Essilor: Seeing the World Better

Essilor was established when Essel and Silor merged 40 years ago. The parent companies Essel and Silor were the leading optical eyewear companies in France at that time. After the merger, Essilor became the recipient of values that make up its priceless tradition: respect, mutual trust, and building on differences. These values make Essilor unique as it stays ahead of the rest in the industry with its initiatives. Essilor was successful in creating a culture of innovation. Each Essilor worker is driven with the possibility to innovate or invent for the progress of the industry of the lens. Among the possible innovations and inventions include the areas of plastic lenses, lense coatings, high-tech tools used for vision measurement, and customized solutions for vision correction. “Seeing the World Better” is the company’s mission statement. Embedded in these simple words is the desire to contribute to improve people’s eyesight. This mission statement is a result of the company’s 160-year history (including the years of its parent companies Essel and Silor). The statement drives Essilor to set the pace for the lens industry in the world. To ensure the success of the company’s mission, Essilor established a strategy for growth and development based on four pillars: continuous innovation, international expansion through acquisitions, capture the middle-range market, and increase in market size by stimulating demand. Continuous Innovation The basis for quality of its customer relationship is continuous innovations at all levels of the company. Its marketing strategies, services and products all embody the desire to innovate. International Expansion through Acquisitions Acquisitions and partnership increase the company’s market share and strengthens its networks worldwide. It has become the company’s policy to acquire companies and partner with distributors and prescription labs. Capture the Middle-Range Markets In developing countries, the people belonging to the middle class are an emerging market. With the way these markets grow in recent years, Essilor has recognized the real change in market scale when the middle-range market is captured. Increase in Market Size by Stimulating Demand Initiatives to create a demand for the products are done at the earliest stage. Essilor provides information, conducts check-ups, and makes available its supply of lens to many areas around the world, especially those with limited access to optical care.