US Eyewear Manufacturing ‘Poised for a Comeback’?

The U.S. eyewear manufacturing industry may be “poised for a comeback,” in the view of one company owner.

Charles Whitehill, owner of Shuron, says demand is increasing for his firm’s offerings, according to an article published by Crain’s Chicago Business.

The comments were part of a profile on State Optical, which the publication says is the largest U.S. eyewear maker. Shuron, based in Greenville, SC, is the second-largest.

“We’ve got customers from Canada and Japan and all over coming to us to make American products for them, said Whitehill, who is 82. “We can’t keep up with the orders.”

Shuron “has been making eyeglasses since the Civil War ended,” according to Crain’s.

State Optical came to prominence much more recently — it launched just five years ago. Today it operates a plant with 65 employees in Vernon Hill, IL. It serves about 1,200 optical retailers.

Read more at Crain’s Chicago Business