Essilor has strengthened its prescription laboratory network in Europe with the acquisition of majority stakes in Sinclair Optical Services and United Optical, two independent laboratories in the United Kingdom. The company has also acquired Premier Optics, Inc., Gold Optical Enterprises, Inc. and GK Optical in the United States.

Based in Gloucester, England, Sinclair Optical serves the entire English market with a broad array of products that includes stock lenses, prescription lenses and surface treatments. Its full-year sales amount to €8 million.

United Optical is located in Belfast, North Ireland. It also operates a subsidiary in Athlone, Ireland that specializes in the edging and mounting of prescription safety lenses. United Optical generates full-year revenue of around €5.8 million.

In the United States, Essilor of America has acquired the assets of Premier Optics, Inc. and Gold Optical Enterprises, Inc., two prescription laboratories located, respectively, in Belmont and Fayetteville, North Carolina. Essilor has also acquired GK Optical, a group of two prescription laboratories in Greenwood and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The three companies' combined full-year revenue totals $8.5 million.

Essilor is one of the leaders in corrective lenses. The company designs, manufactures and customizes corrective lenses to meet all visual requirements. Worldwide, Essilor offers lightweight, thin, strong lenses that protect eyes and restore perfect vision. The company has 550 researchers at 4 R&D centres.