I recieved a fax last night from Hoya. The Thailand facility was closed due to flooding on Oct. 12th. Products currently suspended include;
iD Mystyle
iD Instyle
iD SV
1.70 index products
1.60 Hoya PAL's (limited availability
Sync 5 & 8
Jobs in process cannot be imediately supplied. Just found a link to the info;
http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/news/latest/20111012.html
I wonder if they will continue to process that work overseas vs helping out the US Economy. Hey, we get what we ask for, great pricing in spite of our own people. Labor goes to Asia and Profits to Japan. Way to support the economy.
You are so right, so do you suggest Essilor instead?????Originally Posted by racethe1320
Yea, I agree. I'm so glad Altair and Marchon are made right here in the good 'ol USA!
What? They are made in China?
Now, hold on there 24/7! With VSP, the frames are made in China and the profit stays there, not Japan. We just get the short end of the stick yet again.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
hahahahahaha!!
If those darned Vision Ease LifeRx lenses WOULD QUIT DE-LAMINATING, then we could have some sort of semi sort of kinda lens made in the good ol' usa. With profits staying right there up north!!
ICE-TECH is 100% digital lens company founded and headquarted in the US. We are a direct to the ECP lens company, with the design and production all produced in our facility. For Information 888-ICE-TECH
Agree with that 1 nothing but trouble .................we use the trivex trans from younger
Since when did you design and produce DriveWear (a lens made possible through the cooperation of Younger Optics (manufacturer of NuPolar® Polarized Lenses) and Transitions Optical, Inc.? And I see from your website that you are partnered with Silhouette - those frames are made in Australia.
And while we are on the subject of supporting USA design and manufacture and supporting our workforce take an inventory of the tools that you use that make that possible, like the generators you use to process the lenses? Schneider? Loh? all made and manufactured in the USA? How about your computers? Apple? Where are apple computers manufactured?
When you hear about Apple, you have to know that is one of the biggest computer manufacturers in the industry. Not only that their engineers create IT technologies, but they create products that are necessary in our current life, practically, a way of life. Many of us know that Apple is an U.S. brand, but the question is, how many of you know where are apple computers manufactured?. I think not many, taking into consideration that they don`t find it very important.
Well, let me tell you about the ones who manufacture computers for Apple. Two large IT solution brands manufacturers in the industry are named Foxconn and Inventec. If you never heard of them, that may happen just because they aren`t U.S. brands, they are from China. Yes you got it, the answer for the question where are apple computers manufactured? is quite simple. They are made in China. Now you may find this problem very delicate, considering the fact that Apple is a U.S. brand, some of you would ask: why should they manufacture their products in other countries, and not in the U.S. Well, that question is not so reliable, considering the fact that almost half of our earths products are made in China. But why China, why would Apple manufacture their computers there? The answers are simple: cheaper hand work, it`s a poor country, but with a strong economy, and last but not least, they have the biggest population on the globe.
Now, if you still having problems understanding why is Apple manufacturing their computers in China, you would understand that at the large scale that Apple products are build, they have to satisfy their clients, improve the product line, and nevertheless getting their profits bigger. If you take a look at annual targets that Apple has, you will find that, each year their product sales, number of workers and profits are still in a permanent rise.
What's not made in China?
Is it possible to get through the day without Chinese-made imports? We give it a try
Sunday, November 11, 2007
By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Spend just one day free of anything made in China.
No problem, I figure. How rough could it be?
My answer comes even before I am fully awake. For starters, I yank my head off my made-in-China pillowcase, dump coffee out of my made-in-China mug, and eat bread without browning it in my made-in-China toaster.
The first two jackets I grab out of my closet are made in China, too, so I reach for a vintage one, made in the 1940s before America outsourced much of its manufacturing.
My social experiment is even more disorienting when it comes time to dress my 6-year-old daughter for school. She wails in protest as I veto her favorite three skirts, all-made-in-China bargains. Her Disney princess backpack and lunch box also are from China, but I look the other way to avoid a made-in-America meltdown.
"Why is everything made in China?" she grouses.
It's a question I ask myself this day when I decide to see how hooked I and other bargain-crazed American shoppers are on overseas products.
What has me rooting out made-in-China labels -- as opposed to common household products made in sweatshops in Sri Lanka or Vietnam or Indonesia -- are a rash of problems associated with Chinese imports. Some 21 million Chinese toys have been recalled because of lead contamination and other safety hazards, while tainted pet food caused widespread illness among cats and dogs earlier this year, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to restrict some pet-food ingredients from China.
In Palm Bay, Fla., worries over Barbie dolls, Thomas and Friends trains and other staples of childhood have led the mayor to call for a ban of all made-in-China products.
So what would happen if we banned all products imported from China, estimated at $20 billion a month?
My one-day experiment suggests that our materialistic lives as we know them would change rather drastically.
I am no techie, but I do need a phone and computer as a reporter. I can't use my home phone because the battery is made in China. My home computer and work computer are unusable because of the made-in-China mouse. And the Post-Gazette laptops, IBM Think Pad T61, are made in China. So my only option is to scribble out my story by hand on a made-in-the-USA legal pad.
Are consumers changing their plans?
Are Americans consumers planning to change their spending patterns in the wake of headlines over recalled products made in China? Yes and no, according to a survey of 4,000 shoppers by TNS Retail Forward in Columbus, Ohio. Shoppers were asked to pick the statement that best described their behavior regarding products made in China:
· I avoid buying products from China when I can: 29 percent
· I'm selectively not buying certain products from China for now: 17 percent
· I haven't changed my shopping behavior: 15 percent
· I'm actively boycotting buying products from China until I know they are safe: 5 percent
· I won't buy products from China again: 6 percent
· None of the above: 30 percent
Source: TNS Retail Forward ShopperScape, September 2007.
Nah. So I decided to shop -- err, I mean, do research -- for my story.
I head to Target, my favorite place for cheap chic, where a sign on the wall proclaims "Fabu-less." No wonder -- all the clothes I like are made in Vietnam, Indonesia (including a sporty black Isaac Mizrahi jacket) and, primarily, it seemed, China.
My mission is to find tights for my daughter. Amid a sea of Chinese-made Circo brand tights, I track down a pair of black Xhiliration tights made in the USA for only $4.99.
I am so excited that I thrust them in the air triumphantly, holding back the urge to scream out, "USA! USA!" like a spectator at the Olympics.
So what if they are toeless tights? The ordeal of finding socks is left for another day. I start grabbing one in every color until I realize an identical brown pair at the same price is made in China.
Whose fault is this?
OK, so am I going crazy here?
A trip to the toy department for some early Christmas shopping is even more maddening. All my daughter's favorites -- My Little Pony, Little Pet Shop, many crafts -- are made in China. I find a fairy jigsaw puzzle for about $5 that was made in the USA. An identical puzzle in a sturdier metal container is even better, but alas, it is the same price and made in China. Go figure. The puzzle with the chintzier box goes into my cart.
But of course, a discount store is brimming with overseas labels. What do I expect? Cheap chic without cheap labor?
So am I part of the problem as a member of the want-more-stuff-for-practically-nothing masses? (A recent study did say Americans, even the upper crust, are more bargain-conscious than other nationalities.)
After all, I have that annoying habit of answering a compliment on an article of clothing with a boast such as "Only $20 at Marshalls." I stick to the $10-rule for most of my daughter's clothes, something I had thought of as a virtue.
"I do think American people are culpable for always seeking the cheapest products without stopping to think about it and imagining the conditions" in overseas sweatshops, says Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee, a New-York based human rights advocacy group. He says young Chinese women often work 14 days in steaming hot factories and are screamed at by bosses who cheat them out of wages.
But he doesn't come down that hard on me. He slams companies such as Mattel for what he calls protecting the Barbie doll from trademark infringement, but not the worker making the doll. He also criticizes political leaders for the lack of regulations and religious leaders for the lack of outrage.
Plus, Mr. Kernaghan sympathizes with people looking high and low for made-in-USA labels. He wears old Hathaway shirts because the new ones are made overseas, and recently bought a pair of made-in-USA pants for $150.
It's not just clearance-bin bottom feeders such as me who are snatching up overseas products.
A side trip to Saks Fifth Avenue shows that shoppers can pay dearly for a made-in-China label. A hip, patterned dress by Diane von Furstenberg costs $345, even though it is made in China. As is an elegant gray Robert Rodriguez coat for $649, which was just reduced, but still too rich for me. (But the store also stocks many chic made-in-the-USA clothes including an adorable Nanette Lepore jacket.)
Despite the cheap stigma, many high quality clothes are coming out of China, says Howard Davidowitz, a New York retail consultant.
"I sit there in meetings with merchandisers and they are showing me products made in China. Forget the fact if they were made in America, they would cost 50 percent more, but they are showing the quality is better. You are not just getting shoddy merchandise. American shoppers are pretty smart. They are not going to buy a piece of junk."
The made-in-China garments I am drooling over in Saks are anything but junk. They are beautiful fabrics and great cuts. But looking at labels kills the joy of shopping.
So I go home to do something totally unmaterialistic -- exercise. It sounds simple enough, except I cannot use my new Nike running shoes, which are made in China. Even my flat, very comfy Aerosoles come from China. In fact, the only shoes I can put on my feet are an old pair of Arche shoes made in France, which are very comfortable, but have two-inch heels. Great for the office, but I can't run in these babies. So I try pedaling the exercise bike in bare feet.
Instead of an endorphin high, I get sore feet -- a trivial complaint compared to the leg numbness that sweatshop workers endure. But it's enough to convince me to bag it.
So I pick up my daughter at an after-school program and find out that despite my best efforts, she has just done spin art on a made-in-China machine.
Making dinner is the easiest part of the day as made-in-Italy tortellini (no surprises here) are boiled in a Farberware pot that was so old that I couldn't tell where it was made. They are arranged on Pier 1 plates, made in Italy, but my daughter's animal plate and Franklin cup are both made-in-China no-nos. "We can't do anything," she says.
The evening craft hour is even worse. All her favorites -- Color Wonder Mess Free Paint, Alex Finger Paints, Chicken Soup beads -- are made in China. No. No. No.
"Can't we just not tell your boss?" she pleads. "He's not here."
No, sweetie. That would be cheating.
But she is delighted to grab some foam clay stored in a plastic bag, the box long gone, all signs of country of origin long destroyed.
I let her play with it in the sweatshop equivalent of "I don't know and I don't want to know."
Everywhere I look is another label, taunting me. I become so label-crazed that I grab my husband's fleece jacket by the back collar. He gets a pass because it says made-in-Indonesia, not China.
"You are losing your mind," he says, waving me away.
He's right. So I have a glass of made-in-America merlot and pet my born-in-Pittsburgh cat before putting my head on an uncovered pillow, calling it a very strange day.
Cristina Rouvalis can be reached at crouvalis@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1572.
First published on November 11, 2007 at 12:00 am
PARIS -(Dow Jones)- French lenses maker Essilor International SA (EI.FR) said Thursday it bought a 50% stake in Chinese opthalmic lenses manufacturer Wanxin Optical.
Essilor didn’t provide any financial details, though it said Wanxin produces 35 million lenses a year and generates annual revenue of about EUR24 million.
The Chinese markets represent growth opportunities, Essilor said.
Vision-Ease Lens Purchases Manufacturing Facility in Bangkok, Thailand Company’s new facility to manufacture cast resin premium products
RAMSEY, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vision-Ease Lens (VEL), a designer, manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic lenses, is pleased to announce it is growing its presence in Asia by purchasing a cast resin factory located in Bangkok, Thailand. VEL has signed an agreement to purchase the factory from Indelor Lens (Thailand) Co., Ltd (INDO). The transaction will be completed once necessary governmental approvals and other conditions to closing are satisfied. This is expected to be in June.
“Having additional manufacturing capability and space is crucial to maintaining supply and quickly introducing new technologies to our customers as we continue to expand our premium polarized, photochromic and progressive offerings into new materials that our customers demand,” said Douglas Hepper, CEO of VEL.
VEL purchased the plant to expand its ability to manufacture advanced technology and premium specialty cast resin products. The factory will also continue to manufacture and supply existing proprietary lenses to INDO.
Are you casting your own blanks?
Where do you get your monomers from?
How about a lab that resides in the US, pays our own people and keeps revenue inside these borders?
Yea, I agree. I'm so glad Altair and Marchon are made right here in the good 'ol USA!? They are made in China?I'm sorry, was this a lab that flooded or a frame manufacturing facility?
You will have to be more specific please........
Dear Mr Twist.
Silhouette are made in Austria, not Australia. Only a few letters I know, but an awful lot miles.
Dude, chill. Ice-Tech has done some awesome things, and you can't get hardly anything that was 100% produced in the USA anymore. However, that being said, they are doing it the right way. Much more so than any of the big manufacturers.
Gunner05 thanks for the vote of confidence. It is amazing the comment about where we get our monomer from etc. I didn't say we did not use some foreign made products. I said, "ICE-TECH is 100% digital lens company founded and headquarted in the US. We are a direct to the ECP lens company, with the design and production all produced in our facility. For Information 888-ICE-TECH" This is what I stated and it is 100% true. Monomers etc. are from other countries but I never stated otherwise.
Thai Optical Group have reportedly been forced to close their plant now as well. Since they manufacture lenses for Rodenstock, Optovision, Nikon and others some of these brands may well suffer shortages in the next while.
Dont worry ..........................these guy's are all going to order more lenses in China which has plent of supplyes. These days you will never any more suffer shortages .
Yes, my error, thank you for the correction. Australia and Austria please accept my apologies for the mistake . . . My Swiss mother-in-law is most likely keeping track.Dear Mr Twist.
Silhouette are made in Austria, not Australia. Only a few letters I know, but an awful lot miles.
Many labs founded in the US have now have sold out to big lens manufacturers, yet those labs still employ US citizens in US locations. And like these labs, ICE-TECH probably sells or OEMs some products made overseas also. So no US jobs are gained by moving business to ICE-TECH, it’s just taking market share from other suppliers.
For some reason you want to make false statements about ICE-TECH based on something you assume ICE-TECH claimed. Why do you say no jobs are gained by people ordering from ICE-TECH? Example: If an ICE-TECH customer previously ordered a lens from a major worldwide lens company that was produced in Asia then delivered to the dispenser by the major worldwide lens company via their US owned local lab that does not really make the digital lens. Would this not be a gain in US jobs? Now to make it clear I did not make the claim that any US jobs were gained, but since you stated that was not true I felt it was important to state the true facts that in many cases dealing with ICE-TECH could increase US jobs.
Doesn't increase jobs, just shifts marketshare.
My opinion is that you are attempting to capitalize on a devastating global situation that has affected more than just the optical community.
"Olivertwist", You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I know what we are actually attempting to do, (not what you think we are attempting to do). And it is not to capitalize on a devastating global situation. I really feel you are trying to discredit ICE-TECH rather than offer ligitimate comments for the Optiboard community. You have made a total of 8 posts many of those just assuming ICE-TECH meant something other than what was stated. I am proud of the accomplishments ICE-TECH has made and the services we offer to our customers.
Regarding your comment, "Doesn't increase jobs, just shifts marketshare" read my post with the EXAMPLE I used and this clearly shows how a greater % of US labor would be used by a customer using ICE-TECH than an worldwide company that has overseas manufacturing. And one of our goals is to shift market share, just like everyone else in business. We want to shift if from our competitors to us. This is not something to that is bad it is a part of capitalism.
OK, let's just say we agree to disagree about everything. I never said capitalism was bad, totally on board with it, but your timing is poor in my opinion.
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