Warby Parker Opens its First Optical Lab, Picks Rockland County Site

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Warby Parker, the socially conscious designer eyewear company, is officially opening its first ever fully-owned optical lab in Sloatsburg.

The 34,000-square-foot optical lab will create up to 128 jobs over the next five years. The Manhattan-based company retains over 250 jobs at its New York City headquarters as well as an additional 150 jobs at New York retail locations.

“Opening our first optical lab represents a significant milestone for both our customers and our team,” said Dave Gilboa, Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO, in an announcement Wednesday. “Warby Parker has always operated as a sustainable, vertically integrated business. This is the next step in taking more control over our supply chain and will enable us to serve our customers in a faster, more personalized way.”

The move was supported by political leaders to encourage economic development in the Hudson Valley.

“Warby Parker’s lens-making facility will usher new economic vitality into Rockland County, creating high-paying, skilled labor jobs and investing millions of dollars in the region,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said. “After considering locations around the country, Warby Parker’s choice to expand in New York confirms that there is no better place than the Empire State to grow an innovative, cutting-edge business.”

Warby Parker sells fashionable prescription eyewear and sunglasses online and in nearly 50 retail locations across the U.S., including five locations in New York City. The opening of the optical lab allows the brand to further manage the manufacturing process, and gives better insight into and control over order lead-time and quality assurance, company officials said.

It also brings more work to New York State.

“From the day I heard that Warby Parker was looking to locate here in the Hudson Valley, I knew that the world-class workers we have were a perfect match for their needs," said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. That is why I immediately called their co-CEOs and worked with New York state to clear a path so that Warby Parker could create new jobs in Rockland County. I look forward to working with Warby Parker to build on this beachhead and, hopefully, expand their operations over time here in New York!”

In Sloatsburg, the company occupies a 34,000-square-foot factory that is outfitted for assembling glasses and finishing prescription lenses. True to Warby Parker’s design aesthetic, the space incorporates pops of the brand’s signature blue, its core values, and a prominent “So Nice to See You” mural that welcomes employees and visitors alike. The lab’s feature wall showcases a custom mural by artist Jason Munn, which illustrates the finishing process from start to finish.

“We designed the interior to look and feel like any other Warby Parker space, while maintaining the functional elements of a traditional optical lab with its advanced machinery and state of the art conveyor system," said Neil Blumenthal, Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO. "We applied the same principles we do in our offices and our stores. While it’s our first foray into manufacturing, our use of design to portray the brand and to make our team members as engaged and productive as possible remains consistent. We’re really happy with how our first industrial space turned out.”

ABOUT WARBY PARKER
Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. Every idea starts with a problem. Theirs was simple: glasses are too expensive. By circumventing traditional channels, designing glasses in-house, and engaging with customers directly, they’re able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear starting at $95 (a fraction of the going price).

Warby Parker also believes that everyone has the right to see. Almost one billion people worldwide lack access to glasses, which means that 15% of the world’s population cannot effectively learn or work. To help address this problem, Warby Parker partners with non-profits like VisionSpring to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need.

PHOTO credit: Barkow Photo for Warby Parker