Essilor of America, Essilor International's US subsidiary, has strengthened its prescription laboratory network in the United States with the acquisition of Interstate Optical Co., one of the country's five largest independent laboratories. Interstate's two laboratories in Mansfield, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana serve eye care professionals in 32 states. The company has full-year sales of $26 million and 210 employees.

Present for more than 20 years in Brazil through a distribution subsidiary, one plant and five lens treatment centres, Essilor has made its first local acquisition in line with its downstream integration policy with an equity investment in Unilab, a prescription laboratory in northeastern Brazil. Essilor will gradually increase its share in Unilab to 51% by early 2011.

Unilab generates full-year sales of approximately $5 million and distributes Essilor products, including the Varilux range.

Both Interstate and Unilab will continue to be headed by their current management teams, an Essilor press release stated.

Essilor International is the world leader in ophthalmic optical products, offering a wide range of lenses under the flagship Varilux, Crizal, Essilor and Definity brands to correct myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism. Essilor operates worldwide through 15 production sites, 244 lens finishing laboratories and local distribution networks.