Essilor's bid for Rx lab under review by OFT

The Office of Fair Trading has invited comment on the anticipated acquisition of prescription lab Horizon Optical by Essilor International.

A merger notice was issued on September 29 under the Enterprise Act 2002.

Dunstable-based Horizon has been in business for more than 30 years. It supplies over 500 independent practitioners, with a staff of more than 50 under founder, chairman and chief executive Len Doherty and managing director Ian Wooster. The company acquired Pell Optical in 1998.

This follows news (News 26.06.09) that Essilor had signed a share purchase agreement to acquire a 'significant' ownership stake in Croydon-based lens supplier Wholesale Lens Corporation (WLC). This move was also considered by the OFT, which did not refer it to the Competition Commission. The OFT noted in its decision (July 27) that the companies overlapped in the supply of finished ophthalmic lenses in the UK, where together they accounted for around 30-40 per cent. However, it said it did not believe the merger would result in a substantial lessening of competition in the UK market.