From left: Simon Ponnusamy and Dean Clyke
JuzVision, a specialised Sydney-based lens laboratory with a reputation for handling complex prescriptions, has been acquired by Simon Ponnusamy of AM Eyewear and Dean Clyke from Double Agent.
With the acquisition, Mr Ponnusamy and Mr Clyke said they are positioning the lens lab as a counterpoint to large corporate optical entities, with a clear mission to serve independent practices.
“Our whole mission has been to keep everything independent, to sell to independent practices who want to offer independent frames, and who want to put independent lenses in the frames,” Mr Ponnusamy explained.
A Laboratory with a History
JuzVision was previously a one-man operation run by Australian optical mechanic and dispenser, Justin Baker. He established the business in Wollongong in 201l, having run a successful lab in the United Kingdom for 12 years, and witnessed the disappearance of independent opticians.
“I saw many companies with large economies of scale get the best deals from the bigger suppliers, while smaller businesses would seemingly miss out on these deals,” he observed.
Returning to Australia in 2008, Mr Baker set about finding a solution to protect local optometry practices from the same fate.
“Drawing on his past experience, he built a new lab and replicated the same robust business to business ordering system he’d built in the UK,” Mr Ponnusamy explained. “He set himself up for manufacturing lenses, particularly lenses with challenging prescriptions that larger laboratories often avoid.”
Almost 15 years on and now with the lab located in the southern Sydney suburb of Kirrawee, Mr Baker decided it was time to transfer his knowledge to a new generation of lens technicians so that he could step back and enjoy life.
“Justin had planned to slow down a bit when he opened his lab in Australia, but he is so committed to the industry that he just hasn’t stopped. He hasn’t been on a holiday for 12 years because he doesn’t want to let down his practices,” Mr Ponnusamy observed.
Drawing on his past experience, he built a new lab and replicated the same robust business to business ordering system he’d built in the UK
Specialised Service, Competitive Pricing
Throughout his long career, Mr Baker has dispensed over 1.5 million prescription lenses, and at JuzVision has established a customer base of 70 optometry practices, with 20 using the lab for all their lens requirements.
Mr Ponnusamy and Mr Clyke plan to double this client base in the coming year, by expanding interstate while maintaining the focus on independent practices and handling complex lens orders.
“Our state-of-the-art production facility has capacity for 10,000 plus jobs per day; we have the technology to remote trace frames, cut prescription lenses, and fit them to clients’ frames. And while we sell all lenses, we also specialise in lenses that most labs won’t do,” Mr Clyke said. “We can cost-effectively produce high-plus and high-minus prescriptions, intricate lens designs, specialised fittings, and coatings that larger corporations might find less profitable.”
Mr Clyke said the lens lab operates on a 24-hour schedule, seven days a week to provide quick turnaround time – from one week for single-vision lenses to two weeks for progressives.
The business partners are currently training up new staff to support Mr Baker and Mr Ponnusamy said there has been strong interest in the roles on offer. “People enjoy the family feel of our small business, our flexibility, and collaborative environment. They want to feel valued and want to feel a sense of community,” he said.
