In 1969, William (Bill) Berk was one of about 400,000 people at Woodstock. Like the rest of the crowd at the legendary music festival, Bill was witness to a historic event—one that would change his life forever. For Bill, that historic moment came when his friend, Albert Gleek the 3rd, who was with him at Woodstock, mentioned the fact that his father was thinking of selling his optical store, Gleek + Howard, in Montclair, New Jersey. Bill was interested—and in 1972, Bill, a Vietnam veteran who began working in the optical industry as soon as he returned home from service, purchased the store from Albert Gleek and John Howard. He kept the original name, but has made the independent business entirely his own since then. Read More.