Relationships & Conversations

The optical market is changing very rapidly for everyone.   Health service providers are moving from providing services to now managing materials.   As a result, all need to react and plan for where the industry is heading.

Our customers have few relationships that they depend on more than their laboratory. Your dedication to them over the years has put you in a position of confidence and trust.   They will also look to you for direction and guidance, which is needed today more than ever.  

Telling them about the products and services you have is great, but it’s not the whole story.   We need to sit down with them and talk through strategy on packages, products, services and promotions to take these challenges head on.   There is an estimated 35 million new patients coming into the market through the Affordable Healthcare Act.   The vast majority of them are coming under the entitlement programs we often hear about.   Typically, this group of consumers will want the basic benefit provided by their insurance plan and little or no more.   This economic shift will have a ripple effect on everyone supplying eyewear. Customers need to know you have an answer to this influx of new patients that is affordable, acceptable and profitable for everyone in the value chain.

Don’t assume your customers have the answer.   Use this opportunity to let them know what you can do for them to address these patients.   Relationships and conversations today need to go way beyond products and services and into strategy and solutions for future challenges.   Ironically, the future has arrived.

Michael Karlsrud is the owner and CEO of 6 Calls, a tele-services company that serves the optical industry with its two divisions; Telecare and Business-to-Business.   www.karlsrudcompany.com or www.6Calls.biz

Mark Your Calendar for Two Lab Events

Don’t forget the “main event” September 18 – 20th at Vision Expo West with lab-centric education and programs. Topics are being developed and will be announced soon.  

Exclusive Sales Professional Training for Members

For Vision Council members, Michael Karlsrud will now be the primary host of a series of educational programs and training seminars called, On the Road Sales Coach. Karlsrud will also work with The Vision Council members to develop and execute customized training and education programs for sales meetings. Karlsrud has been a guest coach for The Vision Council's On the Road Sales Coach training program since 2009. Find out more about The Vision Council's On the Road Sales Coach program, and other customized member training and education programs at www.thevisioncouncil.org. Mike can be reached via email at [email protected] or at www.karlsrudcompany.com.

HOYA Vision Care Opens Two New Labs

Phoenix, Arizona has joined the free form revolution with HOYA Vision Care’s grand opening of their newest laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona. “The Phoenix market is big and getting bigger,” said Carson Utech, area sales director for HOYA Vision Care. “We need to have a local presence and the opportunity to service independent ECPs here is going to be exciting.”   The new lab is located at 1635 West University Drive, Tempe AZ.

Migrating south, the free-form revolution continues to grow with the opening of another HOYA Vision Care laboratory in Jackson, Mississippi. “The opportunity to locally service independent ECPs in another market is exciting for us. The Jackson area is growing and we want to grow with it,” said Michael Dougher, COO for HOYA Vision Care. This new laboratory is located at 289 Commerce Park Drive in Ridgeland, MS.

Simplimatic Automation To Build Expansive Manufacturing Facility in Bedford, Virginia

Simplimatic Automation – a leading provider of conveyors and automation announced its plans to build a 60,000-square-foot automation manufacturing facility in Bedford County, Virginia. The new center will be built on roughly 12 acres in the county’s 500-acre business park in the New London Business and Technology Center, located at U.S. Route 460 and Meade Road in Forest.   The company is consolidating its operations with this move to Bedford County, merging its existing sites and enterprises in both the greater Lynchburg area and in Sarasota, Florida. For more information, visit Simplimatic.com or call 434-385-9181.

Vision Dynamics Lab

Vision Dynamics Laboratory, the glass lens specialist, is now the largest independent glass lens processor in the United States. Running over 500 glass jobs per day, their focus on high-volume glass surfacing and finishing ensures their products are a cost effective solution for labs looking to direct their resources to materials with greater demand. Vision Dynamics’ dedication to glass lens production allows improved worldwide sourcing of glass lens blanks and low prices on all major brands.

“Our lab’s level of glass expertise and volume of work allow for economies of scale that in most cases make it more profitable for an average lab to outsource its glass work to us than to maintain internal glass capabilities,” said John Dippold, vice president of operations.

Katz & Klein

By Judith Lee

Since 1937, Katz and Klein has been surviving and thriving by adapting to change in the optical industry. Some of the more recent changes demanded yet another change, which may prove to be the biggest change of all. In September 2013, Katz and Klein relinquished its independence to become part of Essilor’s optical laboratory division.

            “In order to keep our business, employees and customers as we know them, we felt we had to align with a strong partner, and we decided to partner with Essilor,” said Mike Francesconi, president of Katz and Klein.

            Since joining Katz and Klein in 1978, Francesconi worked his way from sales rep to partner, and then, with Corrine Hood, bought out the senior partner. Hood was the president, managing inside lab operations, and Francesconi was the vice president, managing sales and outside relationships. Since merging with Essilor, Hood has retired and Francesconi has absorbed her duties.

            “I’m enjoying the inside management, both the work and the exposure to our very fine lab team. It’s a change for all of us; you have to be able to adapt. Some change is comfortable, and some change is not,” Francesconi said.

            One way Katz and Klein has successfully adapted has been through involvement in the industry-at-large. Francesconi was president of the Optical Laboratory Association and brokered the deal to merge with the Vision Council in January 2012. Francesconi said he is most proud of this industry contribution.

            “I knew it was the best thing for our association. It allowed us to do more for our members. The Vision Council provides us with more marketing tools, lobbyists, and education programs,” he said.

            In the merger, OLA gave up its annual show, which rankled some. But Francesconi said that the lab division (formerly OLA) merged with Vision Expo West as its show, and VEW “gets stronger every year.” Some changes from within Katz and Klein have been the adoption of in-house AR in 2003 and the introduction of digital free-form surfacing in 2012.

            “There was a big learning curve with AR, but it was good for our business. Digital free-form went easier, and that may have been because we partnered with Shamir. They really helped us manage the learning curve,” Francesconi said.

            The lesson learned there is reinforced by the relatively new relationship w

What Labs Should Know About Social Media

By Dr. Justin Bazan

Running an optical lab is challenging. The list of these challenges seems to grow daily. I’m going to add Social Media (SM) to that list, but continue reading to learn why it’s an important one to add. You will see that although it may be more work for you, it should prove to be a great opportunity to improve and build your business. SM will help you reach more business owners and optical influences. It often will reach them at exactly the time they need you and often for nothing more than an investment in time.

There are many opportunities, but let’s first focus on Facebook, which has an established record of success; in particular, the “ODs on Facebook” group. Although there are quite a few options for you to explore in SM I would recommend checking this group out first because it is widely popular amongst eye care provider (ECP) business owners; it’s open to all industry people; and it’s very active.

Here are some quick stats.   

1. Averaging 105 new members a week;
2. Average thread is 9 posts long;
3. Longest thread is over 500 comments.
4. Daily new threads from 15-40,
5. Daily posts from 100-400.

Community manager and founder Alan Glazier, OD stated, “We are the largest, most active, most influential forum (more industry lurking, listening and learning) than anywhere else. As you know, it is inclusive of industry with the reason being that it gives us an advantage over the forums that are “OD only” and helps to bring the industry together in a respectful way without politics getting in the way.”

To take a look at the value that this group can provide to your lab view the entire article at: http://www.labtalkonline.com/