbit 2 and MultiFlex, installed in 2016, were carried over and are also used in-line, primarily for standard and out-of-range jobs. The machine configuration is expected to provide double the previous throughput.
At Walman Optical’s Omaha, NE, location, production capacity had been “I could not imagine an installation going better. reached but space was limited. Saddled Every supplier’s equipment has lived up to its with older equipment, Walman had to claims, and I would recommend all make a decision because there was no without hesitation.” - Matt Cummins room to add any. The lab was running about 1,200 to 1,300 jobs a day using OptoTech’s OTL 80 CNC-A two Schneider HSC generators comis producing 150 engravings per bined with three CCP 102 polishers, all 2006 vintage, and a newer hour, two and a half times more than the previous engraver. This was 2016 Satisloh Orbit and Multiflex. the company’s first independent lab installation and was not prepared for the enormous number of lens options needed — about 3,000 — The lab ultimately chose to completely replace the current maand relied heavily on The Vision Council’s Electronic Progressive chinery with more efficient, higher capacity equipment. Identifier Catalog (EPIC) when building the new files. The process took three months of analysis followed by three more What made this installation successful was the planning and teammonths of actual planning, all managed by Matt Cummins, direcwork between four separate suppliers and the user, Walman Optical, tor of field operations, who instituted his mantra: “Proper Previous which started in earnest three months before installation and accomPlanning Prevents Poor Performance.” modated all of the companies sending personnel on-site to prepare. THE SOLUTION Carryline went so far as to assemble the complete conveyer line in its Walman began by contacting possible vendors and other labs for home office in Kentucky before disassembling and transporting it to their experiences and sought opinions from employees involved in Omaha in three trucks for reassembly. DVI was charged with develproducing jobs. Walman eventually decided to purchase two HSC oping interfaces for the newly installed machinery, and they worked Modulo XTS generators combined with three CCP Modulo S polas efficiently as they have with old products. OptoTech sent three ishers from Schneider and the OTL 80 CNC-A Laser Engraver technicians, who were kept busy loading the new lens identification from Optotech. Their existing lab management system from Digital information. In addition to its on-site personnel, Schneider sent anVision, Inc. required additional programming for the new equipment. other technician from Germany to fix an unexpected problem. All were tied to an intelligent conveyer system by Carryline USA and Change is always difficult for employees, but by involving them managed by Schneider’s Modulo Line, the brain that organizes job from the start, the acceptance was better than expected, particularflow and monitors machine efficiency. ly because no jobs were lost. All the suppliers provided necessary Walman had the luxury of being able to “use alternate routes” training, and so far there have been no surprises. It’s still early, but among its lab system to continue processing jobs, allowing for a breakage is down as well. shutdown from Thursday to the following Monday, when production Coming online on time and under budget, the new high producresumed at about 50%, ramping up to full production by Wednesday. tion capacity equipment will provide a free-flowing, free-forming job The HSC Modulo XTS generators provided a quantum increase highway well into the future. in machine production by using a new motor, the XS-Tec. It allows As Cummins said, “I could not imagine an installation going betfor much faster track transition (twice as fast) for the fine cutting, ter. Every supplier’s equipment has lived up to its claims, and I would essentially doubling output. These are tied to three CCP Modulo S polishers. recommend all without hesitation.”
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NOVEMBER 2018
OpticalLabProducts.com
BREAKING SPEED BARRIERS
VFT-orbit 2
FASTEST GENERATOR ON THE PLANET
The new VFT-orbit 2 raises the bar that Satisloh’s high-volume flagship VFT-orbit set. It features even greater performance, quality and reliability. The new ultra-fast milling spindle and the proprietary milling tool interface improve throughput by up to 30%. VFT-orbit 2 is the fastest, most robust and easiest to service high-speed lens generator. Go supersonic!
www.satisloh.com | 800-866-5640
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BUSINESS
SIERRA RISING Another independent lab is scheduled to open; this one by former VSP senior VP Warren Meyer.
S
ervice and independence are the name of the game for Warren Meyer.
“Service has always been the central theme of my laboratories, and I don’t see that changing,” Meyer said. “I believe in asking potential customers what their needs are and attempting to meet those needs.”
Meyer said the lab will be predominantly focused on its customers.
Meyer, former senior vice president of lab operations at VSP, is poised to open Sierra Optical Laboratory in Reno, NV, appropriately named for the scenery and in recognition of the former Sierra Optical—a lab owned by Meyer’s friends Don Dakin and Charlie Pendrell.
“If doing business with my lab improves their bottom line and the experience for their patient, then I believe we’ll be successful,” he said, adding he believes the keys to the lab’s success will be “customer service and consistency. And hopefully bringing a little fun into the process.”
“I always admired their lab, and the name seemed appropriate since I live in the High Sierra and can look out my window and see the Sierras from our location in Reno,” he said.
EQUIPMENT AT SIERRA OPTICAL:
Set to begin production this month, Sierra Optical intends to offer a full range of digital lens designs and index-matched AR coatings. “Obviously, I believe there is an opportunity to open an independent lab at this point in time,” Meyer added. “I have heard from many ECPs that the current state of the industry, dominated by large commercial lens manufacturers, is simply not working for them.” Meyer found a 6,200 square-foot space in March and began testing equipment late summer. He brought in equipment from Schneider Optical Machines for digital surfacing and AR coating, plus the Dual Lens Mapper from A&R for digital inspection. For tracing
16
and finishing, Sierra will utilize equipment from Santinelli International. Meyer has partnered with IOT for lens designs with plans to use designs from other companies in the near future, and he is using Digital Vision, Inc.’s lab management software.
NOVEMBER 2018
FROM SCHNEIDER:
FROM SANTINELLI:
CB Bond blocker HSC Sprint generator CCP Nano 2 polisher CCL C* Mark engraver DHC 60 hardcoater
Me 1200 edger XtremeD LT-980 tracer Ice 900 Advanced CAD blocker
OpticalLabProducts.com
NEW For the Lab SHAMIR AUTOGRAPH INTELLIGENCE LENSES
FINALLY
AUTOMATE
HARD COATING, TAPE REMOVAL, AND
Available through selected partner labs Oct. 1, Autograph Intelligence lenses were designed utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Big Data that revealed a link between patients’ visual needs and their “Visual Age.” Autograph Intelligence lenses provide the optical solution for patients at every Visual Age without the need for questionnaires, and lenses incorporate three technologies: Eye-Point Technology AI, which uses Head Eye Integrative Movement software to see exactly where a wearer looks; Continuous Design Technology, which integrates patients’ habits and visual needs so wearers can move from one add to the next without adaptation concerns; and Visual AI Engine, which applies elements of AI to mimic human intelligence. Lenses are available in both fixed and variable designs, including 11mm, 13mm, 15mm and 18mm fitting heights in the full range of materials offered by Shamir. For more information, contact Shamir Insight, Inc. at 877.514.8330 or ShamirAutographIntelligence.com.
LENS CLEANING
DUALITY LENS DE-TAPER & CLEANER One of a kind, the Duality de-tapes and cleans the lens in one product, saving you money and space. Paired with the Velocity, benefit from hands free processing from tape removal through cleaning and coating. Duality is also available as a lens wash only unit.
OTB 80 CNC-A4 BLOCKER FROM OPTOTECH
With independent linear handling and four blocking stations, this alloy blocker from OptoTech is able to block up to 240 lenses per hour. The OTB 80 CNC-A4 blocker incorporates Multi Job Tray Access Handling and Machine Split Technology, in which a moveable conveyor “opens” the machine for easy access for maintenance. OptoTech’s Pulse Filling Technology optimizes blocking with minimal loss of alloy. A stacker for blocking pieces is integrated into the blocker (also compatible with non-OptoTech blockers) and has the capacity of 340 blocking pieces (300 in the stacker; 40 on the transport belt). Blocking rings and alloy can easily be refilled during operation for uninterrupted blocking. For more information, contact OptoTech at 877.412.8350 or OptoTech.de.
OpticalLabProducts.com
VELOCITY SPIN COATER With the highest throughput of any UV hard coating system in the market, the Velocity can coat 120-130 lenses per hour, while also delivering excellent yields. The process includes lens handing from the job tray through a multi-stage lens cleaning system, followed by a secondary cleaning system, coating and curing, and finally returning the lens to the job tray. Velocity is also available in a manual configuration.
UVMAX | UVAR | DURA-UV Superior hard coating solutions to match your needs.
NOVEMBER 2018
17
EVENTS
Oh,What a NIGHT!
INDUSTRY LEADERS GATHERED TO HONOR PEERS AND COLLEAGUES AT THE LAB DIVISION’S 19TH ANNUAL HALL OF FAME BANQUET TO KICK-OFF VISION EXPO WEST. Presented by Swen Carlson, chair of The Vision Council’s Lab Division, and Jose Alves, general manager, Americas, of Transitions Optical, the Director’s Choice Award was given to former Transitions president Dave Cole at the Lab Division’s Hall of Fame Banquet on Sept. 26.
The Lab Division also inducted eight individuals into its Hall of Fame at the dinner, held at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. They were:
Cole, currently vice president of architectural coatings at PPG Industries, was given the award in part to recognize how Transitions and its lens technology grew the industry, said Steve Sutherlin, Lab Division liaison to The Vision Council.
• Ralph G. Kent, Jr.: territory manager, Luzerne Optical Laboratories
“Dave was the ringleader of the whole thing, he was always the face of Transitions, he was the president of the company and he was the one who we always met with at different meetings and was ‘Mr. Transitions,’” he told OLP. “So we just felt that what he has done for our industry needed to be recognized, and even though he’s not in the industry any longer, he certainly is a deserving recipient.”
• Richard C. Palmer: founder, Practical Engineering, Inc./Walman
Richard Palmer
Ralph Kent Jr.
18
NOVEMBER 2018
Michael Sutherlin
Dan and Deb Lundberg
Mike and Donna Nathe
• Ronald F. Cooke, OD: former president, CEO and founder, Diversified Ophthalmics, Inc. • Dan Lundberg: senior software engineer, Digital Vision, Inc. • Mike Nathe: SVP of partner lab group/Kodak, Essilor of America • Michael D. Sutherlin: vice president (retired), Sutherlin Optical • Michael Walach: president, Quest Vision Care Specialty Lab • Dana Reese Weeks: president, Optical Services International Ronald and Nancy Cooke
Michael and Iwona Walach
Swen Carlson
Dana Weeks with her son Hunter Weeks
Dave Cole
OpticalLabProducts.com
NEW For the Lab
DUALITY LENS
DE-TAPER & CLEANER SCHNEIDER DEBUTS TWO MACHINES AT VEW
The Modulo Center 80 is an all-in-one surfacing center that offers milling, lathe turning, polishing and laser marking, making a full production line in one machine. The ability to run all processes simultaneously (even lathe turning and milling) and processes up to 80 lenses per hour results in substantial time savings. The HSE Modulo QS edger contains four processing stations; two rough cut and two finishing stations, to process four lenses at the same time. Two lens-measuring units provide fully automated quality control based on the full lens map. For more information, contact Schneider Optical Machines, Inc. at 972.247.4000 or Schneider-OM.com.
e
,
the Duality de-tapes and cleans the lens in one product, saving you money and space. Paired with the Velocity, beneďŹ t from hands free processing from tape removal through cleaning and coating. Duality is also available as a lens wash only unit.
OpticalLabProducts.com
NOVEMBER 2018
19
LAB News
JOE PATELLA JOINS DAC Joe Patella joined Garland, TX-based DAC Technologies as area sales manager. Patella, who is based in Orlando, will cover the Southeastern U.S. Prior to DAC, Patella worked in the Field Service Division of National Optronics for nine years. “I look forward to meeting all DAC customers in my area, understanding their production challenges and customizing solutions that best fit their needs,” he said.
LUXEXCEL OPENS DEMO LAB; APPOINTS NEW CEO Luxexcel, manufacturer of 3D-printed ophthalmic lenses, opened a Customer Demonstration Lab at its U.S. headquarters in Alpharetta, GA, last month. The lab houses the full Luxexcel VisionPlatform to provide U.S. customers the opportunity to view the technology in operation and create sample production for select partners. “The demo location will strengthen the company’s North American customer support and give U.S.-based labs a unique preview of the Luxexcel VisionPlatform technology and its integration into a typical lab environment,” said Guido Groet, chief commercial officer. The company also announced in September the appointment of Fabio Esposito as CEO, who takes over from Hans Streng. Prior to joining Luxexcel, Esposito served as president and CEO of Solidscape, maker of high-precision 3D printers for manufacturing. He had previously served as vice president at ISRA Parsytec, Inc., a supplier of machine vision systems used for quality management and process automation.
A NEW LOOK FOR IOT IOT customers can now enjoy the company’s brand new user-friendly website, plus social media profiles and a newly created logo. “We had the desire to change our corporate look to make it better reflect the company IOT has become,” said Tina Lahti, vice president of marketing and sales. “We are absolutely dedicated to innovation for our partners.” The new logo reflects the company’s guiding philosophy and mission to bring innovative lens manufacturing technology to its customers. The logo includes the letters “I, O,T,” now lowercased and in thick typeset, and incorporates a line at the top that is inclined to reflect a vision of the future and a straight line at the bottom to portray a solid base. The center “O” is a negative image of an eye with light entering it to reflect optical technology. The new, brighter blue color “works in conjunction with the new shape to create a logo that is unique, modern and innovative, like IOT,” according to the company. The newly designed website and new social media profiles on LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook include information on IOT products and services plus research data and published articles written by scientists at IOT.
20
NOVEMBER 2018
OpticalLabProducts.com
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
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ALL IN ONE
Milling
Lathe turning
Laser marking Polishing
4 PROCESSES 80 LENSES IN 1 HOUR 72 SQ.FT
M dulo Center 80 – Gets the Job done The all-in-one surfacing center is a full-fledged production line without limitations: individual stations for milling and lathe turning, two double spindle polishing units, and a high-performance laser. To ensure it delivers on its promise, Modulo Center 80 features highly advanced process technology as well as robust and reliable components proven in hundreds of installations across the globe. An inner ring forms the basis for the smart automation featuring multiple handling systems that swiftly feed the stations. Substantial time savings are won through the machine’s tight integration and by running all processes simultaneously – even milling and lathe turning. The result: There is no faster way to surface a lens end-to-end. Its’ own dedicated Control Center informs the lab manager at a glance about the current status of the machine, production parameters, and efficiency. With Modulo Center 80 the jobs are processed in a fully automated environment without any need for operator intervention along the process chain. Simply put: Blank in, surfaced lens out.
www.schneider-om.com
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