About Western Optical Supply

“Thank you for calling Western Optical Supply.  This is Joshua…”

For over thirty years I have written the welcome message for our catalogue regaling the attributes of Western Optical Supply. 

This year, I would like to share the historical perspective that drives the Western Optical brand.  In 1970, I worked as assistant to Dr. Ezra Novak, founder of Novamatic Systems.  This manufacturing corporation taught me that only quality products guaranteed long term customer satisfaction.  Every product we made was durable as well as economical.

Novamatic Systems distributed the first diamond wheel edger made in the USA by Lemay Corporation, under the leadership of Emil Santinelli.  The Lemay Robot literally brought edging out of the stone ages.  Edging lenses went from a 45+ minute process to 90 seconds.  Mr. Santinelli hired me to oversee their California office, spearhead the marketing campaign and write technical manuals.  Lemay produced almost every component of their machines, which included manufacturing their own diamond wheels.  Experiencing the process from concept to finished product was inspiring.  If you can think it, you can make it.

Before the days of 800 numbers and convenient delivery services, I started Western Optical Supply as a West Coast distributor of bench products.  We had several thousand clients, the majority of whom I knew personally.  But as a distributor, I understood that we would always be subject to the whims of a manufacturer.  The desire to control quality, supply and innovation drove me to start manufacturing.

My opportunity arrived when Western Optical Supply acquired a company called, Optigraphics.  Ahead of its time in designing and fabricating unique eyewear displays, the Optigraphics line ranged from small displays for single frames to large freestanding pieces of solid walnut furniture.

We took the line and expanded the designs to provide displays throughout the U.S.A.  Today, that lineage extends to our Western-Eyes and Successories line of eyewear displays and dispensing room accessories.

During this period in early 1970, I had the privilege of associating with men who loved and honored the craft of the optician.  They came from the “old school” where you would apprentice to acquire skills.  Gerd Oppenheim (founder Optical Machinery International), Roy Marks (consultant) and Marty Topaz (publisher Optical Index) were particularly significant.

These men instilled me with the conviction that your product must enhance and supplement the skills of the optician and the quality of a product was a direct reflection of your personal integrity.

None of them put walls between themselves and their clients.  They, personally, attended trade shows and directly answered the phone.  Their behavior strongly influenced my decision to remain in constant communication with you, providing personal attention.

In a world of impersonal customer service and detached corporate managers, I encourage your suggestions so that Western can continue to provide innovative products that address your personal needs.  This is another reason why, a decade ago, we invested in our own factory in Sialkot, Pakistan. 

While our competitors use a variety of vendors to create a product line, Western provides you with one, reliable source bringing you labor saving tools years before our competition can offer inferior reproductions.  Overseas manufacturers ignore intellectual property rights (patents and copyrights) while low price is promoted over innovation and quality.

As a Western Optical Supply customer you have had access to a rimless compression plier (#1050 and #2034) years before it was offered by our competition.  The Universal Screw and Nut Grabber (#5070) is another amazing exclusive innovation.  The list goes back 30 years offering tools that expedite the repair and adjustment of eyewear allowing you to have more time to serve your patients.

I hope this brief overview of the influences that aided me in shaping our corporate philosophy gives you security in knowing that you can depend on a Western Optical Supply product to be quality built right for the job. 

Joshua Freilich
President and Founder