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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.—ABB Optical Group is planning to expand into the Canadian market. Beginning in 2020, the Florida-based company will distribute contact lenses in Canada, starting with servicing FYidoctors, Canada’s largest doctor-owned provider of eyecare and ophthalmic products and services, and their independent alliance clinics. According to ABB Optical’s market intelligence, eyecare professionals in Canada have not had the opportunity to benefit from contact lens consolidation and business management best practices with one distributor, a common model in the U.S. which provides efficiency, cost savings, and better, faster service for practices and patients.

“We are excited about our expansion into the Canadian market and look forward to serving the country’s eyecare professionals,” said ABB Optical Group CEO Tom Burke. “We have seen time and time again that efficient contact lens supply chain management can help improve patient care. Benefits to a practice include lowered costs, administrative time savings and improved turn-around time for patients to receive their lenses.”

Burke added that ABB Optical’s expansion into Canada also benefits the Canadian economy, stating, “In addition to servicing eyecare professionals, we’re excited to be making a substantial economic investment in Canada. ABB Optical Group will operate its own Canadian distribution center which will house inventory, and our expanded business will provide job opportunities for Canadians.”

FYidoctors’ CEO and chairman Alan Ulsifer, OD, added, “ABB’s entrance into Canada will bring incredible benefits to Canadian optometrists. The company’s proven systems of single source ordering, direct to patient delivery, and business solutions and services will help Canadian optometrists thrive in a market that continues to be challenging. We are very excited and proud to be their first customers.”

ABB Optical also offers other business programs and systems that could benefit Canadian eyecare professionals in the future, such as lens fabrication, ophthalmic lens distribution, frames distribution, practice development strategies, a data and analytics platform, and gas permeable contact lens manufacturing.