BUSINESS: dba: Eye-trepreneurs Acuity Eyecare Opens Dallas Service Center to Support Regional Optical Practices and Field Teams By dba Staff Thursday, July 5, 2018 12:40 PM DALLAS—Acuity Eyecare Group chief executive officer Eric Andersonwields the scissors as he officially opens the new DallasService Center as chief marketing officer Lora DeVuonoholds the ribbon during last month’s grand opening event.Acuity Eyecare Group recently celebrated the official opening of its new Dallas Service Center (DSC). The facility, which is designed to serve as the official Acuity headquarters, will be the primary center to serve and support Acuity doctors, regional optical stores/practices and field teams in their local markets, according to an announcement.The key functional leadership also will be centralized and based out of the new DSC, including the offices of the chief executive, finance and accounting teams, technology staff and marketing group. The center opened June 13. It is potentially expandable to 10,000 square feet, if necessary, and features floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the Dallas skyline and Galleria area, according to an Acuity announcement.According to the announcement, Acuity has “intentionally branded it the Dallas Service Center because we truly recognize, value and want to emphasize that our most important role is serving our regional stores, optical practices and market-based field teams.” Dallas was chosen as the site of the new center, in part, because it is “a vibrant, growing city and the [Dallas-Fort Worth] area ranks in the top 10 largest U.S. cities based on population,” and it also has proximity to the company’s private equity ownership team, Riata Capital Group. The DSC can accommodate up to about 90-plus employees in the current configuration.The formation of the DSC provides Acuity an opportunity to create “centers of excellence” across all key functional areas and facilitate teamwork and communication, the announcement noted. Among the highlights are the effort to establish a “purpose-driven culture” and creating a design that optimizes organizational development, team-building and communication.“We are building a terrific culture of people at Acuity who are committed to a shared core purpose and values,” Acuity chief executive officer Eric Anderson said. “Our new Dallas Service Center will be a foundational part of that culture and its No. 1 role is to serve and support our doctors, regional optical stores and market-based field associates. We want to empower and equip our local teams to continue to deliver with excellence, meeting the unique needs of their patients and customers in their local markets.”Considerable thought and consideration went into the design and build-out of the new facility, according to chief marketing officer Lora DeVuono. “We wanted to create an inspiring environment that reflects the essence of our new, young company and appeals to our diverse team,” she added. “It was also important to us that it be perfectly wired for collaboration, communication and our continued growth.”Acuity Eyecare Group was founded in March 2017 and now ranks at No. 21 in Vision Monday’s list of the Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers, with sales of $70 million in calendar year 2017 and 70 optical retail locations. Its retail brands include Crown Vision Center, Eyes on Missouri, Eyetique, International Eyecare Center, Malbar Vision, One Hour Optical and 20/20 Image Eyecare Centers.