The Optilabs Story
There are few optical companies in Britain whose roots stretch to the 1950s, but Optilabs is one of them.
Our story began in 1956 when our founder, Tony Kerr, walked through the doors of C. A. Head’s optical factory in Tunstall Road, Croydon, as a 17-year-old apprentice.
A large victorian factory, it was a very different world from today. There were no computers, no CNC machinery and no digital lens production. Every stage of making glasses depended upon the skill of experienced craftsmen. Lenses were surfaced and glazed by hand. Frames were individually finished by craftsmen whose pride in their work was matched only by their determination to get every detail right.
Among the skills Tony learned was one that has now disappeared from British manufacturing – making genuine tortoiseshell spectacle frames by hand from Hawksbill turtle shell. Each frame was individually shaped, polished and fitted with hand-made 18-carat gold joints. It was painstaking work requiring patience, precision and years of experience. Although the use of Hawksbill shell is now rightly prohibited to protect this critically endangered species, the craftsmanship involved remains an important part of Britain’s optical heritage.
The man responsible for teaching that craft was Charles “Tiny” Head. Known simply as “Tiny” to everyone in the factory, he had started there as an apprentice before eventually becoming its owner. He expected hard work and high standards, but had a wicked sense of humour that those who worked with him never forgot. However, behind the jokes was a man who became Tony’s mentor and one of the greatest influences on his life.
When C. A. Head closed in the early 1960s, Tony was devastated. He had not only lost his job, but also the daily companionship of the man who had taught him his trade.
Determined to continue, Tony borrowed £100 from his father, rented a modest workshop for £500 a year and, encouraged by his mother’s suggestion that the name “Sterling” represented quality, founded Sterling Optical Co. Ltd. in 1963.
The early years were difficult but Sterling gradually earned the trust of independent opticians throughout the South of England. At its peak, the company manufactured more than a thousand pairs of glasses each week.
When changes to the optical profession transformed the market during the 1980s, Sterling adapted once again. Rather than simply supplying the trade, the company began supplying members of the public directly, giving customers access to specialist manufacturing expertise while saving time and money.
It was during this time that one chance conversation that changed everything. A small business adviser, whose hobby was angling, suggested that fishermen often needed prescription polarised glasses. The following day, Tony placed a single advertisement in Angling Times. The first order arrived on the Monday morning after it appeared.
That single advertisement marked the beginning of what would become one of Britain’s leading specialist manufacturers of prescription sports eyewear.
In 1994, Optilabs was established to build upon that specialist expertise. Today we supply prescription eyewear for cyclists, golfers, shooters, anglers, runners and many other sports, while continuing to provide comprehensive eye examinations and everyday glasses.
While technology has transformed the optical industry, the values on which Optilabs was built have never changed.
Nearly seventy years after Tony first walked into a small Croydon factory as an apprentice, he is still actively involved in the business every day.
Our ethos
When you choose Optilabs, you’re choosing more than just a pair of glasses. You’re choosing over 60 years of experience, craftsmanship and a company that has spent a lifetime helping people see better.
And our mission is simple: we want you to have the best vision possible. That’s it. “Simples!” as those furry meerkats on the TV would say.
Getting the very best from your eyewear, while protecting your eyesight for as long as possible, is one of the most important things you can do — whether it’s your everyday glasses, sunglasses or sports eyewear. That’s why we’re so passionate about the quality of our lenses, the precision of our manufacturing process — which is all done right here, in-house — and the level of care we give every customer. Ultimately, we want you to enjoy your glasses and get the most out of your vision, whether you’re at work, out and about or enjoying your favourite sport.
And because we’re confident in what we do, if you have any problems with your glasses within the first 14 days, we’ll give you a full refund. It’s our way of making sure you’re completely happy with your eyewear.