NEW YORK—Since VM published its 2014 Top Labs Report, several of the wholesale heavyweights have made expansions, improvements and acquisitions. Here’s a brief recap of the Top Labs that made news during the past year.

A technician inspects lenses after applying anti-reflectivecoating at the new VSPOne Sacramento lab.
Hoya’s new Intercompany Manufacturing Center features robotic automation.
Prescription lenses being ground and polished by hand atWalman Optical, circa 1915.
September, 2014
Hoya Vision Care significantly expanded the production capacity at its main lab near Dallas, Texas with the creation of an Intercompany Manufacturing Center (IMC). The IMC is part of a three-year plan begun in 2013 to expand Hoya’s spectacle lens production and manufacturing capabilities.

The IMC is designed for maximum efficiency and features next-generation lens processing technology, robotic automation, and state-of-the-art anti-reflective lens coating. It serves as a hub for Hoya’s 29 other labs which are located around the country. The 100,000 square-foot facility runs 24/7, 365 days per year, and is staffed with approximately 100 workers who operate three shifts of continuous production.

November, 2014
Hoya Vision Care opened a branch in Linthicum, Maryland. Territory managers Tammy Maxey and Janelle Trowbridge were named as the primary local representatives for the new lab. In addition to local territory managers, operations at the new facility will be headed by laboratory manager Tim Shields.

Essilor acquired QC Optical, a wholesale optical laboratory with branches in Portland, Ore. and Spokane, Wash. Essilor closed these branches and merged QC Optical into Opti-Craft, an Essilor lab in Portland. The former owners of QC Optical, Jim McAndrew and Bruce Hengel, transitioned over to Opti-Craft.

VSP Optics Group re-engineered and expanded its VSPOne Optical Technology Center near Sacramento, Calif., nearly doubling the original location’s footprint, bringing it to 80,000 square feet. VSP invested $37 million in the Sacramento lab, including significant funding for state-of-the-art optical manufacturing equipment and automation currently not in use in any other lab in the U.S. The lab processes 4,500 pairs of eyewear each day, and has the capacity to process up to 8,000 pairs of eyewear a day.

May, 2015
VSP Optics Group opened a new VSPOne Optical Technology Center in Denver, Colo. VSP said the new laboratory was established to help meet growing demand for its Unity Performance Optics products in the Southwest region. The Denver facility expands the VSPOne Optical Technology Center network to a total of 14 locations, including Baltimore, Charlotte, Columbus, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Hawaii, Houston, New York, Olympia, Sacramento, San Diego, St. Cloud and Tampa Bay. Similar to the VSPOne locations in Baltimore, Charlotte, Houston, and New York, the new Denver location specializes in quick processing and turnaround of the entire Unity lens and coatings portfolio.

May, 2015
Walman Optical introduced a new brand identity. The Walman name remained intact as the master brand that unifies the company’s six divisions: Walman Optical, Walman Instruments, X-Cel Specialty Contacts, ImageWear, ADO Practice Solutions and Ultra Optics as indicated by the common logomark. By designating a distinct color for each division, individual brands stand on their own in the marketplace with a clearer purpose, according to Walman. The rebranding is part of Walman’s 100th anniversary celebration.