Eye Care Manufacturer Open New Facility in California Due to Increased Demand

Expansion Management

Eye Care Manufacturer Opens New Facility in California Due to Increased Demand

Jan. 24, 2014

With this expansion, VSP Global will have around 2,500 employees in the region.

As part of a redevelopment and expansion plan for VSPOne Sacramento, the flagship laboratory for VSP Vision Care, the company announced earlier this week that they will build a new facility in Folsom, Calif.

With the addition of 200-250 new jobs, the nearly 80,000-square-foot facility will include close to 650 union jobs at full capacity and will have a regional economic impact of more than $70 million in output (market value of goods and services produced).

The facility further expands the company’s global and regional footprint, bringing the VSP Global companies’ overall regional employment count to nearly 2,500.

“Changes in federal health care laws as well as ongoing technological advancements in the optical industry have led to a tremendous growth cycle for VSP,” said The Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization Chair Gary Bradus.

The new facility in Folsom is expected to be completed and operational by November 2014.

The expansion comes in response to current facilities reaching their maximum capacities, adding to a larger network of VSP Optics facilities located throughout the United States, including other locations in the State of California.

VSP Optics, a VSP Global company, provides a broad range of ophthalmic products and services to the VSP network of 30,000 eye doctors through VSPOne Optical Technology Centers. The company also develops and markets UNITY, its proprietary branded premium ophthalmic lenses and coatings.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.