PEOPLE

Charmant USA promoted Bill Hurst to VP of sales. Hurst brings more than 30 years of optical industry experience to the role.

Christopher Lentocha, who has more than 17 years of service experience in the optical and medical industries, joined Coburn Technologies, Inc., as director of service for the U.S. and Latin America.

◄ EnChroma, Inc., named Erik Ritchie as its CEO. Ritchie brings 25 years of experience in the optical industry and other fields to the role. Most recently, he served as CCO for Zenni Optical.

Eschenbach Optik of America, Inc., appointed Jennifer Smith as controller, responsible for Eschenbach’s accounting, financial, distribution, and IT activities.

Roberta Viganò was appointed as Marcolin Group’s marketing communication manager. Viganò has extensive experience in communications in the fashion and luxury industry, including at Bally, where she was head of communications and marketing, EMEA.

The Vision Council appointed Alysse Henkel as director of research data and analytics. Most recently, she was a data fellow at the Center for Education Policy and Research at Harvard.

AWARDS

ABB Optical Group announced the winners of the sixth annual Optometry Student Challenge, recognized during the 2021 Global Specialty Lens Symposium virtual conference. The lead authors of the scientific posters were Suzy Chen, State University of New York College of Optometry; Jonathan King, Indiana University; and Cade Millikin, Indiana University.

Two industry franchises were ranked on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list: Pearle Vision (No. 32) and My Eyelab (No. 95).

ZEISS Vision Care U.S. announced that its Zeiss UVClean technology, an optometry-specific UV-C disinfecting device designed especially for eyecare professionals, was selected as a CES 2021 Innovation Awards honoree in the health and wellness category.

TRADE SHOWS

The Vision Council and Reed Exhibitions, organizers of Vision Expo, announced that Vision Expo East 2021, originally scheduled for the Javits Center in New York City from May 25-28, will now take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, from June 2-5.

MISCELLANEOUS

A&A Optical is celebrating 50 years in business. “Our focus in 1971 was serving the ECPs and continues to be so in 2021,” says A&A Optical president/CEO Robert Liener, son of A&A Optical founders Alexander and Agnes Liener. The company will reward customers for their continued patronage with hidden “golden tickets” in frame shipments throughout 2021.

I-Deal Optics is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021. Founded in 1996 by Mort Feldman and current president and CEO Michael Feldman in a 300-square-foot workspace within a lab in Ferndale, MI, I-Deal now boasts a 20,000-square-foot HQ in Troy, MI. The company was acquired by Main Street Capital and the I-deal senior management team in 2015.

The New England College of Optometry announced the receipt of a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation that will fund a new diversity and inclusion scholarship.

IN MEMORIAM

◄ Jean Gehrig, founder of SCL International, a cleaning and hard coating machine manufacturer based in Archamps, France, passed away on Nov. 13 at the age of 79. “For all who met Jean, they will remember a gentleman, a professional, a real entrepreneur. He was an electrical engineer who founded two companies before SCL International was formed in 1993, producing dip coating technology,” Satisloh shared in an obituary. Gehrig’s last initiative was joining Essilor and the Satisloh group. He retired in 2017 and his son Denis assumed leadership of the company.

◄ Myles R. Freeman, founder of protective eyewear company Wiley X, passed away on Jan. 10 at the age of 79. As an Army veteran, Freeman founded the company in 1987 with an understanding for the need for high-quality protective gear. “If they felt good about what they were using or wearing, they would perform at a higher level,” Myles often stated. Wiley X has since created eyewear for the military, those participating in outdoor activities, first responders, law enforcement, and more. Wiley X continues to be family owned and operated with sons Myles Jr. and Dan W. Freeman at the helm. The three men worked together for more than 25 years.