DALLAS—Egma LLC, a lens company and wholesale laboratory located here, announced Wednesday that it is ceasing its U.S. operations.

Formed by Egma Group Dubai in 2015 as a regional startup and headed by Poya Eghterafi, the company was licensed to produce Rodenstock branded lenses as part of its lenses portfolio, which included products from Shaw Vision and Ocuco, as well as its own Eyeonx line.

In a letter to customers, Eghterafi said, “The entry into the USA has proved a distraction to our core business and market leadership in our home markets. Our great successes there demand our immediate dedication of resources to continue the expansion and leadership positions we enjoy.

Eghterafi also said the U.S. is “a highly desirable market that we hope one day to re-devote our attention to.” The letter did not specify the exact date of the lab’s closure, but noted that all work in process is being completed. It also advised customers that Egma would soon refer them to another lab that can process their lens orders and supply “the same technology” as Egma.

Asked about the reasons for the shutdown, Alan Yuster, Egma LLC’s senior vice president, lenses, told VMail, “Given the pressures of the U.S. price model, product portfolio and insurance requirements, it made sense for the company to invest elsewhere.”

The Dallas lab’s physical assets will be reabsorbed into Egma’s operations in Dubai, Yuster said. He added that the shutdown affects 12 employees, including the company’s management team.

The closure of the Egma Lab puts a halt to Rodenstock’s lens distribution in the U.S. A spokesperson for the Munich-based lens maker said that although it has not yet reassigned its U.S. distribution, “the U.S. remains a market with great potential for Rodenstock products.”