The Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) has announced the nominees for the 2007 Awards of Excellence. Selected in 14 categories, these suppliers have been chosen for making an outstanding contribution to the laboratory community and allied professionals. The OLA is the only optical organization devoted exclusively to the needs of optical laboratories and has been serving the ophthalmic community since 1894. Members represent wholesale and retail optical laboratories. OLA Laboratory Member companies will vote to determine the winners in each category, which will be announced at the President’s Banquet on November 17th during The OLA 2007 in Indianapolis, IN. Listed by category, here are this year’s nominees:
DRESS FRAMES (for prescription dress eyewear) • FLEXURE Memory Metal Collection by Capri Optics • Jill Stuart 005 by Eyewear Designs • Vera Bradley – VB3001 by The McGee Group • Geoffrey Beene Subtle by Nouveau Eyewear • Mount Eyewear Pure Titanium TQ by Tuscany Eyewear • Via Spiga Irsina by Zyloware Corp.
SAFETY FRAMES (for industrial safety eyewear) • Orange County Chopper Outlaw™ by AOSafety • A-2 High Impact Eyewear Collection by Hilco • Model 125 by On-Guard Safety • SW06 by Titmus Optical, Inc.
SPECIALTY FRAMES (for sports, sunglass, or specialty eyewear) • Vera Bradley Sunglass – VB3502 by The McGee Group • Geoffrey Beene Sunglass GB4008 by Nouveau Eyewear • Polarized Sunglass Model 60 by Tuscany Eyewear • Stetson XL-6 by Zyloware Corp.
CHILDREN’S FRAMES (marketed as children’s prescription eyewear) • New Balance Kids by Eyewear Designs • Nickelodeon SpongeBob SquarePants Nautical Toon by Nouveau Eyewear • Stride Rite 38/39 by Zyloware Corp.
LENS MATERIALS (material specific: a substrate, not a coating) • Thin&Lite® 1.74 by Essilor of America, Inc. • SR-91® Lens Material – Rx by Kaenon Polarized • Melanin True Lenses by Specialty Lens Corp. • Drivewear® Activated by Transitions™ by Younger Optics
MARKETING (programs that improve/enhance a product or service and general education) • My Big Fat Greek HOYA Getaway by HOYA VISION CARE, North America • Just Match-it “Pick-A-Clip” by I-Concepts Optical • Eyeglass Buying Guide by Transitions Optical, Inc. • The Art & Science of Drivewear® Activated by Transitions™ Education Tour and Marketing Materials
LENS TREATMENTS (treatment or coating applied to improve optics or performance) • Super HiVision™ by HOYA VISION CARE, North America • Topit by iCoat Co. • Ioncote Kappa by Satisloh
LENS DESIGN (design specific: not a material, tint, or coating) • GT2™ by Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. • Summit CD by HOYA VISION CARE, North America • Single Vision Wrap™ Polarized by KBco The Polarized Lens Co. • Succeed Internal Free-Form™ PAL by Seiko Optical Products of America, Inc. • Autograph® by Shamir Insight, Inc. • KODAK Unique Progressive Lens by Signet Armorlite, Inc.
SURFACING EQUIPMENT (grinding lenses, from blocking to inspection) • DTL Generator Series by Gerber Coburn • 993-2 THUR90 Recycling & Filtration System with Hurricane Filter by Practical Systems, Inc. (PSI) • VFT-ultra by Satisloh • HSC Master Generator by Schneider Optical Machines
PROCESSING MATERIALS & TOOLS – SURFACING (improves grinding lenses, including software and computer technology) • Combobulator by Digital Vision, Inc. • LenZFree/LZF-1-2-0 by Precision Tool Technologies • Poly-Pro Polish by Satisloh • PSS-Power Safety System by Schneider Optical Machines • VisionWeb O.N.E. by VisionWeb
FINISHING EQUIPMENT (cutting/edging lenses, from blocking to final inspection) • RobControl by A&R Optical Machinery, Inc. • Opera Scan Drill Point Scanner by A.I.T. Industries • LT-1000 Frame Tracer by Santinelli International, Inc. • ES-3 by Satisloh • Dimetrix Lens Inspection Device by Gerber Coburn
LENS TREATMENT EQUIPMENT (improve/protect the lens surface, from surfacing to cleanup) • Turbo Tinter 2 by Brain Power, Inc. (BPI) • TC-XT Topcoater with Turbo by Leybold Optics USA, Inc. • Optisafe Super Tinter by Phantom Research Laboratories, Inc. • AtomiClean by Quantum Innovations • G4 by Satisloh
ACCESSORY PRODUCTS (sold to the end-user, increases value of lens product, including packaging, cases, and cleaning systems) • Sun Pod Sunclip System by Hilco • Just Match-it Expandable Clip-Ons by I-Concepts Optical • Bocci Reader - #07 by Tuscany Eyewear
PROCESSING MATERIALS & TOOLS – FINISHING (improves cutting lenses, including software and computer technology) • HydroEdge™ by DAC Vision • Lens Saver Dots by Practical Systems, Inc. (PSI) • Precision Edge Edging Blocks by Precision Tool Technologies • Lens Wrap Solution by Quantum Innovations • 3M Leap LSE Finish Blocking Pad by Satisloh • 3M Anti-Slip Disc by Signet Armorlite, Inc.
