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The leaders of Walman Optical’s (www.walmanoptical.com) industrial safety business, Meg Klaers, industrial safety program manager, and Jeff Marcella, industrial safety sales manager, told VM, “Rx safety eyewear is directly impacted by the economy and U.S. employment numbers. Over the last two years, we’ve seen safety eyewear surge back and now comfortably level off to pre-pandemic trends. There will always be a need for Rx safety eyewear and the need expands year after year. Consistently, we see employers extending budgets and allowed products to meet U.S. safety standards and the expectations of the U.S. workforce.”





In terms of describing how eyecare professionals’ priorities toward taking part in Rx Safety programs are changing, Klaers and Marcella noted, “Our dispensing partners are extremely valuable to us and the workforce so we don’t take independent eyecare practices for granted. We’ve prioritized developing much-needed dispensing partner resources and incentives, plus, we provide an extra level of customer care, so our partners experience the profit potential safety can bring to their practice.

“This year, more eyecare practices have proactively updated safety samples and requested they be added to our dispensing partner network. The first step is to see that safety is more than a dispensing fee; which aligns with our goal to drive business to the practice beyond just safety eyewear, with improved resources that simplify safety, grow their reach within their community and make safety worth their time.”

Walman’s safety site also offers maps and locators for employers and employees to find participating dispensers and ECPs.

When it comes to Rx Safety products, Klaers and Marcella added, “The options in safety eyewear are consistent year-over-year and the Walman Optical labs are equipped when there are advancements in lens and coatings technologies. For safety specifically, anti-fog coating and blue light protection continue to be highly sought-after vision safety options and wrap frames are more popular every year.

“But, enhancing our online resources and simplifying everything is truly what’s new at Walman Optical Safety Eyewear. Our program continually meets the needs of the workforce and that includes making the programs as easy as possible for those who are managing the programs for their employees. We keep the options simple and that helps the independent eyecare practices who partner with us as dispensing partners too.”