Alliance Ronor and De Rigo

Italian company De Rigo Vision formalized its partnership with Ronor International, giving Ronor the right to distribute its complete portfolio of optical and sunwear brands to Canadian eyecare professionals.

The new subsidiary is named Ronor Occhiali, after its Italian roots, and is now offering the Police, Ermenegildo Zegna, Givenchy and Chopard brands inCanada. De Rigo’s remaining brands will be added in the upcoming months.

Created in 1978, De Rigo Vision can be found in more than 80 countries and continues to grow each year. In addition to its geographical expansion, the company has also augmented its product line with high-end collections, recently signing a license agreement with the famousParishaute couture label, Lanvin.

This partnership represents a meaningful step for Ronor International, allowing the company to continue to develop in the North American fashion eyewear market. The company distributes the well-known German brand Humphrey’s as well as their own private labels, Nordic and King Size for men – Canadian favourites for more than 30 years.

Says De Rigo Vision CEO Michele Aracri: “We are excited to unite De Rigo’s stability and prestige with Ronor’s experienced team – who have proven themselves in Canada and internationally. The entire De Rigo Group stands behind Ronor Occhiali in this new venture.”

Robert Charbonneau, owner and president of Ronor International, is equally pleased: “We are very proud to be recognized by a house as renowned as De Rigo SpA, especially after recently celebrating 30 years in the industry.”

Mido Awaits You

The international trade show Mido is preparing to welcome operators and buyers from around the world to Fieramilano Rho-Pero on March 2, 3 and 4, 2013. This “can’t miss” showcase interprets new trends, dictates the standards of international fashion and presents new technical and technological developments in the sector.

Mido is one of the few exhibitions that can boast significant levels of trading. What must be seen? Inaugurated in 2007, the Design Lab area is now the recognized center of attention for visitors who are focused on leading-edge design and products. The area is exclusively for exhibitors whose eyewear demonstrates high levels of design, a mix of technology and creativity.

Inaugurated in 2011, the Mido Fashion District is an exclusive space hosting the top players in the world of eyewear and the production companies that are inspired by fashion.

The Lens Pavilion is entirely devoted to major lens manufacturers fromItalyand abroad, where they present the most cutting-edge new products for improving vision as well as conferences and in-depth seminars on eye health, vision care and emerging technologies.

At the last show, the Otticlub was created specifically for Italian opticians and EasyMido provided free transport for all Italian operators wishing to visit the exhibition. This year, services are being organized that will make things even easier. A service-oriented mind-set makes Mido a must-see event everyone in the industry won’t want to miss.

They Will Need Them

Ronor unveils the I need You ready readers. Designed by opticians for eyecare professionals, these glasses meet the high European CE standards. I need You readers (PD standardized at 31-31) are mounted with aspheric acrylic lenses and come with anti-scratch coating.

Each of the eight models comes with a beautiful matching case and a one year warranty against manufacturer’s defects. The compact display, coupled with the appealing look of the I need You ready readers, allows ECPs to simply fill the needs of a growing category of consumers.

What’s New Pussycat?

Spectacle Eyeworks adds three sleek new styles to their infamous Pussy Galore eyewear collection. 

Pussy Galore, originally inspired by and adapted from the authentic cat-eye styles of the 1950’s and 60’s, has stayed true to its vintage roots with these additions while getting tweaked in all the right places. The result is a slightly larger, simply sexy frame with a more modern appeal. 

Mehran Baghaie, operations director and chief designer at Spectacle Eyeworks, says “I wanted to take the authentic essence of the cat-eye frame with all of its femininity and character but make it a little bigger in order to fit and flatter a more diverse range of face sizes and shapes.” 

Another new element of these designs is the special finishing technique utilized.   After the frame fronts are rough polished, a glossy topcoat is added to enhance color dimension and create a more unique product. Sultry and strong, bold yet simple, versatile and inspiring, Pussy Galore is the expression of modern femininity. 

Each new style is available in five vibrant and classic layered colour combinations including marble and violet. All frames include a signature case, point-of-purchase display, and one-year warranty.

The REYvolution Continues

More than seven months after its initial launch, and with an ever increasing following, the new J.F. Rey website is deemed a great success.

Besides the favourable comments on design and ease of use, the quality of the service comes out on top. The web concept redesigned by themarketingand communication team at J.F. Rey is confirmed, perfectly adapted to the needs of clients, even though the brand remains open to improvement.

Reactivity, reliability, high performance and quality all come together to make this useful tool part of daily life for optical partners. But that’s not all. Consumers have also adopted the www.jfrey.fr reflex, an extraordinary opportunity for the brand, to develop and reinforce its communication with the final wearer.

J.F. Rey’s progressing web presence is evidenced by the numerous customer testimonials posted daily to the site via the contact box. “Clients testify to the pleasure of wearing our models, congratulating us on the quality and originality of the collections, they send us their photos and ask for our advice for their future purchases! We hoped to create a strong, close relationship with the general public and that has now been done!” confides the communication andmarketingdepartment.

Now go and visit www.jfrey.fr. Gorgeous!

IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic Accredited with Exemplary Standing

IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic, a refractive surgery clinic located inLaval,QC, has been accredited by the independent organization, Accreditation Canada. The clinic was not only one of the first specialized medical center (CMS) to conform to the new accreditation process, it has also achieved the highest accreditation award, “Accredited with Exemplary Standing”.

Auditors sent by the organization in February 2012 evaluated more than 270 criteria in eight categories, including relevance, accessibility, safety, workplace, and efficiency. “Accreditation is one of the most effective ways that health care organizations can systematically assess and improve the quality of the services they offer,” explained Monique Marcoux, a specialist with Accreditation Canada.

“The criteria that led to our attestation are exacting, and we met all of them at the highest level. For the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic, these credentials put a seal of excellence on our services. We are committed to maintaining this high standard and continuing to serve our clients with the same professionalism that our reputation has been built on,” affirmed Dr. Christian Ferremi MD, medical director at the clinic.

“We are extremely proud of this success,” added Dr. Francis Jean, president and CEO of IRIS The Visual Group. “The team at the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic work very hard to ensure that their processes and procedures reflect the Accreditation Canada standards of excellence.”

In addition to obtaining accreditation with exemplary standing, the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic also earned “Leading Practice” recognition for its True Vision statistical analysis program. “Leading practices are noteworthy examples of high-quality leadership and service delivery,” explained Benoît Cécyre, general manager of the IRIS Ophthalmology Clinic. The True Vision application enables IRIS to extract data in real time in order to measure the quality and safety of its procedures as well as client satisfaction. This data allows the clinic to offer safer, quality-driven health care for the wellbeing of its clients.

Hoya Launches VisionTech Labs, a Revolutionary Concept

Hoya Vision Care Canadahas launched VisionTech^® Labs, a revolutionary new wholesale optical laboratory franchise business that provides, “unparalleled local service to their professional communities, unsurpassed customer service and highest quality products.”

VisionTech Labs franchises are offered to qualified individuals and come complete with a business model, ongoing training, support, low start-up costs, negotiated purchasing power and privileged pricing for a wide range of products and supplies. “These are just a few of the owners’ benefits from joining the VisionTech team,” says Lisa Rickards, VisionTech Labs business development manager.

“VisionTech Labs offers a unique, independently owned and operated business opportunity supported by Hoya, a leading global optical corporation. Owner-operators have the opportunity to secure their own future, pursue a professional entrepreneurial career, and foster strong customer relations and loyalty, while they enjoy building their own business. The added bonus is that this independent business opportunity is backed by the technical prowess of a world giant in optics technology, providing tremendous confidence for the lab owner and their customers,” adds Rickards.

David Pietrobon, president of HoyaCanadacomments, “VisionTech is designed to bring HOYA’s advanced optical technologies to a wider audience through the reservoir of entrepreneurial talent within the Canadian optical industry. By using our vast resources as a global optical lab and lens manufacturer, we can greatly assist qualified parties to succeed as a local wholesale optical lab. We feel the combination of global support and local passion will be a winning formula to successfully service the needs of eyecare professionals.”

Menicon America Announces Canadian Website

MeniconAmericaannounced that their Canadian website – www.meniconamerica.ca – is now working. The site is dynamic and easy to navigate, offering product information, a resource video library and other engaging content for eyecare practitioners and consumers, in English and French.

The site will support the marketingand distribution of SOLOCARE AQUA^® solutions inCanada which began onMay 1, 2012. Menicon Company acquired the distribution rights inCanada and the European Economic Area (EEA) from Eye-Shelter SA, which acquired the SOLOCARE AQUA line from Ciba Vision (Novartis).

“This new website was designed to help make the transition of SOLOCARE AQUA to MeniconAmericaan easy and streamlined experience,” saidDavid Moreira, vice president ofmarketingfor MeniconAmerica. “In addition to providing a showcase of Menicon’s extensive portfolio of products, the website will become an information hub that serves eyecare practitioners, their patients and our strategic partners.”

New Dynamic Leaders

Nikon Optical Canada recently announced the following key organization changes with the goal of realizing more responsive, more personable relationships with their customers.

Nicolas Tountas, newly appointed as VP customer services, is a licensed optician whose experience owning a practice will serve as an asset in his commitment to developing a more proactive customer service department.

Angela Marselloshas been promoted to director ofmarketingand communications, leading themarketingteam to develop and execute key programs. With thirteen years of experience inmarketingat Nikon, Angela’s passion for the Nikon brand will be critical in the effective communication of the company premium philosophy.

Lora Discenza, who was appointed asmarketingcommunications manager, is central to effective communications for new product launches, advertising, promotions and othermarketingprojects. Working for Nikon for over eight years, Lora’s experience is essential in the realization of projects.

Julie Legendre has been promoted to quality director in a new department created specifically to continuously improve and sustain the company’s quality policy, while implementing timely processing and resolution of warranty issues. Julie is a licensed optician, with six years of experience successfully managing Nikon Optical Canada customer services.

Pedro Silva, director of the strategicmarketingand sales group, is responsible for analyzing and evaluating the success of Nikon’s initiatives. Drawing on his ten years of experience at the company, his recommendations on product strategy and pricing help Nikon respond to changing market demands therefore sustaining their relevancy in the Canadian optical industry.

New Lab Location in Mississauga

Riverside Opticalab is pleased to announce the opening of a new ophthalmic laboratory, located inMississauga,Ontario. Bringing three decades of optical expertise to the table, this new lab is conveniently and centrally located to provide easy access for both clients and courier services.

In 1976, Riverside Opticalab set up its Canadian ophthalmic division, with its head office and laboratory inOttawa,Ontario. Over the years, the company opened other ophthalmic laboratories inMontreal,QuebecandWaterloo,Ontario.

In 2012, the company committed to the opening of a laboratory located at2382 Dunwin Drive, inMississauga. The decision was made to address the rapid expansion of theOntariomarket and offerRiverside’s products and services to the Greater Toronto Area.

As one of the most advanced ophthalmic companies inCanada, Riverside Opticalab has become the laboratory and manufacturer of the Persona and Signature HD high definition lenses. The company offers a complete range of multi-brand lenses that will satisfy the simplest to the most complex ophthalmic needs.