LOCKBOURNE, Ohio—Walmart announced Friday that it will close its optical lab here. The facility, located near Columbus, Ohio, processes eyewear orders for Vision Centers in Walmart stores. The company said it will continue to operate an optical merchandise distribution center at the same location.

“This decision along with expansions and improvements to our other eyewear manufacturing facilities will allow Walmart to reduce costs and operate our optical business more efficiently,” said Volker Heimeshoff, divisional manager of health and wellness for Walmart U.S. “While this is the right decision for our business, it is a difficult one. We know that we must focus on taking care of our Lockbourne associates and assisting them as they seek employment at other Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities or with other employers.”

The optical lab employs approximately 650 associates. All associates will receive regular paychecks and benefits for the next 60 days and will be eligible for positions at area Walmart and Sam’s Club locations. Eligible associates will receive a severance benefit. The company will host two job fairs for associates.

Walmart has retained Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consulting firm, to coordinate the job fairs and provide job placement assistance to associates, including counseling, self-assessment, interview training and resume writing training.

According to Heimeshoff, orders that previously were sent to the Lockbourne facility will be dispersed to several facilities. Walmart operates optical labs in Crawfordsville, Ind.; Fayetteville, Ark.; and Dallas, Texas.

The company also has contracts with Essilor of America and Carl Zeiss Vision, which both operate optical labs in the U.S. and Mexico. Equipment from the Lockbourne lab will be sent to the Crawfordsville, Fayetteville and Dallas labs. The Indiana and Arkansas facilities are being expanded and are adding approximately 100 new jobs.