We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christopher Brundies a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christopher, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

I was in the US Army where I worked in an optical lab. Since I have poor vision myself, it was fitting work and I appreciated learning the craft. While attending military optical school, I was taught a strong, basic set of skills to fabricate lenses, along with an education in the science of how to move light. I developed management skills and an understanding of workflow in a lab. The experience established in me the attention to detail and quality that people deserve in their eyewear. These proficiencies were very easily converted to the civilian side and have allowed me to continue in the industry for 35 years. Eyeglass lens technology has advanced incredibly, but the physics and dedication to craftsmanship has remained the same.

Christopher, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Chris Brundies. I am a Service-Disabled, U.S. Veteran and the founder, owner, and CEO of AccuLab Optical in DeKalb, Illinois near Chicago. We’ve been in business for 18 years and we make eyeglass lenses (or “functional jewelry” as I like to say) for eye care professionals & retailers across the country.

I started my optical career as an Army optician in the mid-1980’s. We provided essential eyecare products for our fellow service members. Fortunately, I was involved in “special projects”, which included manufacturing a distinct glass that tactical helicopter pilots wore in their visors to scatter a laser if one was pointed at them during flight. The function of this glass fascinated me and cemented my interest in the eye industry. Today, I strive to embrace the newest lens technology in the company I founded and currently operate.

At AccuLab, we manufacture eyeglass lenses using modern, digital equipment, providing the wearer with an optimized lens correction for their visual defect. These are known as free-form lenses. We make lenses for everyday use from reading & looking at the computer, to playing sports & video games, to working, driving, and everything in between. Our lenses are fashioned in many different materials, from clear plastic, to sunglasses & photochromic (lenses that lighten/darken depending on the light), to high index (these allow people with strong prescriptions to wear glasses with thinner, less noticeable lenses.)

What makes our facility stand out is we create our own Anti-reflective coating in-house. This machine literally transforms metals into gas and applies them to the lenses in a vacuum environment! The coated lenses protect the eyes from harmful rays, while enhancing clarity and extending the life of the lens. Finally, we cut the lenses to fit into the patient’s frame.

We are proudly & strongly independent, which keeps our business free from being told how to operate and what products we can and cannot supply. We have some of the most advanced hardware available, yet it is our people that make the real difference. Our dedicated employees are among the elite in the industry, boasting over 120 years’ combined experience. I am proud to have learned the basics on what would be considered crude equipment by today’s standards. My background gave me the inspiration to blend the newest technology with teaching people to provide a skilled labor product. The fact we are helping people to see is what really keeps me motivated in the day-to-day operations.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The eyecare/eyewear industry is dominated by one company worldwide that is vertically integrated in an all-encompassing way. As a business owner, I cannot be upset about this as it is an intelligent business model, and all companies need to do it to a certain extent. However, as a small independent operation, it makes it difficult to compete.

This group bought (or forced out) hundreds of independent labs over the past couple decades. 20 years ago, independent labs were plentiful, and competition was there – but it was healthy competition. Unfortunately, due to this corporatist approach, many of my peers are no longer around. In fact, we are the last full-service optical lab left in the State of Illinois.

Corporatism has not been good for consumers either. Products are limited and at a higher cost to them as well. We strive to fill that niche by offering our customers what the big guys can’t or won’t.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Automation. I used to be dead set against it! People always came first. Covid was a real eye-opener and put production in peril.

I knew if I had automation we could fabricate with fewer people, but I did not want individuals to lose their jobs and throw away an ability they had developed. Subsequently, I started researching these tools and ultimately installed some automated machines. Different skills were introduced like software programming, as well as new mechanical expertise, which is required to keep the process moving.

What I have learned is that people aren’t just important, they are crucial to maintain and operate the automation. With the machinery delivering more products at a faster pace, the manual processes were easily completed with our existing employees, and no one lost their job! Our staff ended up appreciating the automation and learning how to work with it, while preserving the personal touch that is still needed. Because of these innovations, we can produce high-quality products, in high quantity, without sacrificing one for the other.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.acculab.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acculabillinois/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acculabillinois/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acculabillinois
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/AccuLabIllinois
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@acculabillinois
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@acculabillinois

Image Credits
Evan Fedorev & Jon Trutt