SAN ANTONIO—Visionworks notified employees yesterday that the company will close its manufacturing facility in Syracuse, N.Y. in June. The decision is part of the Visionworks’ ongoing efforts “to remain competitive and ensure a stronger future in an industry that is undergoing its own transformation, the company said in a statement.” The facility operations are scheduled to continue for approximately the next three months. The closing will impact all 89 associates who work at the lab, according to Visionworks.

To make this transition as smooth as possible, the company said it intends to provide support to these associates through internal job opportunities and outplacement support, including onsite workshops to assist them with resume writing and interview skills, certification opportunities to enhance their resumes, and on-site job fairs. These services are intended to begin next week.

“First and foremost, I’d like to acknowledge all of the associates at the Syracuse facility and to say thank you for their many contributions to the company,” said Peter Bridgman, CEO of Visionworks. “We are committed to treating all associates with the utmost respect and dignity as they transition to new opportunities within or outside the company.”

"The decision to close the Syracuse facility was due to the loss of volume in our manufacturing network. After careful analysis of all three facilities in our network, we decided to close the Syracuse facility due to financial inefficiencies and physical limitations for expansion. Visionworks will shift its capacity to its other facilities located in the San Antonio, Texas area. These facilities are larger, more efficient, have more advanced technology, and are located near company headquarters. The company has made significant improvements to these facilities to enhance their production capacity and they are capable of meeting its current and expected future production needs.

“This decision was not made lightly,” Bridgman continued. “Shifts in market trends, such as customer demand, technology, and competition, made us take a hard look at how Visionworks needs to change in order to maintain our leadership in the industry. After assessing relative cost and our ability to handle growth in the future, we determined that closing the Syracuse facility was the next step in our transformation process. This is tough news, but we will continue to make the right decisions to ensure the long-term strength of Visionworks. We are committed to focusing on our associates and patients like never before, managing costs and performance with more rigor, and continuing to modernize our systems and processes.”

Visionworks was ranked as the sixth largest optical retail chain in the U.S. in Vision Monday’s 2018 Top Retailers report. The company had estimated sales of $920.8 million in 2017.

Visionworks, majority owned by Highmark Inc., with Centerbridge having a minority equity stake, today serves customers through more than 700 locations in 40 states and the District of Columbia.