News You Can Use

 

Hot List:

February

 

1 Getting it Together

Maria Gracia of Get Organized Now! (www.getorganizednow.com) recommends the following steps to getting and staying organized.

1. GET MOTIVATED: Attitude is everything. If you say, �I can�t,� you won�t. if you say �I can,� you will.

2. SET GOALS: Make a list of all the things you want to organize. Then choose ONE item to be your major goal. Break it down into mini-goals.

3. ESTABLISH DEADLINES: �I�ll get to it when I have time,� never works. You�re not going to have time unless you schedule a specific deadline.

4. DESIGNATE REWARDS: Designate an enticing reward for each mini-goal achieved by your deadline.

5. APPLY EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS: Make sure you�ve determined what your best game plan is to easily achieve each goal.

 

 

2 Blog Stop

Got questions? The Growth and Profits By Design blog at http://optometricofficedesign.blogspot.com/ is ready to answer questions on all aspects of office design, from opening a first practice to building from the ground up and anything in between. The responses come from optometric office design expert Barbara Wright, C.I.D., and the questions and answers are published on the Growth & Profits By Design blog monthly.

 

 

3 The spice of Life

Do food and fashion mix? While fashion models may not think so, you can be the judge this year by comparing spice maker McCormick�s 2007 palate to what colors show up on the runway. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review flavor trends are unusual pairings such as clove and green apple, thyme and tangerine, and tellicherry black pepper and berry.

 

 

4 Working Numbers

A recent analysis by Rainmaker Thinking, Inc., broke up the 150

million-strong U.S. civilian non-institutional working force by

generation at the end of 2006.

 

22.5%

Generation Y (born 1978-1990)    

 

29.5%

Generation X (born 1965-77) 

 

41.5 %

Baby Boomers (born 1946-64) 

 

6.5%

Schwarzkopf Generation (born before 1946) 

 

 

CIBA Vision Creates new Group

CIBA Vision has established a new Customer Development Group. Designed to meet the evolving needs of an increasing and diverse, global

customer base, including eyecare professionals (ECPs), retailers and distributors, the group�s new chief customer officers will be Karen Gough, previously president, Americas Region. 

 

The team will focus on professional and practice development for ECPs, e-Commerce development, and making it easier and more efficient for customers to do business with CIBA Vision, company representatives note. 

 

�We see ECPs, students, retailers and distributors as our critical partners in ensuring the continued eye health of contact lens wearers around the world,� says Michael Kehoe, CEO of CIBA Vision. �To that end, we intend to increase our partnership with customers, so that we can work together to continually increase the standard of care that we offer consumers. That will be the charter of our Customer Development Group.�

 

 

Hoya, Pentax announce merger

Hoya Corporation and Pentax Corporation have announced a merger creating Hoya Pentax HD Corporation. Slated for completion on Oct. 1, the merger does not include the Pentax ophthalmic lens business acquired by Seiko Corporation in early 2004.

 

New company divisions are expected to be: Life Care area including intraocular lenses; Optics area including optical glass and lenses, and digital

camera modules; Information Technology area including mask blanks and glass disk substrates; Eyecare area including eyeglass lenses and contact lenses; Imaging Systems area including digital cameras and binoculars; and other areas like business systems equipment and survey equipment.

 

Fumio Urano, current Pentax president/CEO, will become chairman of the board of the new company, and Hiroshi Suzuki, current Hoya president/CEO, will become president.

 

 

On the Town

Companies were on the road and celebrating this month, showing clockwise from top: the Santinelli International Management Team recently gathered in upstate New York for the annual Business Planning Session. This group of directors and managers met to identify recent industry trends, review client needs, and develop both short- and long-term goals. The group participated in team-building activities including a �rock scramble� climb up the mountain�s 350-foot summit.

 

Luxottica Group recently celebrated the official opening of its Port Washington Give the Gift of Sight recycling center. Used prescription eyewear and non-prescription plano sunwear were collected by the offices of participating ECPs and stores, and will be sent to the new center for processing. The recycled eyewear will then be used on future Give the Gift of Sight international missions. Nearly 30,000 people of developing countries have been helped through this organization.

 

Carl Zeiss Vision-Northwest, formerly Optical Plastics, recently celebrated the opening of its new surfacing and coating laboratory in Clackamas, Ore. �We�re proud of our association with Carl Zeiss Vision,� said Jeff Grumbling, CZV�s director of operations, Rx Labs, commenting in regard to the laboratory�s new name. The 22,000-foot facility features advanced LOH surfacing technology, and the AR Center of Excellence provides a full range of AR coatings. 

 

Charmant USA held the company�s 2006 National Sales Meeting at the Marriott CasaMagna Resort in Cancun, Mexico. The three-day event began with an introduction of the new products being released in the 2007 Lacoste, Esprit, ELLE, Aristar, and Charmant

collections. Two new collections were also introduced�Nodoka and Z Titanium. After meetings were finished, the group spent time enjoying other activities such as relaxing at the pool or participating in beach volleyball.

 

Opthonix celebrated it�s first celebrity endorsement for the iZon lens. The new face of the lens is driver and rising star of American Le Mans Series Liz Halliday. Shown from left to right: Gary Klein, OD; Judy Bouffard; Liz Halliday; Dennis Jarvis; Diane Mitchell; and Edrienne Brandon.

 

 

 

Fund Formed by Transitions

Transitions Optical, Inc., has introduced the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund with a mission to �help preserve healthy sight for life.� The fund will feature a stand-alone Website, www.healthysightforlife.org, video, and brochure that emphasize the importance of healthy sight at every stage in life and provide information on the steps people should take to protect their vision.

 

A tool kit with educational materials and marketing tools will be available to help charity and trade professionals reach out to consumers. The fund will also offer financial support for qualified charities and optical professionals.

 

 

New Buying Group Set

Anew purchasing group has been launched by Jerry Hayes, OD. Red Tray Optical offers its members discounts from frame suppliers and optical labs.

 

According to Hayes, the administration fee for both frames and labs is based on the dollar volume of a member�s optical lab business. The discounts offered to

members are available only through Red Tray�s partner labs and frame companies.

 

Hayes started the HMI Buying Group 25 years ago. For more information, call Linda Holley at 800-416-7676 or visit www.redtrayoptical.com.

 

 

Silhouette Stories Earn Kudos

Silhouette Stories, the contest, book, and marketing campaign by Silhouette Optical, Ltd., has earned the Gold MarCom Creative Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

 

Silhouette Stories is the brainchild of Arnold Schmied, former president of Silhouette U.S., who is now charged with leading Silhouette International�s product design and marketing.

 

Star Gazers

1. When Andy Finch qualified for the 2006 Olympic snowboard team, he had never before competed at a world championship, let alone in the Olympics. By placing second at the fifth and final U.S. Grand Prix event, he scored a coveted spot. Finch, who admits he actually prefers surfing to snowboarding, gears up wearing the Burna goggle from adidas.

 

2. Sarah Burke has been called the best skier in the world, and she�s only 21 years old. The Ontario native has spent plenty of time competing against the boys and has raised the bar for the sport of women�s skiing. On the slopes Burke wears the Crystallized by Swarovski Anthem goggle from SMITH OPTICS.

 

3. During her nine years racing mountain bikes, Kathy Pruitt, the U.S. women�s Downhill Norba Champion and Junior Worlds Champion, has broken her elbow, wrist, knee, right and left collarbone, and three ribs! But her eyes are always protected with Link MX goggle from Zeal Optics.

 

4. Formula One driver Jenson Button competes for the Honda Racing F1 Team, and won his first Grand Prix in Hungary back in August 2006. The Honda Racing F1 Team is sponsored by Luxottica�s Ray Ban.

 

5. Sergio Garc�a, nicknamed �El Nino,� set a record at age 16 when he became the youngest

player to make the cut at a European Tour event. Now 27, Garc�a plays on both the U.S. PGA Tour as well as the European Tour. On the green he sports Boll� style Upshot with the EagleVision 2 golf lens.

 

6. For S�filo�s new 2007 calendar, which will support the Special Olympics, they paired pro athletes with Special Olympic athletes. In this photo, Antonio Rossi, an Olympic canoeing champion, is paired with Luca Bicciato, a Special Olympics athlete and swimmer. Both are wearing the Carrera C-8 frame.

 

7. Chris McCormack, known fondly as Macca, entered the professional circuit in 1996, and in his short career so far has won almost every major short course title on the triathlon lineup. Macca wears the Sportsmask by Rudy Project to compete.

 

 

B&L Realign Americas

Bausch & Lomb has realigned management responsibilities for the Americas Region.The move follows the announcement by Paul G. Howes, senior vice president and president-Americas Region that he intends to resign to pursue career opportunities elsewhere.

 

Gary M. Phillips, MD, will head the U.S. pharmaceutical and surgical businesses. Angela J. Panzarella, corporate vice president-global vision care, will lead commercial operations in Canada and Latin America and determine global strategy for the contact lens and lens care businesses. Robert J. Moore will continue as vice president and general manager of the U.S. vision care and OTC eyecare business.

 

 

ODC Gets New Name, Owner

Vision Dynamics LCC has acquired all assets, patents and trademarks of Optical Dynamics Corporation. The company has been renamed Optical Dynamics, division of Vision Dynamics LLC.

 

Vision Dynamics LLC is owned and operated by two industry veterans: Daniel Beaulieu, former CEO of wholesale lab group Vision Optique of Canada, a division of Essilor, and most recently with Vision Optics Technologies, an AR coating company in Louisville, and Robert Miniutti,

former CEO and founder of polycarbonate lens company Oracle Lens Mfg., a division of Carl Zeiss Vision.

 

For the future, the executives�s plans for the revamped business include  building on Optical Dynamics Corporation technologies such as the Q-2100 in-office lens casting system and in-office nanoparticle AR.

 

In addition, they plan to continue expanding their offerings to include wide range of lens materials, coatings, and services, representatives for the firm noted.

 

 

East meets West: Hong Kong Optical Fair

An international optical group filled the halls at the Hong Kong Optical Fair. More than 530 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions participated in the show organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association.

 

The participating countries and regions included Hong Kong, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chinese mainland, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the U.A.E., the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

Exhibits ranged from finished eyewear products and parts to accessories and instruments, leading designs, new styles, and the latest technology used by the trade.

 

Hong Kong is the largest exporter of spectacles and frames in Asia and second largest in the world after Italy. Hong Kong�s total exports of spectacles rose by 17 percent to US$999 million in the first nine months of 2006, after a 13 percent increase in 2005. Growth of exports to the EU was particularly strong, and went up 33 percent in the first nine months of 2006.

 

TDC�s assistant executive director, Benjamin Chau, points out that the fair offers something for everyone in the industry. �Apart from the products on display, the fair hosts a series of seminars on the latest developments in the trade, ranging from trends, technology, market conditions, and ophthalmic issues,� Chau says.

 

The Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition entries illustrated the design theme for the competition, �Fascination� showing upcoming trends and exhibiting the creativity of Hong Kong designers.

 

For information on next years� event, visit the show�s Website at hkopticalfair.tdctrade.com.

 

Captions: 1. On the show floor the exhibitors created unique booth designs; 2. At the opening ceremony local and international representatives started the event; 3. A good luck dragon helps to start things off right; 4. At the press conference, the leaders of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association; 5. Showing off the design competitions winners; 6. A new design offering. 7. The Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition winner from the corporate division; 8. Performers entertain with music and more at the gala dinner; 9. At the design trends seminar the latest directions in eyewear were presented to the show attendees; 10. Toasting the show were event organizations and leaders of the local optical community. 11 and 12, the Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition also attracted entrants from the student category and the independent submission category