Central Optical’s Lloyd Yasbek, center, accepting the Varilux Award of Excellence from Jim Rabbitt, left, and Bob Colucci of Essilor.

The Balester Optical team won three awards: Premium Materials Award of Excellence, Crizal Award of Excellence and the overall top award of Essilor IDD Lab of the Year. Flanking them are Jim Rabbitt (left) and Bob Colucci of Essilor.

PALM DESERT, Calif.—Essilor of America announced the winners of its enhanced Independent Distribution Division (IDD) Advantage Plan Annual Laboratory Awards at its national sales meeting, held here in January. These new awards now recognize independent distributors who have achieved top sales and marketing performance in specific Essilor product categories. Essilor provides each winning lab with a comprehensive rewards package.

Essilor determines the award winners based on a combination of several key sales-related factors, including unit and percentage unit growth, marketing programs and events executed during the year, Advantage Plan programs and promotion results, and partnership with the Essilor Brand sales team.

The award winning labs were recognized for their outstanding achievements in the following categories: Varilux Award of Excellence: Central Optical—Youngstown, Ohio; Crizal Award of Excellence: Balester Optical—Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Premium Materials Award of Excellence: Balester Optical—Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Essilor Transitions Award of Excellence: Walman Optical—Minneapolis, Minn.; Essilor IDD Lab of the Year: Balester Optical—Wilkes Barre, Pa.; Essilor IDD Managed Care Lab of the Year: Davis Vision—Plainview, N.Y.    ■