FYI
By Lindsey Aspinall

PEOPLE

Fashion Optical Displays has promoted Ed Muehlberger to vice president of sales and development. Muehlberger has been with the company since 1980. In his new position, he will coordinate the company's design staff, plans for corporate growth, and both domestic and international sales.

Robert Smalling, OD, has been elected president of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO), after serving on the board of directors since 2002. Smalling brings 24 years of private practice experience to the position and has received industry awards, including the Optometric Association's Optometrist of the Year award in 2001.

I-dealoptics has announced the appointment of Jeff Flashnick as its first national sales manager. In this newly created position, Flashnick will be responsible for expanding the company's existing sales force and its network of distributors. Flashnick brings 21 years of industry experience to the position.

Joseph Taitelbaum has joined Younger Optics as a retail consultant to Florida and its surrounding areas. As a retail consultant, he will support dispensaries, educate managers and staff on Younger products, and provide sales and point-of-purchase materials. He brings more than 17 years of experience and detailed knowledge of the optical industry to ECPs in his area.

BUSINESS UPDATES

Bausch & Lomb completed the acquisition of a controlling interest in Shandong Chia Tai Freda Pharmaceutical Group (CTF), a leading ophthalmic pharmaceutical company in China, from Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. for $200 million in cash.

Oakley, Inc., has formed a film production company called 1242 Productions, Inc., in an effort to promote awareness of its board sports market and athletes (snow, surf, and skate). 1242's first release, "The Community Project," is a snowboarding film featuring some of the world's best snowboarders including Travis Rice and Zach Leach.

As 2005 comes to a close, Transitions Optical, Inc., has released another big round of TV advertising, scheduled to air during high profile programming, such as the Barbara Walters "10 Most Fascinating People" special on ABC, Dec. 20. The end-of-year advertising will be tagged with the line "Vision benefits expire at year end. Check your plan for eligibility." The ad is expected to be viewed 177.4 million times from October to December—bringing to 2.2 billion the total number of viewings this year.

Eyefinity recently announced
an agreement with OfficeMate Software Solutions to integrate
its Web-based services with OfficeMate's practice management software. With the agreement, OfficeMate clients will have access to a variety of Eyefinity's online tools, including VSP claim filing, product orders, lab services, and practice management.

AWARDS

Lighthouse International has announced Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, as the recipient of the 2005 Lighthouse International Pisart Vision Award. Sieving, a research scientist and director of the National Eye Institute, has done extensive research on the genetic basis for retinal diseases. He was recognized for his contributions to clinical research, as well as his leadership with junior colleagues.

Frank Balestra, of Santinelli International, was recently awarded the Technical Research Award in Edging, by Digital Vision, Inc. In addition, John Sutherlin of Sutherlin Optical was also given the same award. Both men were recognized for furthering the understanding of bevel control and sizing issues relative to 3-D edgers using VCA protocol.

Carol "Grady" L. Culbreth, FNAO, was recently awarded the Joseph Bruneni Memorial Education Achievement Award, given by the National Academy of Opticianry. This award is given annually to an individual who has made noteworthy contributions to opticianry education. In other National Academy news, Thomas M. Zizka, FNAO, ABOM,
was announced as a 2005 Hall of Fame Inductee.

I-dealoptics' first national sales manager, Jeff Flashnick.

Carol "Grady" L. Culbreth receives an award from the National Academy of Opticianry

SAVE THE DATE

(Dec. 7, 2005. Low Vision Management of AMD: A Practical Approach, San Diego. Cost $295. Seven hours COPE approved. Contact: Cathy Czeto; 212-821-9487; cczeto@lighthouse.org; http://www.lighthouse.org/ce.

(Dec. 8-11, 2005. American Academy of Optometry Academy 2005, San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information, visit http://www.aaopt.org.

(Jan. 11-15, 2006. CLES at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.cles.info.

(Jan. 13-15, 2006. OPTI MÜNCHEN: The International Optics and Eyewear Exhibition, held at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany. For more information, call +49(0)211/420 10 07 or visit www.mgd-reisebuero.de/opti.

(Jan. 18-21, 2006. Assistive Technology Industry Association 2006 Conference and Exhibition, Orlando, Fla., at the Caribe Royale
All- Suites Resort and Convention Center. For more information, call 877-687-2842 or visit http://www.atia.org.

(Tropical Sea E is offering sessions in St. Kitts Feb. 1 to 7, 2006 at the St. Kitts Marriott Royale Beach Resort and in Curacao March 1 to 7, 2006 at the Curacao Marriott Beach Resort. To learn more, visit www.tropicalseae.com.

(Feb. 22-26, 2006. SECO, Atlanta, at the Georgia World Congress Center. Visit http://www.secointernational.com for more information.

(March 30-April 2, 2006. International Vision Expo East, New York, at the Jacob Javits Center. For more information, visit http://www.visionexpoeast.com.

( May 5-8, 2006. MIDO, Milan Fair, Portello, Italy. For more information visit http://www.mido.it

(June 21-25, 2006. The annual American Optometric Association Congress and AOSA Conference, Las Vegas, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. For more information visit http://www.aoanet.org

(Sept. 14-16, 2006. International Vision Expo West, Las Vegas, at the Sands Convention Center. For more information visit http://www.visionexpowest.com or call 800-811-7151.

(Dec. 7-10, 2006. American Academy of Optometry meeting, Denver, at the Colorado Convention Center. Visit http://www.aaopt.org.

Eyecare Business (ISSN 0885-9167) is published monthly by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Advertising, editorial, and accounting offices: 1300 Virginia Drive, Suite 400, Ft. Washington, PA 19034. Subscription information and address changes: please call 800-306-6332, or fax 847-564-9453. Eyecare Business is free upon request to qualified optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmologists, and optical product buyers and executives at chain headquarters. Free subscriptions are available in the U.S. only. Others are eligible for paid subscriptions at the following rates, prepaid only in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank: U.S., $90 per year; Canada, $180 per year; other countries, $175. Single copies, $6. Eyecare Business is a registered trademark of Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at Ft. Washington, PA; Bolingbrook, IL 60440 and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2005 by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. Acceptance and publication of advertising and/or editorial does not imply endorsement of any product, service, or company by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

POSTMASTER: If undeliverable, send form 3579 to Eyecare Business, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 3041, Northbrook, IL 60065

Canada Post International Publications Mail Product

(Canadian distribution) sales agreement #IPM0601551

Volume 19 Number 12