Having a pulse on the latest technological advancements in the optical industry has been key to the success of ABB Optical Group, a national provider of products, services and business solutions for the eyecare sector. This year marks the Coral Springs, Fla. company’s 35th anniversary, an event that showcases a history of innovation and service.





Launched in 1989, ABB Optical Group was founded by Angel Alvarez, a former sales representative for Vision Service Plan and later a senior sales representative for CibaVision. Driven to expand the services and products options available to customers, Alvarez purchased Co-Optics Distribution and formed Alvaco Trading Company, changing the name to ABB Optical a year later.

Over the past 35 years, ABB has expanded operations multiple times through mergers and acquisitions and now operates four distinct divisions; ABB Contact Lens, ABB Labs, ABB Business Solutions and Abby with nine offices/labs across the country.

The company remains focused on providing leading edge technology and customer-focused service as it enters a fourth decade of operation. This is something Alvarez said has been a part of the company’s mandate since the beginning.



Angel Alvarez



“For 35 years, our commitment has been to help eyecare professionals attract and keep patients, improve efficiencies and increase profitability. We win when they win. When they lose a patient, we lose a patient. It has always been central,” he said in an interview featured in the company’s in-house publication, The Profit Advisor. “One of our proudest achievements is helping independent practitioners, who represent 70 percent of the eye exam business, leverage the collective volume of thousands of IECPs (independent ECPs) to stay competitive.”





He added that ABB remains uniquely positioned to adapt quickly and be independent, thanks to a heavy investment in technology and the company’s commitment to the success of IECPs.

“Our impartial and interconnected approach allows us to deliver what’s best for the customer. We have always believed that when the IECPs gain business, we gain business,” he said.


Into the Field
To take the pulse of how their customers are being affected by changes within the industry, earlier this year CEO Daniel Liberman joined members of the company’s field team on the road to have discussions with customers and staff about the challenges practices are facing today.

“As an independent service provider to eyecare professionals, we see our role as empowering ECPs by enhancing their efficiency and supporting their growth while reducing staff workload,” Liberman said, adding that one area the company does this is through its ABB Business Solutions, a suite of innovative technology tools designed specifically for eyecare practices. “Our solutions include offerings like ABB Verify, ABB Analyze and Abby, all of which empower ECPs with solutions that simplify processes, enhance decision-making and strengthen doctor-patient relationships.”



Daniel Liberman



Through these resources, Liberman said ABB Optical Group can see clear applications for AI to enhance and accelerate their ability to help ECPs save time and spend more time with patients.

Ensuring they are offering the right solutions, meanwhile, means utilizing what he describes as a robust team to serve as an extension of the practice’s staff and give them more time back in their day. To do this, he said the ECPs work closely with a dedicated ABB optical sales consultant.

“Those that purchase services like ABB Labs, ABB Business Solutions or ABB Specialty Vision products will have additional support members helping them every step of the way. For instance, our lab account managers and lab account advisors partner with our customers to help grow their optical business, and ABB’s specialty contact lens fit team also ensures our customers can provide the best fit for every specialty contact lens patient,” he said.





Liberman added that the company focuses on the importance of partnership, with the goal of fully understanding each ECP’s needs and how the company can help them grow.

“Each quarter, we prepare a Business Review for our customers, so each customer has a full picture of how their practice is performing,” he said. Utlilizing tools like this are how ABB is helping independents stay independent. “As an independent services and solutions company, we believe that eyecare professionals should have the freedom to run their practice and use the products that suit them and their patients best, and ABB is here to make that happen. ABB does not own retail, so we only succeed when we help our customers succeed.”

Liberman noted the company offers objective advice paired with a broad contact lens and ophthalmic lens product portfolio, providing customers with a wide range of choices to best serve their patients.

“We provide solutions that enhance practice efficiency and growth. The power of independence really lies in the power of having a choice,” he added.


Industry Legacy and Investment in the Future
Liberman said ABB will continue to stay true to its legacy of leading the industry with innovative services and solutions that focus on future growth for the eyecare professionals they serve. He said the company continues to invest in a distribution and manufacturing network to keep the highest service levels in the industry and increase capacity and product offerings.

“As the leading independent provider of services and solutions to ECPs, ABB is the largest and fastest-growing independent optical lab network,” Liberman said. “We provide industry-leading service and in a recent independent survey, 92 percent of ECPs said they were ‘highly satisfied with ABB,’ the highest rating of any lab network. ABB continues to also be the largest distributor of soft and specialty contact lenses and an industry leader of services and technology solutions to help our ECP customers grow their practice by enabling them to focus on what matters most—patient care,” he said.