P.O.G. Labs
P.O.G. Labs is the largest independent wholesale optical laboratory in the United States, operating three production facilities that manufacture digital free-form lenses, branded coatings, and progressive designs for eyecare professionals across 48 states and several international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersCreston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What P.O.G. Labs does
P.O.G. Labs (Precision Optical Group, Inc.) is the largest independent wholesale optical laboratory in the United States, founded in 1992 in Creston, Iowa by Mike Tamerius and Matt Somers. The company operates three production facilities in Creston, Iowa; San Angelo, Texas; and Franklin Park, Illinois, employing approximately 135 people and processing roughly 1,500 jobs per day. It serves eyecare professionals (ECPs) and optical retailers across 48 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico, China, Aruba, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mike Tamerius has been sole owner since 2015, and the company remains privately held with no disclosed external venture or private equity capital. Three operating subsidiaries — Precision Optical, Precise Optical, and Opticote — anchor the multi-site footprint.
The product portfolio centers on digital free-form lenses, progressive and anti-fatigue designs, branded anti-reflective and specialty coatings (Zero Glare, Zero Scratches, Mirror, Fog Free), and Chemistrie magnetic-lens systems. Manufacturing relies on Satisloh equipment, including the MX380 coating line, plus proprietary design technology such as Digital Ray-Path. The 4You Free-Form lens line, priced at $29.95 per pair, opens an entry-tier segment designed to capture price-sensitive ECP volume alongside the premium Chemistrie and branded coating offerings. Distribution is augmented by a Global Optics warehousing partnership (34,000 sq ft, 1M+ lens inventory, stated 100% fill rate) and product distribution agreements with Modern Optical International and I-deal Optics.
The business model is B2B wholesale, generating per-job revenue from independent optometrists, opticians, and retail chains on a unit-pricing basis. P.O.G. Labs pursues a price-segmented strategy, with the 4You entry tier and Chemistrie premium tier bracketing mid-range coated free-form lenses. No AI/ML capabilities, no external funding events, and no public revenue disclosure are associated with the company in the available data.
P.O.G. Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- P.O.G. Labs
- Legal name
- Precision Optical Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://precisionopticalgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- P.O.G. Labs is the largest independent wholesale optical laboratory in the United States, operating three production facilities that manufacture digital free-form lenses, branded coatings, and progressive designs for eyecare professionals across 48 states and several international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where P.O.G. Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Creston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
P.O.G. Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Optical Laboratory Services: Full-service wholesale optical lab that buys in bulk to provide savings to customers. Services include lens manufacturing, coatings, and finishing for eye care professionals and optical retailers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 4You Free-Form lenses starting at $29.95/pair |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
P.O.G. Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
P.O.G. Labs is a full-service wholesale optical laboratory that manufactures, processes, and finishes prescription lenses for eye care professionals, optometrists, opticians, and optical retailers. The company produces digital free-form lenses, progressive lens designs, photochromic lenses, specialty coatings (anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, mirror, fog-free), and Chemistrie magnetic snap-on lenses, distributing across 48 U.S. states and international markets with quick-turnaround Saturday delivery.
Product overview
P.O.G. Labs operates as a full-service wholesale optical laboratory with three facilities (Precision Optical in Creston Iowa, Precise Optical in San Angelo Texas, and Opticote in Franklin Park Illinois). The company processes approximately 1,500 jobs per day with AR coatings and Digital/Free-Form lenses processed on-site. Their core product portfolio centers on digital free-form lens technology including the 4YOU Free-Form, 4YOU GOLD Free-Form, Eyecon Progressive Designs, HD Free Form, and House Progressives lines. They offer a comprehensive coating suite including Zero Glare anti-reflective coating with UV and Digital Eye Strain protection, Zero Scratches hard coating, Mirror Coatings by Opticote, and Fog Free coating. As a certified Chemistrie lab, they manufacture magnetic snap-on lenses in-house. Additional offerings include photochromic lenses (Lite2Dark), specialty lenses (Boost Anti-Fatigue, Convertible 28 Bifocal), and private label programs. They serve as distributors for Modern Optical International and I-deal Optics frames and offer safety frames from multiple vendors. A partnership with Global Optics provides access to over 1,000,000 finished and semi-finished lenses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- POG Private Label: Private label lens products offered by P.O.G. Labs under the POG brand.
Products and services
- 4YOU Free-Form Lens Free-form digital lens starting at $29.95 per pair, offering optimized lens technology for improved visual performance; sold wholesale to eye care professionals.
- 4YOU GOLD Free-Form Lens Digitally-etched, customized lens representing P.O.G. Labs' first digitally-etched customized lens offering with premium optimization.
- Eyecon Progressive Designs Unique and complete customizable progressive lens designs calculated using Digital Ray-Path technology that improves lens performance for any gaze direction.
- HD Free Form High-definition free form lens technology for enhanced visual clarity.
- House Progressives Proprietary progressive lens designs available through Precision Optical Group.
- Lite2Dark Photochromic Lens Photochromic lens that darkens in bright light and clears indoors, providing adaptive light protection.
- Zero Glare Anti-Reflective Coating Premium anti-reflective coating with UV protection, including Digital Eye Strain (DES) properties for protection from blue light emitted by digital devices.
- Zero Scratches Coating Super-hard, scratch-resistant coating technology providing more scratch resistance than any other hard coating on the market, with unrivaled adhesion and durability.
- Mirror Coatings by Opticote Mirror lens coatings available in four collections inspired by popular American cities with color names like Caliente, Club Blue Mirror, and La Noche.
- Fog Free Coating Coating by Opticote that eliminates the 'white wall' effect from temperature changes; already coated into lenses and requires no special reactivating cloths.
- Chemistrie Magnetic Snap-On Lenses Certified Chemistrie magnetic lenses custom-made to fit any frame, allowing quick transformation of Rx frames into polarized sunglasses, readers, 3D glasses, or computer glasses.
- Boost Anti-Fatigue Single vision personalized lens with soft design that reduces visual fatigue symptoms associated with reading for long periods.
- Convertible 28 Bifocal Digital bifocal lens that eliminates the visible dividing line, offering more natural and comfortable vision with better aesthetics.
- Value Line Package Frame and lens package offering quality at an affordable price, bundling Modern Optical International and I-deal Optics frames with P.O.G. lenses.
- P.O.G. Private Label Private label lens program offered by Precision Optical Group for resale under the customer's own brand.
- Backside Coating Backside coating services for wholesale customers, applied as part of P.O.G. Labs' in-house coating operations.
Companies that use P.O.G. Labs
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
P.O.G. Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
P.O.G. Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global OpticscorePOG Labs partnered with Global Optics, a 34,000 square foot warehouse stocking over 1,000,000 finished and semi-finished lenses. The partnership provides 100% fill rate, single source direct shipping, and late day order cut-off through gostocklenses.com.
- Modern Optical InternationalminorDistributor of Modern Optical International frames through P.O.G. Labs value line packages.
- I-deal OpticsminorDistributor of I-deal Optics frames through P.O.G. Labs value line packages.
- SatislohcoreP.O.G. enhances coating capabilities with Satisloh MX380 equipment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
P.O.G. Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carl Zeiss Vision: Premium ophthalmic lens manufacturer with U.S. wholesale lab operations serving independent ECPs. Comparable in free-form progressive lens design, AR coatings, and brand-led premium positioning.
- HOYA Vision Care: Major global manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses with U.S. wholesale lab operations. Highly comparable in free-form progressive lens design, AR coatings, and photochromic technology sold to independent ECPs.
- US Optical: Mid-sized U.S. wholesale optical laboratory producing free-form lenses and coatings for independent ECPs. Comparable in scale and customer profile to P.O.G. Labs.
- Walman Optical: Large U.S. wholesale optical laboratory serving ECPs nationally with lens manufacturing, AR coatings, and free-form capabilities. Closest direct mid-market comparable in scale and product mix to P.O.G. Labs.
- OptiSource International: Independent U.S. wholesale optical lab providing digital lenses, coatings, and stock lenses to ECPs. Comparable in product mix, B2B model, and independent wholesale lab positioning.
- FEA Industries: Independent U.S. wholesale optical lab with multiple production facilities serving ECPs. Comparable as a multi-site independent offering free-form lenses, coatings, and value-line packages.
- Cherry Optical Lab: Independent U.S. wholesale optical lab offering digital free-form lenses, AR coatings, and private-label programs to ECPs. Directly comparable in independent-lab positioning and product breadth.
- IcareLabs: U.S. wholesale optical lab offering digital free-form lenses, premium AR coatings, and Chemistrie-style clip-on services. Closely comparable in specialty coatings and progressive lens offerings.
Broad incumbents
- EssilorLuxottica: World's largest ophthalmic lens and eyewear manufacturer with captive wholesale lab networks (e.g., Essilor Labs) and proprietary brands. Directly comparable as a wholesale optical lens processor serving ECPs with premium free-form, AR, and progressive lens technology.
- VSP Optics: Optical buying group and lens/lab services arm of VSP Global, serving thousands of ECPs with preferred wholesale lab and lens programs. Comparable as a B2B optical channel serving independent eye-care practices, though broader in scope (insurance + lens + lab).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
P.O.G. Labs social profiles
Digital presenceP.O.G. Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
P.O.G. Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
P.O.G. Labs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
P.O.G. Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
P.O.G. Labs 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 P.O.G. Labs
What does P.O.G. Labs do?
P.O.G. Labs is a full-service wholesale optical laboratory that manufactures, processes, and finishes prescription lenses for eye care professionals, optometrists, opticians, and optical retailers. The company produces digital free-form lenses, progressive lens designs, photochromic lenses, specialty coatings (anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, mirror, fog-free), and Chemistrie magnetic snap-on lenses, distributing across 48 U.S. states and international markets with quick-turnaround Saturday delivery.
Is P.O.G. Labs a public or private company?
P.O.G. Labs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was P.O.G. Labs founded?
P.O.G. Labs was founded in 1992. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is P.O.G. Labs based?
P.O.G. Labs is headquartered in Creston, United States, in the North America region.
How does P.O.G. Labs make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Optical Laboratory Services.
Who are P.O.G. Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carl Zeiss Vision, HOYA Vision Care, US Optical, Walman Optical, OptiSource International, FEA Industries, Cherry Optical Lab and IcareLabs. Broad incumbents are EssilorLuxottica and VSP Optics.
Does P.O.G. Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for P.O.G. Labs.