BOCA RATON, Fla.—Pro Fit Optix, the Boca Raton-based lens distributor, has expanded its management team with the addition of three experienced optical professionals, according to Alan Yuster, the company’s executive vice president of operations.

Yuster said the new executives will enable Pro Fit Optix to increase its concentration on three key industry distribution channels: managed care/IPA’s, buying groups/associations, and wholesale laboratories.

Steve Brewer has been appointed executive vice president of sales and business development. He brings 34 years of optical industry experience as a senior level executive and industry consultant. Companies and clients that Brewer has worked with include Bausch & Lomb, Cooper Vision, Alcon, Essilor of America and United Healthcare. Brewer has a strong grasp of the both the challenges and opportunities that the industry faces, said Yuster.

“The expectations of vision consumers are changing. Independent ECP’s have the opportunity to be at the forefront in helping redefine patient’s expectations on the value of vision as part of a healthy lifestyle. However, if they do not act decisively, other forces in corporate healthcare will move quickly to drive their own agendas. New technology like free-form lenses offer a wonderful platform for innovation that doctors should embrace. Pro Fit is ideally positioned to bring this new technology to the market through a ‘targeted value’ development strategy.”

A former National Association of Vision Care Plans board member, Brewer will work with the vision benefits industry in developing free-form technology as a standard in covered eyewear.

Bruce Winslow has joined Pro Fit Optix as vice president of sales, independent markets. He brings more than 30 years of optical industry experience. His background includes work with Bausch & Lomb where he held a number of positions including district manager, regional director, and national director of distributor sales, and Unilens where he was vice president of sales. Winslow comes to Pro Fit Optix from Essilor Laboratories, where he has served as the strategic account manager, Eastern United States for the past eight years.

“Bruce’s years of experience dealing with distributors, buying groups, MVC and the emerging network of IPAs makes him uniquely qualified to lead Pro Fit Optix in this ECP-first model,” said Brewer.

Tom Lyon has been named national director of business development, optical laboratories. Lyon’s 40 years of industry experience includes customer service, lab and sales management. He has worked for leading manufacturing and sales companies in the industry, including Rodenstock, Serengetti, Signet Armorlite and Zyloware.

“As a former vice president of sales for Soderberg Ophthalmic Services, one of the largest independent domestic wholesale labs, Tom understands the importance of laboratories,” said Brewer. “His background in new technology, especially with free-form and progressive lenses, allows him to work closely with accounts in the strategic placement of premium products in today’s competitive optical market.”

     

Steve Brewer 

Bruce Winslow 

Tom Lyon