Victorian lens manufacturer CR Labs has been at the forefront of independent Australian optometry for more than 45 years. Today, it describes itself as Australia’s largest manufacturing lens laboratory producing premium ophthalmic lenses with industry-leading turnaround times.
Growing up, CR Labs’ (CR) CEO Mr Adam Fletcher’s free time was spent in the Melbourne-based lens manufacturing lab that his father built from the ground up. It was here that he developed and nurtured his passion for optics and helped his father cement values that still resonate throughout the company today.
“Dad was a stickler for quality and service,” he says.
Although his career path was decided for him, Fletcher wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s now in charge of the lab that his father established almost five decades ago, working to maintain and evolve the hallmarks that have made it a go-to lens supplier for independent optometry practices.
Today, CR is well-known for its innovative, high-quality lens production, original designs and customer service. The company completes approximately 1,200 jobs per day and provides customers with what it describes as market-leading turnover rate of four to six days for a complete job.
CR employs a tight-knit team of 53 people, with some of them having been with the business since the very beginning. Mr Dunston Shepherd – Fletcher’s high-school friend – would work alongside him at the lab after school and during the holidays. He now is the COO. Current production manager, Mr Brett Butler, taught Fletcher much of the craft during his early days. And the family legacy will endure with Fletcher’s son, Cooper, now part of the team.
“Dad always said, you’ve got to make sure that you’re surrounded by good people, and we have the best people here at CR,” Fletcher says.
Lab operations
CR considers itself a pioneer in the Australian lens market, providing independents with the opportunity to shine with the highest quality of lenses suited to all frame types, and an efficient service.
“The knowledge that we have here is nearly 1,000 years old,” Fletcher explains.
“You can’t buy optical knowledge, and from a laboratory perspective, we’re extremely proactive in training people to work with the latest processes. CR continues to make significant investments in new technologies and capacities. Our offering is truly world-class.”
This wealth of knowledge was born out of a small lab in South Yarra in 1976, the year that the business started. CR quickly outgrew this location, and the next one at Surrey Hills, then the one after that in Nunawading. The current location in Dandenong South has been home to the company’s operations for seven years. Although it boasts half an acre of lab space, there is still much scope for future growth.
Fletcher himself began working full-time as an apprentice in Optical Surfacing and Fitting at RMIT University in 1989. Despite being the boss’ son, there was no favouritism. He has completed, in his own words, “the longest apprenticeship”, gaining extensive experience working in every department.
Back in the early days, a lot of the work was performed by hand, and Fletcher was able to refine the craft and gain expertise in manual production, before moving into quality control – arguably the most important aspect of the operations. He became managing director in 2002, and in 2022 he became CEO. Nowadays, the team are still likely to find him working alongside them at various stations.
“I say you can have any title on your business card, as long as you live up to the expectation that comes with that. Our laboratory is extremely busy, so whenever there’s a need, I can fill any spot. I will never truly be ‘off the tools’ as I want to keep learning and understand what my people do on a day-to-day basis, and support them through the challenges they face,” Fletcher says.
“If you remove yourself from the day-to-day operations, I believe that you remove yourself from the company.”
He says the growth of CR can be attributed to its reliable service and quality, and the team’s “can-do attitude”. But above all, it’s an unwavering commitment to Australian independent optometry and local manufacturing.
Not only does the company provide locally manufactured products and thus quick turnaround times, but it continues to develop innovative customer solutions through its extensive product portfolio.
It’s all made possible through substantial investments in machinery sourced from the best manufacturers across the world. No expense is spared, with approximately $3 million invested last year in the latest technologies and machinery.
“In traditional labs, you would run the equipment until it stops working. Whereas with the technology we’re dealing with today, we ensure that we replace it at least every five years to stay at the forefront of lens manufacturing,” Fletcher says.
Being a local, privately owned company means CR can be agile and responsive to local industry trends. The company considers itself a trailblazer in many respects. Historical examples, according to Fletcher, include Australia’s first locally produced lenses from plastic and polycarbonate, as well as the country’s first lens coating machinery.
“With the technologies we’re offering now, we’re still working as a company of firsts. If our multinational competitors want to change something, they have to be able to roll out that change globally, whereas we only have to change it for Australia, so we can respond much more rapidly to local customer demand,” he says.
Like the rest of the industry, transitioning from cast to freeform technology has also revolutionised CR’s foothold in the market.
“Freeform technology and automation for laboratories was the equivalent of the Benjamin Franklin bifocal,” Fletcher says.
“It has provided massive opportunities to tailor solutions, but it also gives businesses like ours the opportunity to create our flavour on things. When we look at the automation and processes we have in place, I am extremely proud. Our lab is the most advanced of its kind in the world as far as technology is concerned, and it means the products we offer are up with the key global innovators in the industry.”
Focus on product
Fletcher says the goal of CR’s product range is to provide independents with a point of difference. At the pinnacle of CR’s portfolio is the Australis family of lenses, which are tailored to suit patients’ lifestyles and preferences.
One key differentiator is its Australis VR technology, adopting virtual reality that Fletcher says can produce truly a personalised lens.
“Progressive multifocal lenses are biased to lifestyle, whether it’s occupational, reading, or distance,” he says. “Whereas the VR starts with a blank canvas, so it is truly a tailored product.”
CR’s lens design for children within the Australis range is described as the first progressive lens designed specifically for children. This lens provides a unique solution for children with accommodative convergence excess and is designed to support their movements and behavioural norms.
Other developments in the paediatric space include the recently launched MyoME lens that utilises new Myo-Freeform Technology, clinically proven to slow down the rate of myopia progression in children.
Elsewhere, the company’s Shaw Lens incorporates the knowledge and physics of optics to create a lens that minimises distortions caused by conventional eyeglasses, providing clear and binocular vision.
In 2022, CR was also chosen as the Australian lab partner for the US-developed Avulux Lens which has been clinically proven to manage patients with light sensitivity and migraines.
Fletcher says Avulux has garnered positive feedback among optometry prescribers and patients.
“We’ve helped people to see, but never been able to change lives in this way,” he says.
For CR, international collaborations like this require an assessment of its suitability to the Australian market. As a local manufacturer, the company understands what Australians require, and can redefine internationally designed lenses for Australian patients.
“It’s only through our experience and what we’ve gained in optics that we can actually achieve that for patients,” Fletcher says.
New frontiers
While CR remains committed to its core business, the company also recognises the need to evolve.
That’s why – for the first time – the company has recruited optometrist Ms Fiona Om in a professional services capacity, with a second optometrist to join soon. In addition to delivering educational content to customers, Om also gathers market feedback so that CR can look at manufacturing through an optometry lens and determine future trends.
Additionally, the company has established a partnership with frame supplier Safilo to provide ‘a complete pair’ for practices in a single order, helping them remain commercially competitive. The new ‘Full Circle Program’ eliminates the need for practices to send a patient’s desired frame to the lab. Instead, the frame is selected through online ordering with the prescription.
CR currently offers Carrera, Privé Revaux and Kate Spade brands, with four more ranges coming soon. The company holds all the necessary stock of the frames to complete the order, effectively reducing freight costs and significantly improving delivery times.
“From a practice perspective, the frame and the lens also come under the one bill, so it’s convenient for accounting purposes too,” Fletcher says.
“When we look at what’s happening around the world, this is the way forward for lens labs and frames suppliers that is not only environmentally responsible but contributes by lowering the overall costs, providing significant savings and better margins.”
Further assessing the future of CR, Fletcher says the biggest challenge is supporting a market that has gone from 80% to 27% ‘true independent’ during his career.
“We want to be more involved and have a voice in that independent space. We want to support and grow independents,” he says.
“With that in mind, we are working very hard with our customers to make sure they’re not only viable but that we have the same long-term objectives for independent optometry.”
He adds: “With the young optometrists, we can especially make a difference by showing them the massive opportunity for greenfield sites. When you get the look right, along with the right support in sales, service, quality and turnaround times – all those things make a difference in the market.”
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