Sterling Optical
Encyclopedia
Sterling Optical is a franchised retail optical chain headquartered in Garden City, New York
. There are currently 155 locations in the United States, Canada
, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
. In 1954, a second location opened in Washington, D.C.
In 1966, Sterling Optical acquired IPCO, a retail optical chain in the northeastern United States. The chain grew to 20 stores by 1970 and to 65 by 1975. Over the next 5 years, the chain grew to almost 130 stores.
In January 1992, Sterling Optical was incorporated in New York as a result of a reorganization and was renamed Sterling Vision Inc., with stores doing business as Sterling Optical. During this period, Sterling Vision acquired the Site for Sore Eyes chain in California as well as VCC, a specialized healthcare maintenance organization licensed by the California Department of Corporations. VCC employs licensed optometrists which operate under the tradename "Sterling VisionCare" in locations which are usually adjacent to a Sterling Optical location.
In 1996, the company opened two lasik centers named Insight Laser Centers, one in New York and the other in San Francisco. These locations have since ceased operations.
In 2005, Sterling Optical began using cartoon character Mr. Magoo
as their spokesman.
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
. There are currently 155 locations in the United States, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
History
Sterling Optical opened in 1912 with a single store in the financial district of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1954, a second location opened in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1966, Sterling Optical acquired IPCO, a retail optical chain in the northeastern United States. The chain grew to 20 stores by 1970 and to 65 by 1975. Over the next 5 years, the chain grew to almost 130 stores.
In January 1992, Sterling Optical was incorporated in New York as a result of a reorganization and was renamed Sterling Vision Inc., with stores doing business as Sterling Optical. During this period, Sterling Vision acquired the Site for Sore Eyes chain in California as well as VCC, a specialized healthcare maintenance organization licensed by the California Department of Corporations. VCC employs licensed optometrists which operate under the tradename "Sterling VisionCare" in locations which are usually adjacent to a Sterling Optical location.
In 1996, the company opened two lasik centers named Insight Laser Centers, one in New York and the other in San Francisco. These locations have since ceased operations.
In 2005, Sterling Optical began using cartoon character Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo
Quincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem...
as their spokesman.