news

Hot List: November

1 Wooing Women

Are you looking at the entire market for potential patients? Expanding its buying audience, Home Depot is now focusing on the female demographic. For many years, the chain has been under fire for creating a warehouse environment that is too rough for many women. To address the issue, the nation's largest do-it-yourself retailer is set to open two test stores, called Home Depot Design Centers, in Charlotte, N.C., and Concord, Calif.

They're fashioned as a hybrid of the typical Home Depot. Jason Feldman, the company's senior director of merchandising, describes the stores as a test—"to romance and wow the customer."

2 PARTY ON

One of the best ways to build your business is to get out into the community. Consider the following tips from website Businessknowhow.com for ideas on networking.

1 Go to community-based events and find your host. She can point out people for you to meet or introduce you to someone you don't know.

2 When you see someone standing alone or looking uncomfortable, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and strike up a conversation.

3 Keep moving. If you talk to only one person all evening, you're not mixing with anyone else. To wrap up a conversation and move to a new potential friend, say that you're going to get another drink, or find the restroom, or that you see someone you need to talk to. Or just say "Excuse me," and walk away.

4 After the event, stay in touch with the people you've met. Send an e-mail or make a call to say you enjoyed meeting them. When you come across information you think they'd be interested in, send it along. Cultivate those relationships; you never know how or when they might bear fruit.

VEW: Las Vegas Show a Winner

Vegas was hopping this year with many events, announcements, and educational opportunities presented at International Vision Expo.

New products from every segment of the optical industry made their bow at the event and attendance for educational events was stronger than ever.

Clockwise from top left: Shamir celebrates its 10th anniversary and presents its Lab of the Year award, shown: Shamir's Matt Lytle, George Lee of Rite-Style Optical, Lance Bergeron, and Raanan Naftalovich, both of Shamir; The OWA's networking event attracted a Live audience, from Live Eyewear (l to r) Morgan Piatt, Karen Zappia, Carol Rich, and Greg Remmers; The National Academy of Opticianry's Beverly Myers Achievement Award was presented by (l) Robert Stratton and (r) Grady Culbreth to (center l to r) Tom Zizka, David Meldrum, and Ed Wnuczek; Students get the inside scoop on the latest drilling techniques at the Santinelli booth

License Lineup

Karl Lagerfeld SAS and Marchon Eyewear, Inc., have inked an agreement to create Karl Lagerfeld men's and women's eyewear starting with the 2008 collection. The agreement will give Marchon the exclusive worldwide license to design, manufacture, and distribute sun and ophthalmic collections for Karl Lagerfeld eyewear.

French Vogue editor Fabien Baron and Modo, have created a new collection of high-end sunglasses. Modo has also set a licensing agreement with Phillip Lim for eyewear under the 3.1 phillip lim brand, expected to launch this spring.

5 Questions For…

Gerber Coburn manufactures, designs, and services software, equipment, and supplies used in producing prescription lenses. Appointed president of the company and senior vice president of Gerber Scientific, Inc., in July, Stephen Lovass offers his perspective on the optical business.

1 What is Gerber Coburn's focus over the next two to five years, and why?

SL: We'll focus on developing new products and technologies for labs, whether it's full-fledged wholesale labs or an in-office finishing mini-lab.

Number-one on the list today for our R&D team is the development of our advanced free-form lens processing system. We understand that customer-focused innovation is the key to a sustainable business.

2 How will this help ECPs and wholesale labs better run and develop their businesses?

SL: These innovations will make labs more efficient, capable, and overall, profitable. They'll enable labs to increase productivity and create more value.

Take free-form lens processing. Our products will provide affordable solutions to enable increasingly smaller operations to benefit from this growing trend.

3 What is your impression of the industry and how it could improve?

SL: Having worked for Gerber Scientific since 2001, I've seen various changes in the optical industry over the last seven years. Certainly, the continued evolution of eyewear products is striking, but also the consolidation that has occurred in so many areas of the industry.

One key to being successful? Carve out time in a busy schedule to look ahead at what customers will want in the future, while challenging whether your business is prepared to meet this.

4 What do you see as hurdles to overcome for ECPs and labs to become profitable?

SL: The number of choices and products offered to the consumer is large, and the complexity that this brings to a typical lab or ECP is substantial. With all the lens material, design, and treatment choices, the inventory required to support these choices is significant.

How can we help our customers manage this challenge? First, by offering configurable and expandable products to allow labs to scale up the investment they've already made when new opportunities arise.

Second, free-form lens processing that allows labs to reduce their inventory levels.

Finally, by offering systems that can process a variety of lens materials and treatments.

5 What business techniques used in your past positions translate to optical?

SL: Listening to the customer. The optical lab—large, medium, and small—has unique requirements based on factors like location, demographics, and a variety of other issues.

I've found that the company that listens to the customer more effectively and responds to those exact needs more swiftly wins every time.

The showfloor at International Vision Expo West was hopping this year. One event was the National Academy of Opticianry's 44th Annual Awards Celebration. Sponsored by Essilor of America, Vision Council of America, Transitions Optical, and Carl Zeiss Vision, the gathering spotlighted optical achievers. Irvin M. Borish, educator, author, lecturer, inventor, and practitioner, was the 2007 Hall of Fame Inductee. Jeffrey C. Snodgrass, president of Snodgrass Opticians, was the second Hall of Fame Inductee. The Joseph Bruneni Memorial Education Achievement Award was given to Cosmo Fratello. Next year's International Vision Expo West is slated for Oct. 2 through 5 in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.visionexpo.com.

1. Essilor of America's (l to r) John Carrier, Bob Colucci, Carl Bracy, and Kevin Rupp introduce Varilux Comfort 360°. 2. Silhouette Customer Appreciation party at the V Bar was rocking with Silhouette's Deb Severson and Miriam McGorrin (l and r), with Dr. Leslie Busby of Davis, Calif. 3. The HOYA booth drew a crowd eager to hear their name called for prizes, including an automobile. 4. David Friedfeld, right, plays host at ClearVision's party at Tao. 5. The night was chilly, but the crowd was hot poolside at Bare at the Mirage for Oakley's party. 6. Wal-Mart's Jarrod Davis at the OWA's POWW event. 7. REM's Mike Ross, left, at the REM reception. 8. Oakley's mobile lab was on a roll 9. Safilo's Eden Wexler hits the Las Vegas airwaves with host Jason Feinberg to present a trend report on KVVU-TV "Fox 5 News This Morning" on the first day of VEW. 10. A&A Optical's fundraising effort to benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation featured a one-of-a-kind piece of Swarovski decorated sunwear. 11. The OWA's newest board member, Eva Zartman-Ball of Vision Council of America with Satisloh's Andy Huthoefer. 12. At the Marcolin suite, (l to r) Marcolin's Nicola Perini, Anotonio Bortuzzo, Lisa Pieper, and Tami Miller. 13. Santinelli International held a Networking Breakfast on Friday morning at its booth, hosting frame, lens, and tool company sales reps and management. 14. At the Ophthonix booth, LeMans Series driver Liz Halliday competes in a virtual race with a booth visitor. 15. Baumvision's Shane Baum, left, sampling the wares at a winetasting hosted by his firm

STAR Gazers

1. In his latest flick, "Wild Hogs," John Travolta plays Woody Stevens, a middle ager who lives out a dream of riding cross-country with three of his biker friends. Throughout the hit comedy Travolta sports SMITH Optics Super Method sunglasses, distributed by Sàfilo.

2. Though she was a former Miss USA and even went on to do some acting, Ali Landry is still most recognized as the "Doritos Girl" from the 1998 Super Bowl commercial. She wore Vogue VO2418S from Luxottica to the Toronto Film Festival.

3. Adored by teens and tweens everywhere, "High School Musical" star Zac Efron hits the town wearing Calvin Klein style ck1069S from Marchon.

4. Paris Hilton has, so far, kept her word about cleaning up her act after serving three weeks of a 45-day jail sentence. She's been dressing more conservatively looks covered in Chrome Hearts Queenie from OSA International.