ABB OPTICAL GROUP
ABB Optical Group is a US wholesale distributor of contact lenses and optical lab services, serving nearly two-thirds of American eye care practitioners through three divisions: ABB Contact Lens, ABB Labs, and ABB Business Solutions practice-management software.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersCoral Springs, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ABB OPTICAL GROUP does
ABB Optical Group is a US-based wholesale distributor and services platform serving eye care practitioners (ECPs), founded in 1989 by Angel Alvarez and headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida. The company operates three divisions: ABB Contact Lens (wholesale distribution of soft and specialty contact lenses from all major manufacturers — Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Menicon, Unilens, Westcon — with the largest US soft contact lens inventory and same-day shipping); ABB Labs (an independent optical lab network of six facilities including the Digital Eye Lab Network and a 42,000-square-foot Erlanger, KY site producing 2,500–3,000 fabrication jobs per day, with in-house manufacturing of Rose K, Ascend, DELTA Scleral, Neurolens, and Sequel); and ABB Business Solutions (practice-management software including ABB Verify Messaging, ABB Analyze, ABB OneBill, and ABB Digital Price Monitor, supported by the Abby direct-to-patient ordering platform and the Glimpse Live 'push' informatics service). ABB claims to serve nearly two-thirds of US ECPs and operates the One Warehouse model providing two-day ground service to 60% of the US population.
The business model is wholesale B2B distribution with monthly billing terms, complemented by transaction-based lab fabrication revenue and a growing recurring SaaS/analytics layer through ABB Business Solutions. ABB reaches customers via direct sales/account management, the Abby e-commerce platform, industry events (Vision Expo West), and a content ecosystem including the Dede Talks podcast, Scleral Lens Bootcamps, and Wetlabs. The company has been PE-backed by New Mountain Capital since a 2012 recapitalization that coincided with the merger of ABB Concise and Optical Distributor Group (ODG), and has subsequently acquired Diversified Ophthalmics, MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics, and Glimpse Live to expand lab capacity, geographic reach, and data/analytics capabilities. ABB reports revenue of over $1 billion (2015 milestone), 1,001–5,000 employees, and a customer satisfaction rate of 92% with 9-in-10 customers indicating 12-month retention intent.
ABB OPTICAL GROUP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ABB OPTICAL GROUP
- Legal name
- ABB/Con-Cise Optical Group LLC
- Website
- https://abboptical.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- ABB Optical Group is a US wholesale distributor of contact lenses and optical lab services, serving nearly two-thirds of American eye care practitioners through three divisions: ABB Contact Lens, ABB Labs, and ABB Business Solutions practice-management software.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ABB OPTICAL GROUP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Optical Distribution
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (423460), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)
Keywords
Where ABB OPTICAL GROUP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coral Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
ABB OPTICAL GROUP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contact Lens Distribution: ABB operates as an authorized distributor of all major soft contact lens manufacturers including Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, X-Cel, Menicon, Unilens, and Westcon. The company offers the largest inventory of soft contact lenses in the US with same-day shipping capability.
- Optical Lab Services: ABB Labs provides optical lens fabrication services including custom lenses, specialty vision products, and digital freeform lens manufacturing through their nationwide lab network.
- Specialty Vision Products: Custom soft and gas permeable contact lenses for keratoconus, irregular corneas, and specialty applications. Includes products like Rose K lenses, scleral lenses, orthokeratology lenses, and hybrid lenses.
- ABB Business Solutions Technology: Technology platforms including ABB Verify Messaging, ABB Analyze, ABB OneBill, and ABB Digital Price Monitor to support practice operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Wholesale pricing for eye care practitioners |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ABB Optical Group is the nation's leading wholesale distributor of optical products serving eye care professionals. The company distributes soft contact lenses from all major manufacturers, fabricates specialty lenses and ophthalmic lenses through its independent lab network, and provides practice management technology solutions. ABB operates through three divisions: ABB Contact Lens (wholesale distribution), ABB Labs (lens fabrication), and ABB Business Solutions (practice technology tools).
Product overview
ABB Optical Group operates as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture serving the optical industry with three core pillars: ABB Contact Lens (wholesale distribution of soft and specialty contact lenses with the largest US inventory), ABB Labs (independent optical laboratory network with in-house fabrication of specialty lenses), and ABB Business Solutions (practice technology tools including ABB Verify, ABB Analyze, ABB Digital Price Monitor, and ABB OneBill). The company distributes contact lenses from all major manufacturers (Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, Vision Care, X-Cel, Menicon, Unilens, Westcon), manufactures specialty vision products including ROSE K, Delta Scleral, Ascend, Neurolens, and Sequel lenses, and provides practice solutions through its Abby e-commerce platform, ABB Specialty Vision Products consulting services, and comprehensive lab services. The company serves nearly two-thirds of eye care practitioners nationwide through nationwide distribution centers and maintains an ECP Portal for business-to-business online purchasing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ABB Contact Lens: Contact lens distribution division offering widest portfolio and inventory of contact lenses and specialty vision products.
- ABB Labs
- ABB Business Solutions
- Digital Eye Lab
- Primary Eyecare Network
- Abby
- TRU Returns Program
Products and services
- ABB Contact Lens Wholesale distribution of soft and specialty contact lenses offering the widest portfolio and inventory from all major manufacturers (Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, X-Cel, Menicon, Unilens, Westcon). Serves nearly two-thirds of eye care practitioners nationwide with same-day shipping capability.
- ABB Labs
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% customer satisfaction rate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ABB OPTICAL GROUP
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature7 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Optical Distributor Group (ODG)majorODG, a leading contact lens distributor based in Hawthorne, NY, merged with ABB Concise in 2012 to form ABB Optical Group. The merger established Digital Eye Lab as a division of ABB.
- CON-CISE Contact Lens CompanymajorABB Optical and CON-CISE Contact Lens Company, an Alameda, California-based distributor and gas permeable lens manufacturer founded in 1959, merged in 2007 to form ABB CONCISE.
- AlconcoreAuthorized distributor of Alcon contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- CooperVisioncoreAuthorized distributor of CooperVision contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- Bausch + LombcoreAuthorized distributor of Bausch + Lomb contact lens products. ABB also manufactures Bausch + Lomb's KeraSoft IC silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision CarecoreAuthorized distributor of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- X-Cel ContactscoreABB acquired the soft contact lens distribution business of X-Cel Contacts (a Walman Company) in 2010, expanding distribution capabilities.
- MeniconcoreAuthorized distributor of Menicon contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- UnilenscoreAuthorized distributor of Unilens contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- WestconcoreAuthorized distributor of Westcon contact lens products, offering the same promotions, diagnostic ratios, and product warranties as the manufacturer.
- Rose KcoreABB became authorized manufacturer of Rose K's full line of keratoconus lenses in 2013, after being a distributor for over 15 years. Produces Rose K lenses from Kansas City lab with 2-day turnaround.
- VSP Optics GroupcoreABB Labs is a VSP Enabled laboratory fabricating Unity lens designs and coatings in-house. Digital Eye Lab Network won VSP's Unity Independent Lab of the Year award in 2016.
- Optometry Giving SightminorABB donates ophthalmic lenses and funds to Optometry Giving Sight, a global fundraising initiative targeting prevention of blindness and impaired vision.
- American Red CrossminorABB supports the American Red Cross through corporate giving and employee volunteer programs.
- American Cancer SocietyminorABB supports the American Cancer Society through corporate donations and fundraising initiatives.
- United WayminorABB supports United Way through corporate giving and annual fundraising initiatives.
- Eye Care for KidsminorABB donates ophthalmic lenses to Eye Care for Kids, a nonprofit providing vision care to children in need.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- EssilorLuxottica: EssilorLuxottica is the world's largest eyewear and lens company and operates the largest vertically integrated optical wholesale and retail platform — providing overlapping lens/lab capabilities while also competing with ABB through owned retail brands.
- Bausch + Lomb: Bausch + Lomb is one of ABB's largest manufacturer partners for contact lenses but also operates a broader vision care franchise including surgical and consumer eye health — making it a comparable incumbent with overlapping distribution channels to ECPs.
- CooperVision: CooperVision is one of ABB's principal manufacturer partners and a top global contact lens maker; it operates its own direct sales to ECPs and is structurally comparable to ABB as a large ECP-facing optical products company.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision: J&J Vision is a key ABB supply partner for contact lenses and a global vision care manufacturer with direct relationships to ECPs; its branded portfolios and ACUVUE products form the bulk of the contact lens market ABB distributes into.
- National Vision Holdings: National Vision operates America's largest optical retail platform (America's Best, Eyeglass World) and is a major consumer of optical lab and lens products, comparable to ABB as a large-scale buyer and seller in the US optical supply chain.
Regional players
- Safilo Group: Safilo is a global eyewear manufacturer and wholesaler with strong European and Americas wholesale distribution to ECPs, operating a comparable B2B optical products model though with a more internationally tilted footprint.
Direct peers
- Carl Zeiss Vision: Carl Zeiss Vision develops, manufactures, and distributes precision ophthalmic lenses and lab solutions to ECPs worldwide, overlapping directly with ABB Labs in freeform lens fabrication and premium lens distribution.
- Walman Optical: Walman Optical is one of the largest US wholesale optical laboratories and distributors serving independent eye care practitioners with lenses, lab services, and optical products — directly comparable to ABB Labs across lab and distribution services.
- Hoya Vision Care: Hoya manufactures and distributes ophthalmic lenses and operates a wholesale lab network serving ECPs in the Americas, directly comparable to ABB's combination of lens fabrication and B2B distribution to independent practices.
Emerging players
- 1-800 Contacts: 1-800 Contacts is a leading direct-to-consumer online contact lens retailer; while a different model, it competes for the same end-patient reorders that flow through ABB's ECP customers, making it a strategically significant emerging competitor for patient capture.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ABB OPTICAL GROUP social profiles
Digital presenceABB OPTICAL GROUP compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ABB OPTICAL GROUP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
ABB OPTICAL GROUP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ABB OPTICAL GROUP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ABB OPTICAL GROUP
What does ABB OPTICAL GROUP do?
ABB Optical Group is the nation's leading wholesale distributor of optical products serving eye care professionals. The company distributes soft contact lenses from all major manufacturers, fabricates specialty lenses and ophthalmic lenses through its independent lab network, and provides practice management technology solutions. ABB operates through three divisions: ABB Contact Lens (wholesale distribution), ABB Labs (lens fabrication), and ABB Business Solutions (practice technology tools).
Is ABB OPTICAL GROUP a public or private company?
ABB OPTICAL GROUP is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was ABB OPTICAL GROUP founded?
ABB OPTICAL GROUP was founded in 1989. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is ABB OPTICAL GROUP based?
ABB OPTICAL GROUP is headquartered in Coral Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does ABB OPTICAL GROUP make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Contact Lens Distribution is the primary driver. The others are optical Lab Services, specialty Vision Products and ABB Business Solutions Technology.
Who are ABB OPTICAL GROUP's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are EssilorLuxottica, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Johnson & Johnson Vision and National Vision Holdings. Safilo Group is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Carl Zeiss Vision, Walman Optical and Hoya Vision Care. 1-800 Contacts is listed as an emerging player.
Does ABB OPTICAL GROUP have an API?
No public API is recorded for ABB OPTICAL GROUP.
What industry is ABB OPTICAL GROUP in?
ABB OPTICAL GROUP's product category is Wholesale Optical Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAL, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses). Its NAICS code is 42346 and its SIC code is 3851.