Founded in 1853, Bausch & Lomb started out as a small optical goods shop in Rochester, New York. Two German immigrants, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb, set up the shop together and started producing rubber eyeglasses soon thereafter.
The series of events which made the optical company that is today one of the world’s biggest contact lens manufacturers flourish was more than a little coincidental. During the American Civil War, the Bausch & Lomb business grew rapidly as gold and horn became very dear and the demand for other types of spectacles grew. Later on, when Roosevelt started building up the naval fleet, Bausch & Lomb had started developing photographic lenses, binoculars and telescopes, and were commissioned to manufacture high-precision lenses for the navy.
During World War I and II military products stood for 70% of Bausch & Lomb’s production, and in 1926 the now world-famous Ray-Ban sunglasses were developed for pilots. When in the early 1970s the company received a three million dollar investment, their first ever contact lenses were brought to the market. The lenses were called SofLens, and as some of the first ever lenses not to be made of glass they became widely popular and known for their soft comfort.
After some major reorganisations in the 1980s, Bausch & Lomb changed significantly with some departments closing down completely and other divisions being strengthened. The contact lens production gained importance, as did the development of camera lenses when it became known that Bausch & Lomb developed the lenses for the cameras that took the first satellite images of the moon.
Bausch & Lomb is now among the market leaders in the manufacturing of contact lenses, and with a 156 year tradition they are operating on a global level with headquarters still in Rochester. The company’s over 13,000 employees work in plants in 36 countries, and vision care remains its biggest division alongside pharmaceuticals and surgery aids. Contact lenses including SofLens Daily Disposables stand for 28% of the turnover, with contact lens care products following closely at 25%. In addition to their own range of contact lens solutions, Bausch & Lomb also manufacture nutrition products for eye health.
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