Eye Care Associates
Eye Care Associates is a privately held North Carolina optometry chain operating 25 retail locations across Central and Eastern NC, delivering eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses to general consumers, athletes, children, and adults over 40.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Eye Care Associates does
Eye Care Associates is a privately held, founder-led optometry and optical retail chain headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 1978 by Dr. Stephen Bolick. The company operates 25 physical retail locations across Central and Eastern North Carolina — spanning Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Wilmington, Chapel Hill and 11 other markets — staffed by 35+ professional optometrists and optical consultants. Its core services are comprehensive eye examinations (pediatric, adult, sports vision, and age-related) and the dispensing of prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and sunglasses, with 40+ designer brands carried at each location and Zeiss precision lens technology (C.O.R.E., EyeFit, i.Scription coatings) as a technology differentiator.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model across its retail storefronts, with both walk-in and appointment-based patient flow. Revenue is generated from professional service fees (eye exams, contact lens evaluations, treatment of conditions such as cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease), one-time eyewear and contact lens sales, and ancillary income from an exclusive in-house annual subscription plan called the Visionary Value Insurance Plan that offers discounts to uninsured patients. Specialty service lines — pediatric eye care, sports vision (anchored by founder Dr. Bolick's Olympic background), and over-40 vision care — are packaged as distinct product pages and supported by partnerships with the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Durham Bulls (minor league baseball), and Raleigh Youth Hockey Association.
The company is independently operated with no disclosed institutional ownership, parent entity, or M&A history. Distribution is exclusively physical retail within a single U.S. state; community involvement (notably the Gift of Vision one-for-one donation partnership with RestoringVision) functions as a marketing channel and brand-building asset rather than a revenue stream. HIPAA compliance is self-attested. No AI/ML capabilities, mobile application, public API, or external software integrations are disclosed.
Eye Care Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eye Care Associates
- Legal name
- Eye Care Associates
- Website
- https://eyecareassociatesnc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Eye Care Associates is a privately held North Carolina optometry chain operating 25 retail locations across Central and Eastern NC, delivering eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses to general consumers, athletes, children, and adults over 40.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eye Care Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Retail and Optometry Services
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Offices of Optometrists (62132)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)
Keywords
Where Eye Care Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Eye Care Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Eye Exams and Vision Care Services: Comprehensive eye examinations for individuals of any age, contact lens evaluations, and treatment of eye conditions including cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, red eyes/eye allergies, and diabetes/high blood pressure related conditions
- Eyewear Sales (Glasses and Sunglasses): Sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and frames from top brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Michael Kors, Guess, Tiffany & Co., Oakley, Coach, and many others. One-time purchase model with optional Visionary Value insurance plan for discounts
- Contact Lens Sales and Evaluations: Contact lens evaluations providing clear, comfortable vision solutions at affordable prices with contact lens product sales
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Visionary Value Insurance Plan - Discount program for uninsured patients |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Eye Care Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eye Care Associates operates 25 retail optical locations across Central and Eastern North Carolina, delivering comprehensive eye examinations, prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses to individuals and families. The company combines professional optometric services (including pediatric, adult over-40, and sports vision care) with retail eyewear sales across 40+ designer brands, anchored by Zeiss precision lens technology.
Product overview
Eye Care Associates operates as a regional optical retail chain offering a unified vision care platform centered on comprehensive eye examinations and prescription eyewear. The core offering combines eye exams (pediatric, adult, sports vision, and over-40 specialized care) with an extensive portfolio of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. The product line includes proprietary insurance plans (Visionary Value Insurance Plan, Eyewear Value Packages) and premium lens technology (Zeiss Precision Lenses with C.O.R.E., EyeFit, and i.Scription technologies). The company carries over 40 eyewear brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Guess, Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co., and Coach across 25 North Carolina locations. Services range from basic eye care to specialized sports vision training and pediatric eye care.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Visionary Value: An exclusive insurance plan offering discounts on eye care services and eyewear products.
Products and services
- Eye Exams Comprehensive eye examinations for individuals of any age, including pediatric exams, adult over-40 exams, and specialized sports vision tests. Diagnosis and treatment of common eye problems including cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, red eyes/eye allergies, and diabetes/high blood pressure related conditions.
- Prescription Eyeglasses Fashion-forward and timeless eyewear including glasses and prescription sunglasses from top designer brands.
- Contact Lenses Contact lens evaluations and fittings providing clear, comfortable vision solutions at affordable prices, including options for both reading and distance vision correction.
- Pediatric Eye Care Specialized pediatric eye exams and a variety of name-brand eyeglasses designed for children, including metal and plastic frames in bright colors. Addresses vision-related learning problems and early intervention for eye conditions.
- Sports Vision Care High Performance Vision™ exams offering specialized techniques for athletes, including vision screenings, sports glasses, athletic eyewear, and prescription protective gear. Designed for professional athletes, minor league teams, youth sports teams, and individual athletes.
- Vision Care for Adults Over 40 Specialized eye care for patients 40 and older, featuring progressive lenses, computer vision glasses, and multifocal contact lens options. Addresses presbyopia and age-related vision changes.
- Visionary Value Insurance Plan Exclusive insurance plan offering discounts on eye care services and eyewear products for patients without vision insurance coverage. Billed annually.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving patients since 1978, over 30 years of operation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Eye Care Associates
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Eye Care Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Eye Care Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- RestoringVisioncoreEye Care Associates partners with RestoringVision for their Gift of Vision one-for-one campaign. For every complete pair of prescription glasses purchased at Eye Care Associates, another pair is donated to low income populations in developing countries and throughout the U.S. RestoringVision is a non-profit that has distributed over 1.9 million pairs of glasses in more than 75 countries since 2003. Eye Care Associates set a goal to donate 50,000 sets of eyewear through this partnership.
- Carolina HurricanesflagshipEye Care Associates is the official and exclusive vision care provider of the Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team. The partnership includes High Performance Vision exams and sports vision care utilizing the same innovative approach developed by Olympic optometrist Dr. Stephen Bolick.
- Durham BullscoreEye Care Associates is the official vision care provider of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team, offering comprehensive eye exams and vision screenings.
- Raleigh Youth Hockey Association (RYHA)coreEye Care Associates is the exclusive eye care provider for the Raleigh Youth Hockey Association, providing pediatric and youth sports vision care.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Eye Care Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- LensCrafters: Owned by EssilorLuxottica, LensCrafters is a large national optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses in mall and standalone locations. A direct overlap on core services, but with substantially greater scale, brand awareness, and buying power.
- Pearle Vision: National optical chain operated as a franchised model under EssilorLuxottica. Competes with Eye Care Associates on eye exams and eyewear retail but with a much broader footprint, franchised unit structure, and corporate marketing scale.
- Target Optical: Optical retail departments operated within Target stores, offering eye exams and prescription eyewear. A competing destination for routine vision care and eyewear purchasing, with the backing of Target's national footprint and customer traffic.
- Costco Optical: Optical departments within Costco warehouses, offering eye exams and competitively priced prescription eyewear. Competes with Eye Care Associates on value pricing for lenses and frames, supported by Costco's membership-based retail ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Warby Parker: Direct-to-consumer optical retailer offering prescription eyewear and contact lenses online and through retail showrooms. Competes with Eye Care Associates on eyewear selection and pricing, but with a fundamentally different digital-first model and lower-price positioning.
Others
- Zenni Optical: Pure-play online optical retailer offering low-cost prescription eyewear direct to consumers. Does not compete directly on the exam or service front, but represents a structural threat to traditional retail optical chains by capturing budget-conscious eyewear shoppers.
Direct peers
- MyEyeDr. Operates as a multi-state optical retail chain offering comprehensive eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses through owned locations. Closely comparable to Eye Care Associates in offering mix (exam + eyewear + contacts), patient experience focus, and regional density strategy.
- America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses: National retail optical chain combining eye exams with affordable eyewear packages. Competes directly with Eye Care Associates in the exam-plus-eyewear value proposition, though with a more price-focused positioning and broader geographic reach.
- For Eyes Optical: National optical retailer offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses through company-owned locations. Operates a similar exam-plus-eyewear retail model to Eye Care Associates, with comparable unit economics and customer experience focus.
- Stanton Optical: Multi-state retail optical chain offering eye exams and eyewear at value price points, with same-day glasses in many locations. Closely comparable to Eye Care Associates in combining exam services with eyewear retail and a focus on accessibility and convenience.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eye Care Associates social profiles
Digital presenceEye Care Associates compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Eye Care Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eye Care Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Eye Care Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eye Care Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Eye Care Associates
What does Eye Care Associates do?
Eye Care Associates operates 25 retail optical locations across Central and Eastern North Carolina, delivering comprehensive eye examinations, prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses to individuals and families. The company combines professional optometric services (including pediatric, adult over-40, and sports vision care) with retail eyewear sales across 40+ designer brands, anchored by Zeiss precision lens technology.
Is Eye Care Associates a public or private company?
Eye Care Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Eye Care Associates founded?
Eye Care Associates was founded in 1978. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Eye Care Associates based?
Eye Care Associates is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does Eye Care Associates make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Eye Exams and Vision Care Services are the primary driver. The others are eyewear Sales (Glasses and Sunglasses) and contact Lens Sales and Evaluations.
Who are Eye Care Associates's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical and Costco Optical. Warby Parker is listed as an emerging player. Zenni Optical is listed as an others. Direct peers are MyEyeDr., America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, For Eyes Optical and Stanton Optical.
Does Eye Care Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eye Care Associates.
What industry is Eye Care Associates in?
Eye Care Associates's product category is Optical Retail and Optometry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAL, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses). Its NAICS code is 45613 and its SIC code is 3851.