SHEEPSHEAD BAY, N.Y.—The recent merger of two Brooklyn, N.Y.-based optical businesses—JG Optical, a wholesale distributor and Galaxy Optics, a surfacing lab—has created a new, one-stop shopping source for ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses and pharmaceuticals.

 
The management staff of JG Lens and Galaxy Optics in the AR coating facility at their Brooklyn, N.Y. lab. Pictured in the back row, left to right, are Ariel Masamey, sales manager JG Lens and Galaxy Optics; Morris Cohen, operations manager Galaxy Optics; James Plunk, Galaxy lab manager. In the front row, left to right, are Robert Bromberg, director of Operations JG Lens and Galaxy Optics; Frances Ortiz, customer service manager, JG Lens and Galaxy Optics; Layton Weedeman, Galaxy lab manager.
The merger allowed the two companies, which operate from the same Sheepshead Bay facility, to offer a number of service enhancements to customers. These include extended hours on weekdays, automatic calls for order pick ups, and guaranteed next-day shipping on all stock orders and same day service on all surrounding areas. Also, customers requiring customer service now need only to make a single call.

“We incorporated the customer service department for both into one,” explained Ezra Cohen, OD, the president of parent company JG Lens and owner of the lab for the past two decades. “Customers call JG for their stock orders, and then are switched directly for surfacing and contact lens orders. It’s seamless—one box, one phone call, one charge. The beauty of it is they can keep adding to their order.”

Cohen said Galaxy Optics recently expanded its lens product line to include “Galaxy Digital HD,” a house brand, back surface designed free-form progressive lens that is competitively priced. The lab produces its own house-brand anti-reflective lenses under the Brilliance brand, he noted.

In addition to increasing its product offering, JG Lens recently expanded its management team. Robert Bromberg joined as director of operations and Francis Ortiz was appointed manager of customer relations.

According to Cohen, JG Optical/Galaxy employs 50 people. It ships about 250 to 300 stock orders per day, and about 300 Rx jobs per day. JG Optical carries a full line of stock ophthalmic lenses including Trivex Triolgy, Teflon Clear Coat and Crizal Alizé lenses, as well as its own Xenon brand, which Cohen described as a “low cost, high value” lens line. The company is also an authorized Vistakon distributor and carries a wide range of contact lens brands.