ONEONTA, N.Y.—SD Eyes is the new distributor of The C-Zone Collections in the U.S., according to executives of both companies. Starting in June this year, eyecare professionals will be able to buy the contemporary Netherlands-based company's metal collections with unique color accents exclusively from SD Eyes. According to Dan Bliss, president of SD Eyes, "We'd been looking for avenues to expand as a company and we felt this will bring a new level of newness for our company, our sales reps, our accounts. We have forged a nice bond and really look forward to working together."

Added Rob Maas, owner and designer of The C-Zone, " We're very excited about this partnership." Maas brings 15 years experience as an export manager for a company in the eyewear space. He is involved in creating and developing The C-Zone collection which launched in 2010, based on the characteristics of "Cool, Color and Comfort."
 
Maas said, "We make fashionable frames, we use with our manufacturer in Korea a Swiss company's technique for applying color to the stainless steel frames in the collection.. We call ourselves 'color wizards' because of the unique way we apply the colors, and the collection is very face-friendly, comfort is most important to us. We design for men and women and also have a special range of petite sizes for women and a group of large-sized men's frames now.
 
"We are a small-scale producer. We offer a collection that appeals to the independents out there who want to distinguish what they carry from the chains, and we invest much into the design which means we can bring it out at an affordable price point, compared to many of the higher-end fashion metal lines out there."
  
Added Bliss, "C-Zone will bring a new element to our company, it's fun and fills a void for us with product that utilizes color as an integral part of its foundation. Designed in the Netherlands, The C-Zone lifts our portfolio up for the fashion conscious individual. While offering a bit of European flair, the styling is very wearable making the brand an easy show for ECPs.
 
"Our foundation at SD Eyes is a large core product mix that virtually every office can use,  in all demographics and sellable shapes with a strong competitive price. Our Rip Curl eyewear and sunwear is a great brand with a strong sporty look for the active wearer. The C-Zone has created a unique collection and it will represent our highest price point."
 
Established in 1982, SD EYES brings affordable high quality fashion eyewear to the U.S. market under a range of brands it has developed. The company began distribution of the Australian surf brand, Rip Curl, to the U.S. market in 2020.