Our Company
Essilor is the world's leading manufacturer of spectacle lenses, pioneering the development of a range of lenses and lens coatings to cater for a myriad of eyesight problems.
Our global company is located on all 5 continents, in nearly 150 countries. The Essilor team of almost 30,000 employees work tirelessly to ensure that we create new paths in the discovery of lenses to help people see more of life.
We have dedicated teams of scientists and technicians continuing the Essilor tradition in the development of quality superior lenses. Essilor started its operations in New Zealand in 1998 and since then, has built a solid reputation as one of the leading suppliers of lenses to optical retailers around the country.
Essilor's global approach is also very local. Each market is specific. Getting closer to people allows us to understand them better, work with them better and serve them better. This is part of Essilor's commitment to all partners in the industry, patients, eyecare professionals, laboratories, wholesalers and manufactures.
Essilor History
Founded in 1849 by three makers of steel spectacle frames, the Fraternal Association of Ophthalmic Spectacle Makers - the forerunner of ESSEL - relied on a group of small Paris workshops until the end of the 1860s.
Société des Lunetiers workshop in Ligny-en-Barrois. Image kindly provided by Nicolàs de Hilster
The business developed by buying up workshops and factories whose owners then became "members" of Societe des Lunetiers. Societe des Lunetiers made and sold eyewear and optical products, compasses, precision instruments and survey equipment. In 1959, after eight years of research, Bernard Maitenaz, a young optical engineering graduate, invented Varilux, the first progressive lens ever conceived. It was a major invention in the world of opthalmic optics.
When the first agreement with Lissac was signed in 1967, more than half of ESSEL's sales were made up of frames and glass lenses, of which one third was exported. The Lissac group originated in France in between the two World Wars. In 1938, optical retailer George Lissac opened the first optician's department store in Paris. After the war, strong with his success, he became framemaker and then lens manufacturer with the launch of the Orma plastic lens (first plastic corrective lens). Following several mergers, Lissac ended up as SILOR in 1970
In 1972, ESSEL and SILOR merged and gave rise to ESSILOR. The merger started out as a financial one but spread to the sales network in 1977 and then to the product ranges. The subsidiaries and distributors were also gradually brought together.
Buy NZ Made Campaign
Essilor New Zealand works on the "think globally - act locally" principle and is committed to providing faster turn around and better support to the New Zealand market.
Learn more about Buy NZ Made Campaign
