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Thread: An Open Letter to Younger Optics and Vision-Ease

  1. #1
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    An Open Letter to Younger Optics and Vision-Ease

    An Open Letter to Younger Optics and Vision-Ease World Wide,

    Thank you for your commitment to quality and innovation over the years in Optical. Many of your products are brand leaders in our industry: Nu-Polar, Coppertone, Life-RX, Drivewear, Trilogy and Thindex just to name a few. Your reputation for quality, independence and your support of private practice is unsurpassed. Younger, we appreciate your support of Optiboard, the best place in the world to share optical information and meet industry professionals.

    I don’t know if you have noticed, but a company out of France called Essilor has been buying up optical companies both large and small, and has set itself up to dominate every channel of our industry. I am sure you have been approached by Essilor and maybe others to be purchased yourselves, but you have steadfastly refused offers of large cash payments and fantastic residuals. I applaud you for believing your companies have a larger value to our community than can be translated into a lighter shade of green. You get the fact that selling out will have a larger impact on the lives of yourselves, your customers and our industry than could ever be predicted. Great products you have worked hard to develop could just evaporate over time lost in the throes of a mindless conglomerate.

    Despite your past innovations into both products and materials, you both lack a product in the fast growing sector of Digital and Free-form progressive lens design. Now that there are fewer independent Free-form companies than a year ago due to Essilor, this hole in your otherwise stellar line-up is now glaring. We as an industry need you to expand your stellar skills in innovation and product development into the range of Free-form Digital lens design.

    I am formally requesting that you both design, sell and license a digital Free-form lens product.

    If your past innovation is any indicator, your efforts will be excellent. If Optiboard is any indicator, your products will be met with enthusiasm. Younger Optics and Vision-Ease, we need you.

    Sincerely,
    Van Y Rue

  2. #2
    Rochester Optical WFruit's Avatar
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    Well, Younger bought IOT (Indize Optical Tecnologies- Spain). Pretty much all they do are Free Form designs. They also did the design for the Younger's new Adage lens. We've been told to expect a Free Form design from Younger sometime next year (tentatively around May/June but I'm sure that will change). They're trying though. My biggest concern is that Hoya, Seiko, and Zeiss all have extremely good Free Form designs at very good prices (not to mention other "generic" Free Form designs floating around). I'm worried that Younger just isn't going to be able to fit in and compete because of how late they are getting into the market.

    Vision Ease is actually more likely to be aquired by Transitions than Essilor (I know, Essilor owns 49% of Transitions....) since they've been trying for many years now to do so. I don't know if they have any Free Form plans or not.

    Hopefully Dave Rips (CEO here on optiboard), the CEO of Younger will chime in, as well as someone from Vision Ease.
    There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.

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    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    You forgot X-cel and Augen

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    Rochester Optical WFruit's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui View Post
    You forgot X-cel and Augen
    Augen has their own Digital offerings, although they are molded fronts with digitally sufaced/compensated backs.

    I don't know how X-Cel stays in business with what they charge for lenses. On the other hand, their customer service is second to none, and they make lenses no one else does.
    There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.

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    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    Younger is next on the buying list!
    And then VE with their always delaminating LifeRx lenses!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui View Post
    You forgot X-cel and Augen
    I had alreay spoken to Augen professionally... they will not have a full Free-form offering until late next year. Interesting company though, the VP told me they actually make all their own generating equipment in house. Their HD line is not free-form, according the the VP, its just using digital molds.

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    Good luck with all that. If the retailers support Younger as well as thay have the labs that have sold out, as well as the ones that are still trying to hang on to independance, azs they have in the past, it will all be big E soon. The big E is always there bagering the labs to sell out. Just wear them down and sooner or later they will sell out.

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    If Younger got into the lab business, I'd give them all of my business in a heartbeat. Younger could cover 95% of my outside lab and stock lense needs, provided their lab prices were in line with what I get now.
    Clinton Tower

    The intellect to live free is in short supply
    ALT248=°

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    Quote Originally Posted by WFruit View Post
    Well, Younger bought IOT (Indize Optical Tecnologies- Spain). ... We've been told to expect a Free Form design from Younger sometime next year (tentatively around May/June but I'm sure that will change). ...Hopefully Dave Rips (CEO here on optiboard), the CEO of Younger will chime in, as well as someone from Vision Ease.
    I looked all over for info on Younger's purchase of IOT but could not find any, nothing on IOT's website, Youngers, or Google .... but that would be terrific news.

    Just heard INDO filed for Chapter 11 so that means the impending loss of 2 lisensed free-form lenses in one month.

    Younger Optics, you're our only hope...

  10. #10
    OptiBoard Professional OptiBoard Corporate Sponsor
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    Well, certainly I can confirm Younger's investment in IOT, and our commitment to an independent lens design company. IOT has been designing traditional and digital lenses for quite a few years now, and their design capabilities along with Younger's makes for a good team. Plus, they are really nice people.

    Feel confident that Younger isn't going anywhere and we take your concerns seriously. Also, the industry is still in the very early stages of these technologies.

    Thanks again for all the nice feelings toward Younger....but "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

    Dave

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    Quote Originally Posted by CEO View Post
    Well, certainly I can confirm Younger's investment in IOT, and our commitment to an independent lens design company. IOT has been designing traditional and digital lenses for quite a few years now, and their design capabilities along with Younger's makes for a good team. Plus, they are really nice people.

    Feel confident that Younger isn't going anywhere and we take your concerns seriously. Also, the industry is still in the very early stages of these technologies.

    Thanks again for all the nice feelings toward Younger....but "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

    Dave
    Your Image is a lens of choice. I have worn many of them myself. It is as good as any on the market.

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    Ophthalmic Optician
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    Thanks also, for your continued support of Optiboard!
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

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    Quote Originally Posted by CEO View Post
    Well, certainly I can confirm Younger's investment in IOT, and our commitment to an independent lens design company. IOT has been designing traditional and digital lenses for quite a few years now, and their design capabilities along with Younger's makes for a good team. Plus, they are really nice people.

    Feel confident that Younger isn't going anywhere and we take your concerns seriously. Also, the industry is still in the very early stages of these technologies.

    Thanks again for all the nice feelings toward Younger....but "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

    Dave
    Dave, thanks for both responding... and bringing Younger to the next level. There are a lot of people who will benefit from your work!

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    Master OptiBoarder kat's Avatar
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    I have been a happy user of Younger and VEL for years and will continue to do so!!! Independents rock.
    I came, I saw, I left

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    Just a quick note from Vision-Ease Lens to say thank you for the recognition. We are very proud of the above-mentioned lens brands (LifeRx, Coppertone and Thindex) and the positive impact they have had in the industry.

    You are right with regards to direct surfacing - we are looking at technology that utilizes just that. Expect news on this front and much more from Vision-Ease into 2011. Exciting change is coming.

    Thank you for the space.

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    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    Found this old tread.
    What DID changed?

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    Quote Originally Posted by LENNY View Post
    Found this old tread.
    What DID changed?
    Younger owns IOT -- lots of free-form lenses. Vision Ease has one free-form lens -- the Narrative.

  18. #18
    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jefe View Post
    Younger owns IOT -- lots of free-form lenses. Vision Ease has one free-form lens -- the Narrative.
    Does Younger have their own lab also?
    What is narrative comparable to?

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    Quote Originally Posted by LENNY View Post
    Found this old tread.
    What DID changed?
    X-Cel is now owned by Essilor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LENNY View Post
    Found this old tread.
    What DID changed?
    Vision-Ease Lens is now the Optiboard sponsor, so both companies have continued to be "on (Opti)board" with independents.
    And you should give LifeRx another try; much improved laminate with the same photochromic performance (quick fade-back, clear indoors).

  21. #21
    Rochester Optical WFruit's Avatar
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    In addition to the all of the above, Drivewear is no longer a Younger exclusive product. It's now "Drivewear by Transitions" Which I understand, since all the Drivewear used Transitions technology anyway. But Younger is no longer the exclusive distributor of Drivewear either.

    Also on the Younger/IOT front, look for some very interesting new Free Form designs as well (can't say any more, but I think you're going to be impressed).

    The second generation (well, version 2.8 or so) of LifeRx is very good, and Vision Ease's ChangeRx is an excellent product (1.50 Photochromic). We go to be a test lab for it and have run it for over a year. More info on it can be found here: http://www.vision-ease.com/home/prof.../changerx.aspx
    There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.

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    OptiWizard Pogu's Avatar
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    For the record I've been using Life RX regularly for 3 years now without a single problem or complaint. I wish I could get a better AR on it, but that's probably a result of them not selling out.

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    I am also very happy with the new Life Rx product , no problems with delaminations ,great service .

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    Master OptiBoarder LENNY's Avatar
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    It was always Drivewear by Transitions.... I thought....
    Who else except Younger has it?!?!?!?

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    Shamir now has blanks for Polycarbonate Drivewear.

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