[bc]ESSILOR EXPANDS VARILUX COMFORT® LINE[/bc]
ESSILOR’S BEST SELLING LENS IS NOW AVAILABLE IN NEXT GENERATION TRANSITIONS®BROWN


DALLAS - (July 25, 2002) – Essilor of America, Inc. is now offering its number one best seller – Varilux Comfort® – in Next Generation Transitions® Brown. The new lens joins other Varilux Comfort® lenses available with Next Generation Transitions ®technology, including Varilux Comfort Gray, Finished Single Vision (FSV) Gray and Trifocal Gray lenses. All are available with Essilor’s Crizal®, the industry’s premier and most recommended anti-reflective lens.

“The combination of Varilux Comfort® – Essilor’s most prescribed progressive lens –with Transitions’ leading-edge photochromic technology in brown and gray, enables us to provide the best overall performance for our customers in the colors they enjoy wearing,” said John Carrier, senior vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “Not only are we providing the smartest clear lens choices, but with Essilor’s Crizal® anti-reflective properties added to Transitions’ darkest and fastest-activating photochromic lens, we are providing technologically superior and more comfortable vision in changing light conditions.”

Next Generation Transitions® lenses can be ordered through VisionWeb(SM) at www.visionweb.com for all laboratories that are connected to the site. In addition, the lenses in Varilux Comfort® Brown and Gray can be ordered through Authorized Varilux® and Crizal® Distributors.

Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, S.A., a publicly held company traded on the Bourse (Symbol: ESI).

Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States and founding partner of VisionWeb(SM), www.visionweb.com, which is creating the world's largest eyecare network. An industry pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor is the market leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective coated lenses. The company manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Airwear® and Essilor brand names.

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Varilux®, Varilux Comfort®, Airwear ®and Crizal® are registered trademarks of Essilor International, S.A.
Transitions® is a registered trademark of Transitions Optical, Inc.
VisionWeb(SM) is a service mark of VisionWeb, Inc.