The Factory Optical and Optiks International group is undoubtedly experiencing the most exciting time of its 30 year history.  For that matter, so is the optical industry, and so should all of its participants.  Digital lenses.  It has been a very long time since technology truly and profoundly had an effect on what we do, and digital lens manufacturing is that technology.

In its simplest form, digital (or FreeForm) lens surfacing involves grinding a prescription on the backside of a prescription lens, as opposed to the frontside as has always been the case.  Again to simplify, this gain in proximity to your eye will enhance visual acuity throughout the lens, and mitigate the peripheral distortion that some people experience.  A vastly superior prescription lens is the “not so simple” result.

It stands to reason, that if an optical retailer or Optometrist is not engaged in the selling of digital lenses then they have ignored the first technological breakthrough that we have enjoyed in many decades.  If they have not made this mistake, the question becomes, “what are they doing with it?”

I can only provide you the Factory Optical and Optiks International response – we have in October 2011 completed construction of our wholly owned digital lens manufacturing laboratory, the likes of which we would argue, no one has seen in Canada before.  PureLab LMC is fully computerized – even the trays carrying work-in-process- through the automatic conveyor system contain computer chips so that we can apply our proprietary web application to track the progress of jobs from our stores as far away as the West coast.  It is paperless, without peer in terms of product quality, and fast.  When we have completed the second phase of our project and are applying our own Anti-Reflection Coating at PureLab, turnaround on progressive (invisible bifocals) with Anti-Reflection Coating can be one or two days!  Unheard of in our industry!

Why doesn’t everyone do this?  The answer too is simple.  One requires a 7 figure capital outlay for manufacturing hardware and software which effectively eliminates small chains and single store operations, and we have determined, a flow-through volume in excess of 150,000 lenses per annum, to make the process cost effective – eliminating just about everyone else.

The Factory Optical/Optiks International group for its part, has chosen to go high end/high brow, employing SatisLoh manufacturing hardware only, considered to be the gold standard in this area.  Furthermore, our lens designs are exclusively by Shamir Optical, unquestionably the gold standard (see discussion on lenses following).

Now this may or may not all matter to you.  What we think will matter to you, is how we merchandise our digital lenses in our stores.  You will have to read on to find out more.

Beyond all this, we continue to have finishing labs in all of our stores to handle most of our lens manufacturing onsite and in the most efficient manner possible.  Computerized equipment cuts your lenses in our stores so that rush and emergency work can often be done in minutes while you wait.  We have invested heavily in our centralized lens edging laboratory in the latest lens cutting equipment – Mr. Blue ™ by Essilor – able to cut those difficult jobs and cut lenses more effectively into wrap frames – think of your favourite sunglasses that could not until now hold an Rx lens,…

The new era has dawned in manufacturing technology, and the Factory Optical/Optiks International group is very proud to be at the forefront in ushering it in.

Lenses

You can really break lenses into to two types – finished single vision lenses which represent about 50% of the eyeglass-wearing public.  While the Factory Optical/Optiks International group can source just about any lens, our win, and by extension, your win as well, is with the Centennial family of finished lenses.  World leaders by virtue of quality and breadth, we are proud to partner with them in this area.

The second type, progressive or multi-focal, or single vision lenses outside of normal Rx parameters require manufacturing (surfacing) in our industry.  Here is where industry leaders such as ourselves, have gone digital.  See Technology discussion preceding.  We use exclusively Shamir-designed lenses and our suite of progressive lenses feature;

• a dedicated Office lens with emphasis on near and intermediate (computer) visual ranges, without peer in quality and price, and included in our everyday 2for1 offer;
• introductory and premium digital progressive lenses that are priced identically to how we used to price non-digital lenses and also included in our everyday 2for1 offer;
• wrap lenses that allow for effective wear in wrap frames – many of the popular models used in sunglass application;
• “As Worn Technology” where your Rx is transcribed by the Shamir Optical people themselves, to adapt to your frame measurements, front tilt of your frame, pupil distance and Rx,…. to represent the “perfect” lens for you and what you are wearing and what your are doing with them.

Did we mention that we price our digital lenses at non-digital prices?  If you have seen an Optometrist lately, and we hope that you have, you have undoubtedly heard of digital lenses.  If you have heard of digital lenses, you may have been shocked by their price.  No longer!  What you spent with us in our everyday 2for1 on non-digital lenses, you will pay for digital lenses (as always, still included in our everyday 2for1).  By doing the volumes that we do, negotiating the wholesale deals that we do, and by owning our own digital lens manufacturing laboratory, our cost of delivery is a fraction of that of most other optical retailers who must out-source this business.  They cannot compete on a price level with us.  We have to reiterate though – don’t confuse lower price with lower quality.  Our suite of digital lenses ends with the globally acclaimed Autograph II lens.  You really can’t do better than that.  The Factory Optical and Optiks International group has made a very conscious decision to deal in only the best quality lens product, manufacture them on only the best quality equipment, employ only industry leading software to run it, and we would not have done any of this if we couldn’t price the output the way we always have – the best.

Staffing – Our “Team”

Our huge investment in building our own digital lens manufacturing lab, our non-digital lens labs in Regina, SK and Calgary AB, our investment in finishing laboratories in all of our stores, mean nothing if we are not employing the very best people in the industry across-the-board.

With more than 50 licensed Opticians in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, collectively with better than 800 years of optical experience, with many of them having dual licenses to allow them to fit contact lenses, the constant consultation from the team of Optometrists who work alongside us, the 20 huge group of student-Opticians who work for us, our commitment to providing you the very best service possible, we think is evident.  Our people are not salespeople.  They are optical consultants.  If you don’t buy from us but have learned from us in the process, then we have still done our job.

We strive for excellence in what we do, everyday, and we can only reach our objective with the full commitment of our 100+ highly trained, highly professional, industry all stars that we call “our Team”.