Robertson Optical
Laboratories celebrated
its golden 50th
anniversary with many events
over the past year.
Jack Robertson founded
Robertson Optical 50 years
ago, and his sons, Richard
and Calvin, continue the business
today.
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| Calvin Robertson, left, and Richard Robertson
receive a plaque from their employees. |
Richard is the president
of the Loganville, Ga., lab
and secretary-treasurer of the
Columbia and Greenvile,
S.C., labs. Calvin is the president
of the Columbia and
Greenville labs and secretarytreasurer
of the Loganville
lab.
“The most satisfying part
about being in business for 50
years is looking back to the
beginning of our company,”
said Calvin. “My father, Jack
Robertson, called me by
phone and asked ‘Calvin, do
you want to join me in opening
our new company,
Robertson Optical
Laboratories, Inc. in Atlanta,
Georgia?’”
The family has experi enced lots of change in the
optical business over the
course of 50 years.
“When I started in the
optical industry, the only
material available was glass,
and the grinding process was
very labor intensive,” said
Richard Robertson.
“We used the roughing
pan to grind lenses. This was
a process where we manually
placed rough emery on a
sphere tool while holding the
blocked lens in our hands and
rocked it back and forth until
the desired cylinder is in the
curve of the lens. Today, the
computer generator grinds
these automatically,” Richard
said.
Richard also noted that
materials have evolved during
his time in the industry.
“No one had heard of
materials such as CR-39™,
polycarbonate and Trivex,”
said Richard. “And antireflective
coating and progressive
lenses did not exist
as they do today.”
“The optical industry has
changed from manually fabricating
lenses to increased
automation of today’s equipment,”
said Calvin. “The
quality of lenses produced
today is far superior. I must
ask the question, ‘Can future
machinery and equipment
produce any better quality
than today?’ And my answer
is I can see this happening
year after year for future generations.”
The Robertson brothers
said they are very satisfied
with what they have accomplished
with their company.
“When I think about how
many lives we have improved
by helping people see better,
it is staggering to me. It gives
me great joy,” said Richard.
“Watching our employees
grow with the company and
pleasing our customers has
been a very important and
satisfying part of the last 50
years. I have always said,
‘Without customers and
employees, one would not
have a company.’”
“The other thrill of the
50-year period is the friendships
developed with our
wonderful employees, business
partners, the three O’s
and manufacturers,” said
Calvin.
Robertson Optical serves
the United States from its
three locations in Georgia and
South Carolina.
In 2008, Robertson
Optical was ranked ninth in
prescription sales and jobs
per day of all independent
wholesale labs in the nation,
according to Vision Monday.
Neither of the
Robertsons has any plans for
retirement.
“I am having too much
fun now to retire and want to
continue doing all I can to
help eye care professionals
and their patients, as well as
our employees,” said Richard.
“I plan to retire when I
die unless the unknown happens
sooner,” said Calvin.
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