Darren T. Horndasch joined Wisconsin Vision with a managed vision care background in 2000 to help grow the business.

 
 
 

Wisconsin Vision caters to a high percentage of managed care patients and union members through 23 locations throughout the state.

 
 
 

The company's six Indiana and Illinois stores are named Heartland Vision.

 
 
 

Seven Eye Boutiques in Chicago are operated by three additional doctor owners.

NEW BERLIN, Wis.—With its business built serving organized labor, Wisconsin Vision already had its eyes on acquiring a practice that catered to the United Auto Workers (UAW) when that practice unexpectedly came up for auction earlier this year. Wisconsin Vision won the bid on that Optiview Vision location situated directly on UAW property in Indianapolis, and on another Optiview in Anderson, Ind. Add to that a new location the optical group is opening in January in downtown Milwaukee, and suddenly the company will have grown by three new stores within a few short months.

With a solid foundation serving union employees based on a high percentage of patients who use managed vision care, Wisconsin Vision is taking steps toward future growth by establishing recognition for its brands and adding new locations as it moves forward.

Wisconsin Vision got its start in 1978 when some forward-thinking individuals got together to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the UAW offering vision benefits. That led to also providing care for covered members of other unions such as the Teamsters and carpenter and electrician locals. Following the thinking that it would be best to serve union labor with union members, Wisconsin Vision's own employees became and remain members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

"The company walked the walk and talked the talk to give compelling reasons for unions to endorse and recommend us," said Darren T. Horndasch, Wisconsin Vision's president and CEO, describing how the company was built by caring for members of the UAW and other unions. "As the company grew and expanded, we sought endorsements from other organized labor groups," he said, acknowledging that it didn't hurt that the glasses were made by organized labor as well.

However, with the state eliminating collective bargaining for the public sector a few years ago and other forces, such as an economic downturn, already having an impact, organized labor has been declining over the years. Still, "those patients continue to see us because we've developed long-term relationships over the years, and we're in every managed care plan," said Horndasch, whose own background is in managed vision care, working in the C-suite for health insurance companies in Wisconsin before he started with Wisconsin Vision in 2000 to help grow the business. He estimated that about 70 percent of the company's business is managed care and about 40 percent of that remains organized labor.

"We maintain our respect for all of our union and managed vision care business as it continues to provide for us, and our account managers continue to keep those relationships, all while branching out by enhancing those efforts with additional retail marketing," said Horndasch.

Among those additional marketing efforts was the creation of a high profile line of eyewear around American Idol celebrity Danny Gokey, which Wisconsin Vision launched in 2008 and is now being distributed by Match Eyewear. Gokey came in third on the eighth season of American Idol when the line launched in 2009. Wisconsin Vision leveraged his fame to increase its brand awareness with an entire rebranding effort that involved public relations and ad agencies that led to television advertising and social media posts. "Things we hadn't done in the past," explained Horndasch. "He helped bring a lot of recognition to our brand."

In addition to 23 Wisconsin Vision stores, the company also operates six Heartland Vision locations in Indiana and Illinois. The George family remains the principal owner. Dr. Konstantine George, an orthopedic surgeon, is one of the founders, and one of his sons, Paul, is chairman.

Another son, Andy, is vice president in charge of the company's optical lab, LBC Optics, which is fully digitized with Satisloh surfacing equipment and operates its own Zeiss anti-reflective facility and MEI robotic edging. A related company, with the same ownership plus three additional doctor owners, operates seven Eye Boutique locations in Chicago, which were acquired in 2008.

jsailer@jobson.com