#Industry News
10 years of RODENSTOCK Instruments
Keeping the optician in focus: TOMEY and RODENSTOCK Instruments create synergies in end-customer business
RODENSTOCK Instruments has operated as a business unit of TOMEY GmbH since 2011. Based in Nuremberg, these two specialists in precision diagnostic instruments for ophthalmology and ophthalmic optics have been successfully collaborating within Germany, throughout Europe, and on the global market. By joining forces they aimed to pool the strengths of the two companies and draw on their combined dealer network to expand their presence in global growth markets. They expanded the refraction and contact lens fitting business areas to meet demands that had been brought to their attention by opticians. The result was an expanded service and product portfolio. This success shows that RODENSTOCK Instruments and TOMEY were on the right path, and they are now working together to plan for the future.
“Integrating RODENSTOCK Instruments enabled us to combine tradition with innovation,” comments Christa Papesch, General Manager of TOMEY GmbH. “In the last ten years we’ve significantly expanded the international market share of RODENSTOCK Instruments in the areas of ophthalmic optics, optometry, and ophthalmology, and we’ve quadrupled the size of our dealer network.” Not only is the new collaborative arrangement proving successful in the German and European markets, but strong sales partners have also been found in South America, Asia, and Australia.
NEW AND INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE GLOBAL MARKET
The competitive pressure facing local opticians from major optical chains and online suppliers has become extreme. To survive on the market, these SMEs have to score points through consulting, service, and technical equipment in particular. “We’ve observed that our customers are increasingly facing problems in this area,” Papesch notes. “So, we want to offer opticians competitive solutions, whether in the form of consulting services or innovative devices.” Based on this strategy, the portfolio of RODENSTOCK Instruments has been expanded to include the products ALINO®, TopaScope® and FundusScope, which opticians can use to provide state-of-the-art examination methods like fundus screening and non-contact tonometry.
To introduce the new devices, RODENSTOCK Instruments offers its sales partners regular training at the company’s European headquarters in Nuremberg. “Putting up our new building in 2016 fulfilled a number of wishes,” says Papesch. “We created space for new employees, multiplied our storage capacity sevenfold, and established a central training center.” In response to the Co¬vid-19 situation, they converted their training program into a series of online lectures.
GOALS FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS
RODENSTOCK Instruments has also set itself ambitious targets for the next decade. The company is taking a positive view of the current trend toward multifunctional devices and would like to expand its portfolio, in addition to the fields of video technology and tear film analysis.
“We perceive ourselves as solution providers for opticians and optometrists and will do all we can to achieve steady, sustainable growth. For the future, we’ll continue being a partner our customers can trust, one that keeps a constant focus on their needs and trends,” summarizes Papesch.
For further information:
www.rodenstock-instruments.de
