DALLAS—Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA) announced that it is moving its Bell Optical Lab and building it out into “a state-of-the-art industrial lab” in Columbus, Ohio. The company said in a statement that the move from the lab's current facility, also in Columbus, is intended to “reduce complexity while improving turn time, customer service and quality.” The Bell Columbus lab will be the largest integrated lab in the ELOA network and will co-locate with Essilor’s largest distribution center in the U.S., according to Essilor. Employees from Bell Optical will move to the new location later this year, and the company will more than double the number of employees in Bell Columbus, Essilor said.

Employees from Bell Optical will move to the new location later this year, and the company will more than double the number of employees in Bell Columbus, Essilor said.

Bell Columbus will use the latest surfacing, coating, and finishing equipment with advanced sustainability standards to reduce waste and water usage, with faster processing. The technology “supports the company’s efforts to be environmentally friendly and support the communities that it serves,” Essilor said.

“Our lab network has a single ambition of improving lives by improving sight by serving customers, patients and consumers with the industry’s most technologically advanced products and highest service levels,” explained Christophe Leger, Essilor of America, senior vice president of operations and supply chain. “Moving Bell Columbus is the next step in our investment and vision of a truly integrated supply chain that leads the industry in delighting our customers and exceeding the expectations of their patients.”

The Columbus Bell Lab will be fully automated, with the most technologically advanced equipment and technology to deliver “rapid turnaround times and the highest quality manufacturing of lenses for both Ohio customers and customers across the U.S.,” Essilor said.

“Continuing to innovate is key to meet the needs of our customers, but also to anticipate the future demands of the highly dynamic optical market,” added Leger.

The Essilor Lab Network is the largest independent lab network in the nation, servicing large accounts to local ECPs. A company spokesperson told VMAIL that the network consists of "more than 100 labs."