Perth optometrist, Bjorn Russell, has become Luxottica’s first full OPSM franchisee in Australia, as the company moves closer to its target of 100 franchise agreements across all optical brands by the end of 2009. According to Bjorn, it is the realisation of a personal dream of owning and operating his own optometry business.
After 11 years working with a WA-based optometry group, Bjorn has taken on ownership of the Gateway OPSM store in Success, Perth, under Luxottica’s f lexible franchise models, which are offered to Luxottica’s own optometrists as well as those working as independents or within other groups through the OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear brands.
“As an optometrist wanting to take the leap into business ownership I looked at several options but none offered the level of control over both clinical optometry and optical retail operations that OPSM did,” says Bjorn.
“The public perceives OPSM as an optometry- driven brand offering quality service, and that goodwill is absolutely invaluable for me taking on a new OPSM franchise. Also, the eyewear product available through Luxottica is second to none and the depth of Luxottica’s professional support, from marketing through to training and development, is very attractive,” he explains.
Luxottica’s Chief Executive for Australasia, South East Asia and South Africa, Chris Beer, says the full franchise agreement was an example of Luxottica’s commitment to supporting the career and professional development aspirations of its optometrists.
“Having consulted closely with our optometrists, we know that offering a franchise, allows us to accommodate the entrepreneurial aspirations some of our optometrists have, ensuring their valuable skills are retained within the group.Our focus is to allow all our employees at every level to reach their full potential through continuous training and development, mentoring and f lexible business models,” Mr. Beer says. “Bjorn Russell is a young optometrist who wanted to run his own optometry business, with all the hard work and potential reward that entails. We are delighted he settled on Luxottica after assessing a range of options, and we look forward to supporting Bjorn’s efforts to grow the Gateway OPSM business. It is with enormous pleasure that we welcome him to the group.”
With 40 optical franchises currently, Luxottica expects to have over 100 franchise agreements – optometry-only or full franchise – in place in Australia by the end of 2009. Luxottica operates 835 OPSM, Laubman & Pank, Budget Eyewear, Sunglass Hut and Bright Eyes stores in Australia.
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