Vision-Ease Lens (VEL) announces William Krueger as its new executive vice president of sales and marketing. With an eye on global trends and providing value to customers, Krueger brings nearly 30 years of business experience to the ophthalmic lens manufacturer.

In his new role, Krueger will lead the company’s worldwide sales, marketing and business development efforts. VEL employs 1,000 people worldwide and distributes lens products through retail chains and wholesale laboratories across North and South America, Europe and Africa.

“For Vision-Ease to succeed, we need to offer our customers creative and proactive solutions that evolve with the optical market,” said Doug Hepper, president and CEO of Vision-Ease Lens. “Bill is an expert in global business growth, with significant experience in managing global sales and marketing. He will enhance our customer relationships through his expertise.”

Before joining VEL, Krueger was vice president and general manager – global group at GOJO Industries, a skin health and hygiene solutions company known for inventing Purell hand sanitizer. His other previous experience includes sales, planning, and research and development positions during 18 years at PPG Industries; his last position with the company was general manager of the $600 million North American Refinish Coatings division.

“Vision-Ease is positioned to grow as a global eyecare leader,” Krueger said. “I look forward to using my background to build Vision-Ease’s business globally to increase the company’s share of the worldwide market.”

Adage, the short corridor progressive lenses with wide and balanced near and distance zones, are now available in clear Trilogy^®, the impact resistant material with superior optical quality. Younger Optics is pleased to offer this Adage material extension in response to  popular demand by laboratories. Adage Trilogy lenses offer patients all the benefits of the Trilogy material in an ultra-short PAL that fits their favorite small frames.

The Adage lens has been designed to provide the wearer with an excellent and balanced combination of far, near, and intermediate zones. Compared to leading short corridor progressives, the Adage lens offers a broader clear area. This helps patients get a focused view, wherever they are looking.

The Trilogy material offers impact resistance, light weight, and low chromatic aberration when compared to poly. It is also a great material for rimless frames because it resists cracking at the mount.

Shamir Optical Industry Ltd. establishes Shamir Canada Inc., which introduces a full line of premium progressive, single vision, occupational and specialty lens designs to Canada. Ranked among the world’s top 10 progressive lens manufacturers, the Israel-based company Shamir Optical Industry is engaged in the development, design and manufacture of premium progressive lenses and molds for the ophthalmic industry.

Shamir Canada will provide premium Freeform^® progressive, single vision, occupational and specialty designs to satisfy the growing need for lifestyle solutions in the Canadian market.

“We see a need in the Canadian market for high-quality, branded, back-side freeform lenses. Shamir is well known internationally as a premier lens designer and manufacturer, and Shamir Canada will be bringing these free-form lenses to Canada,” said Martin Bell RO, national sales and marketing manager for Shamir Canada.

Serving as the sales and marketing centre for Canada, Shamir Canada will specialize in the marketing of premium progressive and occupational lenses under product brand names such as Shamir Autograph III^®, Shamir InTouch^™, Shamir Autograph II- Attitude™, Shamir FirstPAL^™, Shamir Golf^™, Shamir Relax^™, Shamir WorkSpace^™ and Shamir Computer™.

Shamir Canada’s product line features revolutionary technologies such as the patented EyePoint Technology III^®, IntelliCorridor™, Natural Posture™ and As-Worn Quadro™. These groundbreaking technologies are incorporated in Shamir Canada’s line of premium lenses to provide the patient with the most personalized visual experience, based on their selected frame, as-worn measurements, prescription and lifestyle needs.

Over the course of four decades, Shamir Optical Industry has established itself as a company known worldwide for innovation, revolutionary technology and stringent quality assurance practices. Shamir Canada will operate under the same guidelines, providing the optical industry with high-quality, cutting-edge lens technologies in a wide selection of materials, to answer the visual needs of presbyopic and single vision patients alike, the company reports.

Vision-Ease Lens (VEL) has recently launched Novel and Novella conventional front side progressives, whose advanced technology makes them as good or better than many backside digital progressives across 80 per cent of the Rx range. The vast majority of customers rely on conventional PAL technology and these new PAL offerings provide them with the most advanced technology on the market.

“The Novel and Novella lenses’ iterative design process was driven by feedback from extensive wearer trials,” said Scott Schaller, VEL worldwide vice president of sales and marketing. “These trials went beyond lens maps and calculations; they took into account real-life wearer comfort in a wide variety of visual tasks and incorporated feedback for maximum performance and patient comfort. As a result, Novel and Novella lenses were optimized for smoothness and softness, the foremost factors in progressive lens comfort.”

The Novel general purpose lens has a 13-mm corridor and a 16.5-mm minimum fitting height, making it ideal for the broadest range of wearers and frame styles. Immediate polycarbonate availability includes clear, LifeRx photochromic and Coppertone polarized treatments. The company plans to release the new Novel design in plastic, including clear and photochromic, later this year.

With an 11-mm corridor and a 14-mm minimum fitting height, Novella lenses are the softest design available for smaller frame styles. New polycarbonate availability includes clear and LifeRx photochromic. Novella plastic will be released this year in clear and photochromic.

Novel and Novella are part of the Anthology series, a new family of premium progressive lenses sharing a common design philosophy, providing the most comfortable, natural vision for a wide range of presbyopes.

Globex Enterprises, exclusive distributor of Rupp + Hubrach lenses in Canada, is pleased to offer their full line of multifocal and single-vision lenses, as well as their award-winning custom-made YSIS progressive and single-vision line with the only anti-reflective coating without any residual colour – PURLUX.

PURLUX’s new four-component refinement system provides the aesthetics for both good vision and appearance. With the colour neutrality of the new PURLUX Hellaplast, lenses appear pure and clear. The complex layered system allows lenses – with or without tinting – to remain unchanged.

PURLUX also includes a protective hardcoat GHnc and an excellent anti-static effect. The anti-static effect is 10 times higher than that achieved by conventional super-anti-reflective coatings. The GHnc hardcoat ensure the lenses are robust and durable.

The PURLUX anti-reflective coating without residual colour is uniquely manufactured by Rupp + Hubrach. The company offers a full line of progressive, bifocal and single-vision lenses and has been voted Number One by German opticians

Clarion Medical Technologies, one of Canada’s largest private medical companies, and Hoya Vision Care Canada, a leading provider of precision prescription laboratory services and high-quality ophthalmic lenses, announce a strategic partnership that offers outstanding value and benefit to eyecare professionals.

This unique program provides the opportunity to acquire superior diagnostic technology and remarkable lens innovation in one combined offer. With the purchase or lease of any Clarion capital technology, credits are earned from Hoya which can be applied to the purchase or lease amount of the Clarion technology. The offer brings great value to ECPs by enabling new, essential technologies and products that support and enhance a progressive practice.

“We are pleased to be working with Clarion Medical Technologies on this program,” said David Pietrobon, president of Hoya Vision Care Canada. “They are a very strong partner in the Canadian vision industry. We both share a commitment and dedication to patient well-being and practice growth, as well as a commitment to cutting-edge technology.”

The strategic alliance has already enabled many ECPs to enjoy the benefits and value of increased purchasing power. The unique OCT programs based on the Optovue iVue and iWellness EXAM systems have been very well received in the marketplace as they offer improved eyecare at the comprehensive exam level through better diagnostics.

“Hoya Vision Care Canada was the perfect choice for this alliance, as their business philosophy and understanding of the optometrist’s needs are well aligned with Clarion’s. We both strive to provide the most innovative products that offer great patient care with a competitive advantage which is essential for successful practice growth in today’s optometric marketplace,” said Joseph Arango, executive vice president of Clarion Medical Technologies.

Skechers Eyewear Presents New Ophthalmic Styles

Viva International Group introduces the Skechers Eyewear Fall 2011 collection, which includes four new women’s ophthalmic styles that feature a dynamic fusion of trendy patterns and explosive colour combinations. Designed to coordinate perfectly with today’s fashions, the frames’ graphics and designs reflect the core elements of the brand, which offers a variety of optical and sun accessories for men, women and children.

Highlights of the new styles include pyramid stud detailing and high-definition graphics, which create a compelling mix of fresh accents influenced by the brand’s fashion edge. A fun graffiti pattern of the words “Peace,” “Love” and “Skechers” decorates the temples of SK 2031 and SK 2032 using a high-definition application technique. A pyramid-studded metal plaque completes the look of these striking temples. This innovative design offers an enticing colour palette, including shades of magenta, lavender, pink and teal.

A multi-coloured graphic print details the temples of SK 2037 and SK 2038, two other thin profile models from the new women’s collection. Droplets of colours, including pink, brown, purple and lime, decorate the frame’s crystal clear temples, adding a splash of fun to this playful duo. Each temple is crafted out of TR-90 plastic, which provides superior durability and a lightweight feel. The brand’s iconic “S” logo plaque adorns these innovative temples, complimented by metal fronts in a variety of rich satin finishes, including brown, fuchsia, plum, teal and periwinkle.

A mere 17 months after a devastating fire that destroyed its Jakarta, Indonesia production facility, Vision-Ease Lens (VEL) announces the availability of nearly all product styles that were temporarily suspended due to the fire.

VEL’s entirely rebuilt plant houses state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and meets international standards for natural disasters, including earthquakes and tsunamis. The new facility features the latest fire-suppressant technologies and has implemented major reductions in combustible sources. VEL held jobs for the 500 employees who worked at the facility prior to the fire, and who are integral to the production of a large percentage of the company’s polycarbonate offerings and 100 per cent of VEL glass lenses.

“A destructive fire is an unexpected hurdle with wide-ranging operational, financial and customer implications,” said Doug Hepper, VEL CEO. “We are fortunate that none of our employees were injured and thankful that our customers have remained unwaveringly loyal as we’ve shifted production to our Ramsey, Minnesota plant, suspended production of other products and worked hard to rebuild our Jakarta factory. Now, we’re operating at full speed ahead to resume providing customers with the high-quality lenses they expect from Vision-Ease.”

Earlier this year, VEL restarted production on the balance of its core polycarbonate lens line, and is now stocking and shipping Continua^® SFSV 71, 75, 80 mm and Continua FSV 65, 75 mm lenses. Other products reinstated since the fire include Continua Tintable FSV (Aspheric 65 mm, Spherical 75 mm), Tegra^® FSV (Aspheric 65 mm and 75 mm), Continua multifocals (D28, D35, 7×28 and 8×35) and all glass products.

Continua FSVAR (Aspheric 65 mm, Spherical 75 mm) lenses have been discontinued and will be replaced with a new, upgraded version with Super-Hydro AR coating, set to launch in June 2011.