YOUNGER OPTICS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION

(TORRANCE, CA — May 2005) – 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of California-based lens manufacturer Younger Optics.

It all started more than 50 years ago with one man’s vision to create a bifocal that wouldn’t give away the wearer’s age with its telltale lines. This desire led Irving Rips to develop the world’s first “seamless bifocal”, which was launched in 1955. Younger Optics – so named because the new lenses would make their wearer look younger - was born. Today, Younger is the world leader in Rx polarized sunwear with NuPolar® brand lenses, and continues to be an innovative force in the optical world.

Since winning the first OLA Award of Excellence ever given (1987) for its specialty lenses, Younger has won a total of 12 OLA Awards, including two at the most recent OLA in 2004. From a company started in a garage to a world-class organization, Younger Optics is a true realization of the American Dream for founder Irving Rips, who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.


“Our growth would not be possible without all the great people here at Younger,” said president and CEO David Rips (son of Irving Rips). “Believe it or not, we have employees that have been with us for more than 40 years! To me, this is both amazing and gratifying.”

In addition to being the world leader in prescription polarized lenses sales, they are also the leader in specialty products, and are 3rd in the world in Transitions. Younger has become an international company with Sales and Distribution offices in Europe (Prague) and Australia, and manufacturing facilities in Torrance, California and Guyamas, Mexico.

Younger Optics provides an extensive line of lens products and lens materials. Premier products include IMAGE® progressive, NuPolar® polarized, and Transitions® photochromic lenses. Materials for these many lens styles range thru Trilogy® (made with Trivex™), polycarbonate, 1.67 index MR-10 and hard resin. Younger’s IMAGE® lens is one of the most accepted progressives on the market today, with the widest range in choices of materials, colors and treatments.

“While I am very gratified having watched our company grow during these 50 years, people often ask me if I ever thought Younger would grow this big,” said David Rips. “I always answer, ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet – Younger is still a little baby!’ Though the size of Younger Optics has grown, we value the ‘family business’ mentality and our goal remains the same: To Make Younger the Easiest Company to do Business With.”