George Helmecke established Optivision in 1990. The company would be located in Cliffside Park until 2006, at which time its offices were moved to Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Initial services were limited to the consumer eyecare field, by providing Ophthalmologic and Optometric examinations, patient care and treatment. Optometric services included the fitting of particularly difficult contact lenses and providing an extensive on site specialty contact lens inventory. Over the course of time the company would expand into other vision care related products and services. These included exclusive Italian, as well as Korean and Chinese eyeglass case collections. In March 2000 the US patent office granted Optivision an utility patent for an instrument, now commonly known as the PAL-ID. This instrument would make the identification of progressive addition lenses a precise and simple task. Since its inception the PAL-ID has been sold throughout the world. The instrument can be found on every continent, and most every quality optical shop, optometric practice and lens manufacturing laboratory throughout the USA. More recent innovations include the Spec Suspender eyeglass retainer collection, featuring the Slip-Knot (patent pending) connector. Currently the company is developing a collection of slim profile and folding reading glasses, designed and manufactured to a quality level significantly beyond all existing products currently available in the "ready reader" marketplace. The most innovative of among these is the patent pending Quadrafold mini folding reading glass. Helmecke Brillen In 1947 Gerhard Helmecke established the firm which would bear his name in Wattenbek, a pastoral farming community 12 miles southwest of the Baltic port city Kiel. Lacking even modest financial resources, as well as a source for essential machinery, every piece of production equipment would be salvaged from scrap-yards. Moreover, virtually all machinery had been severely burned and damaged during the war, all would require painstaking reconditioned and modification. The firm began its existence as a contract supplier of eyeglass temples; these were sold to a regional eyeglass frame manufacturer. The production of temples was fraught with problems as highly flammable celluloid material required drilling to a depth of 6" inches (150 mm). The combination of an extraordinarily deep and narrow hole (1/16"diameter) resulted in the frequent breakage of nearly irreplaceable steel drill bits. To keep breakage to a minimum only a select few production workers were assigned the challenging and sensitive task of drilling out core wire holes. Despite these and many other daunting challenges the firm grew rapidly, rising from the post war ashes. Within a few years the firm began to produce complete frames. The new model manufacturing facility, set within a nature-park landscape would eventually expand to more than one quarter million square feet. Contained within four primary and five secondary buildings. Primary manufacturing and administration facilities were completed by the early 1960's. Beyond the sprawling production facilities the plant included extensive and completely self sufficient: tooling department, machine shop, electrical department, wood working department, painting department, printing department, design and drafting department, raw material production facility, fire department, employee cafeteria and recreational facilities, Frame production included not only high volume die cut stamping, but molding injection, as well as pantograph methods. The bulk of material used for die cutting and pantographing was generated through wide sheet extrusion, by means of a multi-line, multi-color facility. Hinges, rivets and core wires were produced with swaging  machines and other automated optical wire processing machinery. Employing up to 400, the state of the art factory produced as many as 8,000 frames per day, making it the third largest eyeglass frame producer in Germany, just behind two long established competitors, Metzler and Rodenstock. New Jersey Optical Company Irvington's New Jersey Optical had been a renowned and particularly innovative manufacturer of high quality gold filled metal frames. Its ability and reputation unequaled by all but a few American and European optical manufacturers. More than 100 skilled employees were engaged in manufacturing intricate metal frames; establishing a unique reputation and a following of loyal customers, including then US president Harry S. Truman. Fortune would not continue to be kind to NJO, as the late 1950's brought internal upheaval, which ultimately resulted in the sale to Standard Optical Company, the world's largest optical hinge manufacturer.  The next decade would see further and a more severe decline following  management's benign neglect. Facing a directionless future, NJO's production facilities became increasingly antiquated.  By the early 1960's the company was again "for sale". Renovation and Re-equipment Following the acquisition of NJO from Standard Optical the facility was entirely refurbished. Overhead belt driven machinery was replaced by individual motors, while ceilings, walls and radiators were thoroughly cleaned and repainted. Thick half century oak floors were sanded, refinished and lacquered. A multitude of ventilation fans gave way to air-conditioning. The latest modern German, French and Italian metal frame manufacturing equipment and tool room machinery were installed in the Irvington facility. Production equipment included automatic wire reduction machines, wire cutting machines, wire drawing, atmosphere controlled continuous run annealing ovens and fully automatic eye-wire forming machines, high capacity hydraulic presses, automatic hinge manufacturing machines, temple core-wire injection machines, molding injection machines, spot welding machines, resistance and induction heat soldering equipment and  wire sawing equipment. State of the art metal finishing and electro-plating facilities were supplied by leading domestic sources.   Focal Point Opticians came into existence during the fall of 1977 with the objective of providing quality personal service at discount prices to the retail consumer. At the time the largest optical chain store was Sear's Cole National and the regional Sterling Lensco. Lenscrafter's and Pearle Optical did not exist.  The late 70's were heady times for the optical industry as designer branded eyeglass frames were ushered in. Ordinary frames were placed into "collections" and metal plaques affixed to the temples; each plaque representing a particular designer or personality. Among the most successful of these were: Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar De La Renta, Nina Ricci, Christian Dior and American Optical's Dorothy Hamill collection. The store's somewhat remote Palisade Avenue shopping location would prove to be challenging right from the start and continued to be vexing throughout its existence. This in conjunction with management's inexperience proved to be particular handicap in the early years. Despite many initial setbacks the business gradually began to find solid footing and establish itself, building an unusually loyal customer base far beyond Cliffside Park. Many customers would travel from New York City to as far away as Florida to fill their eyeglass prescriptions. Images of Focal Point as it appeared in the year 2006.