Marvin Freeman's optical business is expanding nearly as quickly as Las Vegas itself. Operating nine stores under the names Davante, Lunettes, Dolce, and Dolce Due, the Davante Group brought in $11 million in volume in 2001. With six high-end locations in Las Vegas and others in Atlanta; Rancho Mirage, Calif.; St. Thomas, V.I.; and San Jose, Calif., Freeman has plans to open three more shops in Las Vegas in the near future.

"We will open these stores in 2003 and 2004," he says. "We opened an optical shop with an OD's office connected to it in the Fashion Show mall in January 2003. We are also putting a store in Mandalay Bay and a second store in The Forum shops at Caesars Palace hotel with an OD. And at the end of 2004, we will be switching over our original store in this mall to a sunwear-only shop."

Davante Group operates nine stores, including Dolce Due

It is no doubt this booming town can sustain more optical retail doors. The U.S. census shows Nevada growing at a faster rate than any other state in the country, a fact due in large part to the population explosion in Las Vegas. The statistics are astounding--every 24 hours, 365 days a year, another two acres of Las Vegas land are developed for commercial or residential use. Developers of master-planned communities that dot the city's landscape are running out of new street names. Two phone books are printed every year to keep up with all the new residents and businesses.

In just over six years, the population of Clark County (the greater Las Vegas area) rose from just over 1 million in 1995 to nearly 1.5 million in 2001. The number of residents is expected to continue to balloon here to more than two million within the next five years.

Because of it impressive growth, this new urban center has also received high marks for business success. Las Vegas is at the top of the charts in the latest city rankings announced by Entrepreneur magazine--it rates first in the west for both economic growth and entrepreneurial activity and ranks 11th overall in the nation.

Why are so many people--and businesses--moving to Las Vegas? Casinos and gaming are no longer the only draw. "There are a lot of jobs here," says Freeman. "And it is a great place to raise a family. There is no state tax, and all this growth is expected only to continue."

	Average frame and lens sales at Davante shops are $600 to $900

Which is why the Davante Group has been so successful in this 24-hour town. Soon to boast a roster of nine local stores, the company also has its own lab, which produces much of the specialty work customers demand. With an average frame and lens sale of $600 to $900, quality is undoubtedly job one for this high-end retailer.

Freeman's customer base--90 percent of which are tourists due to their retail locations in hotels--demands
luxury products, including precious stones and diamonds mounted on frames and Cartier eyewear priced up to $9,000. One store, located in The Forum theme mall adjacent to Caesars Palace hotel, draws more of a local crowd. This shopping center, which features 100 shops and
restaurants lining an ancient Roman street, is one of the
top-grossing malls in the U.S.--more than 60,000 people pass down its corridors each day.

To broaden his reach to the Vegas residents, one of Freeman's new locations will be in the Fashion Show mall, located on the Vegas Strip. "We will focus on locals in this mall," he says.

Freeman's optical expertise comes from many years in the business, even prior to opening Davante in Las Vegas. His first foray was in 1969 when he partnered with a friend to open Optics by Victor in Beverly Hills. With a successful business in place, Freeman moved on to an independent venture--he opened Optica in the South Coast Plaza mall in Southern California in 1976 and went on to open six more under the same name across the country.

This under his belt, he moved to Hawaii to operate a chain of 10 stores called Optiks, which was later sold to Sunglass Hut. Back on the mainland, Freeman moved to Las Vegas at the urging of a friend and conceived the basic plans for Davante. Now with stores located in this exciting town as well as across the country and the Virgin Islands, Freeman can satisfy his penchant for travel through his existing business.

One of Freeman's mantras is: "Provide excellent customer service." In addition to custom work and fast turnaround times, Davante offers extended hours for its customers. The stores are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with hours extended to midnight on Friday and Saturday, every day of the year.

It is no doubt that Freeman's continuous commitment to his customers--as well as growing his business--has helped create his own personal winning streak. With Las Vegas on a roll, it is a good bet that the Davante Group will continue to see success.