Hoya Vision: Success In Sight

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A passion for helping eye care professionals build winning businesses fuels Hoya Vision

Viewing the world through the innovative Hoya Corporation lens is to see a global organization truly committed to economic prosperity, social progress, and cultural advancement. Founded in 1941 by Shoichi and Shigeru Yamanaka, today’s HOYA is a leading supplier of innovative medical products and services for eye care professionals in 36 countries.

Their Life Care division manufactures eyeglass lenses, contact lenses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, and other medical-related products, and has created a B2B partnership model to help visionary eye care professionals build thriving, community-centered businesses. Hoya Vision Care Canada is leading that charge in North America, helping optometrists and opticians provide superior care to their patients.

With 300 employees across the nation, the Toronto-based division works hand-in-hand with their partners to help them maximize revenue while improving patient outcomes. From startups to mature practices, Hoya Vision Canada acts as a partner in business, providing clinics with the support they need to prosper. Additionally, they provide unique products and services that cater to a wide demographic of optical needs, from children to seniors for specific lifestyle needs to help practices differentiate themselves in the market.

Steven Haifawi

“We enable our partners through our products and services, and we are 100% invested in their success,” said Steven Haifawi, president of the Canadian division, noting that the company doesn’t sell products online or open brick-and-mortar stores. “We provide innovative technologies, great quality, and timely services at very competitive prices.”

New partners may integrate fully with HOYA and leverage its strong branding. Alternatively, HOYA provides private label options for customers who wish to maintain their own brand and operate as standalone facilities using the company’s infrastructure while maintaining existing customer-facing identity and community presence.

HOYA's digital ecosystem features HOYA Hub, a self-service platform that allows partners to make the most of the company’s systems and products. It provides instant access to any information and opticians need to run their practices smoothly. HOYA Hub provides the latest news including product information, documents, and up-to-date announcements relevant to the practice.

“We are the clear option for those that wish to do business with a company that doesn’t compete with them and is invested in our local communities and leaving the world a better place for the next generation,” he said.

Care, Community, and Closing the Vision Care Gap

HOYA is bridging Canada’s vision care gap through several high-powered initiatives, including working with Orbis, an international organization that transforms lives and restores vision through access to quality eye care. “Locally, we raise money to sponsor guide dogs each year,” Haifawi noted. “We are also investing heavily in R&D to fight the myopia epidemic in children.”

Myopia, or near-sightedness, occurs when the shape of the eye causes light rays to refract inaccurately. Children under ten who have myopia experience a rapid progression of the condition, which, if left untreated, can lead to and health risks.

To confront the problem, HOYA developed a life-changing ophthalmic lens based on Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments technology that corrects the visual defect on its entire surface and has a ring-shaped treatment area to slow down myopia progression. The lens provides clear vision while simultaneously managing myopia.

HOYA's patented and award-winning is widely known and in great demand. As Haifawi pointed out, “Parents are asking for it because they have witnessed the ease of use and success in reducing myopic progression, so they view it as the ideal choice for their own children,” he said. “children who stopped wearing MiYOSMART ophthalmic lens showed no rebound effect, or no acceleration in eye growth compared to the growth in “age-normative” nontreated myopic children.”

HOYA is not only committed to research and advancements for myopia control, they also look for innovative solutions for all demographics. The company’s research found that 90% of a driver’s reaction time depends on vision. Without the proper corrective eyewear, impaired vision slows reaction time, an extremely dangerous proposition for anyone behind the wheel. HOYA's EnRoute Pro driving lenses increase visual comfort, enabling clear, relaxed vision in all directions and at all distances. Enhanced contrast improves clarity and color perception, which is extremely helpful for night driving.

As you might expect, the culture at Hoya Vision inspires workers to succeed in a caring environment.

“We strive to make our employees proud to work for HOYA and make it a great place to work,” he said.  “The word is out that we have a great culture which places our employees first.” Competitive salary and benefits are bolstered by benefits such as a Health Day, an additional day of PTO for staff to take when needed. “We also provide a paid Volunteer Day for our people to give back to their local communities.”

HOYA's commitment to enriching the communities they serve is built on their One Vision philosophy, which aims to make a lasting impact on society. “HOYA joined the Japan Climate Leadership Partnership, a group of companies committed to sustainable decarbonized society,” said Haifawi. Locally, the firm drives initiatives to reduce waste, reuse where they can, and recycle what’s possible.

Haifawi summed up Hoya Vision’s insightful and idealistic corporate personality this way: “We are a responsible ethical company doing good for each other and our communities not just for today but for tomorrow and the foreseeable future.”