From its two state-of-the-art prescription labs – one in Peoria in the United States and the other in Braunschweig, Germany – Maui Jim works around the clock to service its global customer-base with precision eyewear.
mivision spoke to Richard Hoare, Maui Jim’s Vice President for the Asia Pacific Region, about the investment in technology which has been a key driver for the company’s success.
Q. It’s no secret that Maui Jim Prescription Eyewear is widely regarded as a market leader, can you explain how this came to be?
For over 30 years, Maui Jim has focused on staying at the forefront of technical excellence. With our proven, patented PolarizedPlus2 lens technology at the core of our non-prescription range, we have been able to deliver and transfer this phenomenal technology into all our prescription eyewear as standard. This process was not immediate, and in truth we failed several times before we succeeded. By tightening our parameters, we have been able to control our quality. This means every Maui Jim consumer is able to wear our prescription sunglasses. Regardless of their age, gender or eyesight, they can enjoy the superior, colour-enhancing benefits of our patented lens technology.
Each lens in our portfolio is digitally processed and fully compensated… precisely calibrated for Maui Jim lenses and frame shapes
Australia’s love of the outdoors underlies the need for quality polarised eyewear. Ultimately, our consumers guide our success. Maui Jim’s consumer advocacy and brand loyalty levels are at enviably high rates. This reflects our commitment to deliver technology and service on a level few, if any, can match – it is a core part of our brand DNA.
In addition to our patented technology, Maui Jim provides a truly authentic prescription experience for our customers and consumers. For us, authenticity is key. We manage the entire process from ordering, right though to manufacturing in our own state-of-the-art labs, and ultimately delivery. Being able to control all these factors gives us the ability to deliver industry best turnaround times of less than 1.5 days for production, along with providing an exceptional product. In Australia, it is not uncommon to have an order that has been placed on a Thursday or Friday delivered to our customers by the following Tuesday or Wednesday. This, along with our exceptional warranty and redo policies, ensures we go above and beyond to guarantee the best possible service, all with a touch of ‘Aloha’ along the way.
Q. You mentioned you have your own state-of-the- art labs. Can you tell us more about these and how they have been a key driver in the success of the Maui Jim Prescription program?
Maui Jim has invested in two state-of-the-art, 2,500 square foot prescription labs – one in Peoria, United States of America at the global head office, and a second in Braunschweig, Germany. No expense was spared when equipping these precision labs with the best technology, machinery, and expertise. Our Peoria lab was opened in 2007 and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week in peak season. The German lab was opened in 2018 to cater to an ever-increasing global demand for Rx, to service the European markets more quickly, and ensure continuity of production at all times.
Production in both labs is fully automated, from cutting-edge direct surfacing through to finishing, and passes through eight quality control check points during the manufacturing process. This helps maintain Maui Jim’s exceptionally low redo rates for lab errors, of less than 1%, which is five times lower than the industry average. For our accounts, this creates a high level of customer satisfaction and the ability to ‘dispense and be done’.
100% of waste and petroleum materials are recycled in an effort to be as green as possible; a process Maui Jim pioneered. In fact, Maui Jim installed the first system in the industry that remotely processes waste off the production floor and readily shares this system with other eyewear companies. Each year, these efforts save approximately 15,000 litres of fluid and 90,000 kilograms of waste.
The machinery used in our labs is truly at the forefront of the industry, so much so that technicians from suppliers often visit the Maui Jim lab to test their technology, knowing that if it works for Maui Jim, given our exacting standards and requirements, it will work for everyone else in the industry.
Q. What is the technological difference behind Maui Jim lenses?
In terms of our technology, we do not produce any conventional lenses. Each lens in our portfolio is digitally processed and fully compensated, utilising the latest in digital lens design and software, precisely calibrated for Maui Jim lenses and frame shapes. This produces lenses that are 10 times more accurate than those produced in conventional labs. In addition, our compensation model takes into consideration the wrap of each frame to provide the best wearer experience.
Our current MauiPassport 2.0 sun progressive lenses were specifically designed to provide a larger usable area in the distance portion, while decreasing unwanted peripheral blur, also known as astigmatism. Since these lenses are used in dynamic situations, increasing the usable distance area, as compared to our previous design, was a big step in providing our customers with a better overall viewing experience. Our digital processing allows for the widest possible fi eld of vision and edge-to-edge clarity.
Coupled with our MauiPassport technology, our MauiBrilliant lens material is an industry best. It is the lightest, highest-clarity prescription-ready lens available. With an ABBE value of 56, it offers optics nearly as clear as glass, and almost double the clarity of traditional polycarbonate lenses, yet it is one third the weight of glass.
All MauiPassport lenses proudly display the Maui Jim logo on the right lens – ‘our stamp of authenticity’. This guarantees the lenses fitted into a patient’s frame are fully optioned, with all the benefits of our best-in-class PolarizedPlus2 technology, rather than inferior third-party lenses. This industry has many players offering prescription programs using third-party lenses, which can often mislead consumers into believing they are receiving genuine branded lenses with the price tag to match.
In recent years we have become a true ‘eyewear brand’, introducing our ‘Glasses Collection’ into our overall portfolio. The Maui Jim lab offers six clear lens options, including two high-index, proprietary materials; Maui Blue Light Protect and Maui High Contrast. All our Maui Jim Glasses lenses offer an optimised design, calculated with the latest digital technology. All lenses are finished with a satin edge polish for an enhanced aesthetic. Additionally, these lenses provide premium durability, glare reduction, and scratch resistance and come with an extended scratch warranty.
It’s also important to note that Maui Jim’s PolarizedPlus2 prescription sunglass lenses are available in all Maui Jim optical frames. Our ability to offer higher prescription parameters in our optical frames, when compared to existing sunglasses parameters, has been welcomed by the trade. This opens the brand up to new consumers who, in the past, have been unable to access Maui Jim’s unrivalled technology.
In all, we are very proud, not only of what we have achieved to date, but also of what the future holds for Maui Jim, both with our prescription and non-prescription portfolios. Keeping our consumers front of mind, along with our ever-evolving technology, will ensure Maui Jim continues to grow and deliver to our customers and consumers alike.
Contact: Maui Jim (AUS) 1800 010 244
