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November 25
Superior Vision to be Acquired by Centerbridge Partners

Superior Vision Corp, a leader in managed vision care, announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Centerbridge Partners, L.P., a leading private investment firm, from Nautic Partners, LLC. The company is presently owned by Nautic and management.

Superior Vision is a comprehensive eyecare company with member-centric solutions for the group, Medicare and Medicaid markets. The company serves more than 11 million members and supplies access to the broadest and most diverse eyecare provider network in the industry.

The transaction is expected to close following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and approvals by the end of the first quarter of 2016.



November 23
Pfizer and Allergan to Combine Businesses

Under the agreement, Pfizer, a global innovative biopharmaceutical company, will combine with Allergan, a global pharmaceutical, in a stock transaction currently valued at $363.63 per Allergan share, for a total enterprise value of approximately $160 billion. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, the businesses of Pfizer and Allergan will be combined under Allergan plc, which will be renamed “Pfizer plc.”

“The proposed combination of Pfizer and Allergan will create a leading global pharmaceutical company with the strength to research, discover and deliver more medicines and therapies to more people around the world,” stated Ian Read, chairman and CEO of Pfizer.



November 10
Essilor Acquires Professional Eyecare Resource Co-Operative (PERC)/Infinity Vision Alliance

Essilor of America, a division of Essilor International, which recently entered the ECP alliance sector in the U.S., expanded its presence with the acquisition of a majority interest in Professional Eyecare Resource Co-Operative (PERC) and Infinity Vision Alliance (IVA). The move is Essilor’s second acquisition of a major independent ECP alliance in the last few months, following its purchase of Vision Source, the country’s largest alliance, which was announced in July of this year as previously reported and closed in late September.

PERC/IVA is a group purchasing organization comprised of approximately 4,000 doctors, from over 2,400 independent eyecare practices in the U.S., based on current membership of 1,700 practices in PERC and 700 practices in IVA, executives said.



November 6
Vision Ease Acquires Daemyung Optical, Expanding Product Line and Distribution Capabilities

Vision Ease expanded its ophthalmic lens product portfolio and distribution capabilities with the acquisition of Daemyung Optical Co. Ltd. (DMO), the second largest optical lens manufacturer in Korea. DMO specializes in high-index plastic lenses which are manufactured at its two production facilities in South Korea and one in China.

Vision Ease said the acquisition doubles the size of its workforce to 2,000 employees, while adding high-index lenses to its product portfolio, including 1.74, 1.67 and 1.60 high-index lenses, according to Vision Ease. The deal also expanded Vision Ease’s distribution channels to high-growth markets throughout Asia.



October 5
GrandVision to Enter U.S. Market Via Acquisition Deal With For Eyes Optical
GrandVision NV, the largest global operator in optical retail, will enter the U.S. market via the acquisition of For Eyes Optical, the optical chain. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

In a statement, GrandVision said it had signed a binding agreement, “wherein GrandVision would acquire the U.S.-based optical retail chain as well as its related entities.” For Eyes Optical, founded in 1972, employs approximately 1,000 people and operates through a network of 116 owned stores. Headquartered in Hialeah, Fla., For Eyes retail stores are located mostly in metropolitan areas including Chicago, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia as well as in Florida and California. The company owns and operates a full service integrated laboratory in Florida.



September 1
Luneau Technology Announces Merger With AIT Industries
The Luneau Technology Group, which develops, manufactures, and markets Briot and Weco edgers and Visionix wavefront-based refraction and diagnostic instruments, announced a merger between its Briot USA subsidiary, based in Cumming, Ga. and AIT Industries, a distributor of ophthalmic equipment and instruments based in Bensenville, Ill.

The partnership between AIT and Luneau allows for “a streamlined customer experience and increased versatility in resource allocation increasing efficiency and adaptability to customers’ needs,” Luneau said. Luneau Technology USA consists of the Briot and Visionix brands.



August 24
Clarkson Eyecare Makes Investment in Eyecarecenter of the Carolinas

Clarkson Eyecare, one of the largest eyecare groups in the Midwest, announced today a strategic investment in Eyecarecenter (ECC), a 61-office optometry practice across North Carolina and South Carolina.

Anthony Nunn, president of Clarkson Eyecare said, “Clarkson Eyecare will be working closely with Dr. Allan Barker, president of ECC, and his team to ensure they have all the tools necessary to effectively expand business and continue as the leading eyecare provider in the Carolinas.”

Allan Barker, OD, said “ECC’s mission is to be the most patient-centric company in the Carolinas. We know that this new relationship with Clarkson Eyecare has tremendous benefits which will enhance our mission and ability to deliver the highest quality, most efficient eyecare to our patients.”

Founded in 1979, Clarkson Eyecare currently offers comprehensive medical eyecare services at more than 100 offices located throughout Missouri, Southern Illinois, Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.



August 17
Investment Groups Altas and CDPQ Invest With Management to Acquire MyEyeDr./Capital Vision Services

Capital Vision Services, LP (CVS) which provides management services to MyEyeDr. optometry practices received an equity investment from a group led by Altas Partners and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), two large investment firms who are doing so in partnership with CVS’ co-founder and CEO Sue Downes and other members of management, who will continue leading the company in their current roles.

Executives said they are focused on a “long-term orientation” with their investments and plan to accelerate MyEyeDr.’s expansion and investment in its infrastructure.



July 30
Essilor to Acquire Vision Source

Vision Source entered into an agreement to be acquired by Essilor of America, a division of Essilor International. As a result of the deal, which closed in September, Vision Source became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Essilor of America but continues to be led and managed as an independent company, by its current leadership team, which includes the company’s founder and executive chairman, Glenn Ellisor, OD.




July 24
Anthem to Acquire Cigna Corp., Creating New Health Care Giant

Anthem, Inc. and Cigna Corp. entered into a definitive agreement for Anthem to acquire Cigna. The deal, valued at $54.2 billion, will create a mega-company that will be a significant force in health care and health insurance, including managed vision care. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2016, pending the receipt of customary approvals, including certain state regulatory approvals and expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. At presstime, shareholders of both Anthem and Cigna voted in favor of a buyout. The companies said that nearly all of their shareholders had approved the deal.



July 1
Clarkson Eyecare Acquires EyeCare Associates and Pinnacle Optical

Clarkson Eyecare, one of the largest eyecare groups in the Midwest, acquired EyeCare Associates (ECA), a 19-office optometry practice in Alabama and Pinnacle Optical LLC, a full-service wholesale lab in Alabama. Details of the transaction, which was backed by FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based U.S. private equity firm, were not disclosed. The move is FFL’s third acquisition in the optical industry following growth investments in Eyemart Express in December 2014 and Clarkson Eyecare in April 2015.



May 11
MyEyeDr. Expands Into Florida Market With Acquisition of The Hour Glass/South East Eye Specialists

MyEyeDr. today closed on the acquisition of The Hour Glass and South East Eye Specialists with seven locations in Tallahassee, Fla. and in Southern Georgia. The deal represents MyEyeDr.’s initial expansion into the Florida market. The 12 ODs of The Hour Glass/South East Eye Specialists, will be a strong addition to MyEyeDr.’s portfolio of doctor driven practices, the company said.




April 6
FFL Partners Makes Growth Investment in Clarkson Eyecare

FFL Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on middle market companies, completed a growth investment in Clarkson Eyecare, Inc., a leading independent, full service eyecare provider. Among the assets included in the acquisition, Clarkson’s Eyecare360 software was recently certified by the Drummond Group as a complete electronic health record system that meets all of the meaningful use criteria established by the Department of Health and Human Services. “This is one of the hidden gems of Clarkson that we are most impressed with,” said Chris Harris, managing director of FFL.