Randolph Engineering

Last updated
Randolph Engineering, Inc.
IndustryEye-wear
Founded1973 [1] [2]
Headquarters Randolph, Massachusetts
Key people
Peter Waszkiewicz, CEO [3]
Number of employees
50 [3]
Website http://www.randolphusa.com

Randolph Engineering, Inc. is an American manufacturer of sunglasses, shooting glasses, and prescription glasses. Located in Randolph, Massachusetts, it is also the prime contractor for providing aviator sunglasses to the United States military. [2]

Contents

History

Randolph's manufacturing facility in Randolph, Massachusetts, in 2013 RandolphEngineeringPlant.JPG
Randolph's manufacturing facility in Randolph, Massachusetts, in 2013

Jan Waszkiewicz and Stanley Zaleski formed the company in 1973 [4] in Randolph, Massachusetts, where the company remains to this day.

Jan Waszkiewicz was educated at Northeastern University and got a job as a tool and die maker. He later found employment at the American Optical Company and then Marine Optical.

Convinced that he could design and manufacture better eyeglass frame manufacturing equipment, he and his partner Stanley Zaleski formed Randolph Engineering, Inc. in 1973. [5] [6]

The company originally focused on designing and manufacturing optical tools and machinery for the production of eyewear. Waszkiewicz and Zaleski designed and made most of the machinery in their plant, but over time the company turned its attention to making its own eyewear, using the tools and machinery designed and manufactured by their company. [2] [7]

In 1977, Randolph Engineering obtained its first government contract. [7] By 1982, they had become the prime contractor for military-style Type HGU-4/P aviator sunglasses for the United States Department of Defense. With 68 employees, 200,000 pairs of sunglasses were made for the Navy, Air Force, and Army that year. [3]

Since that time they have provided eyewear for many government agencies, ranging from sunglasses for air force pilots to eyewear for submarine personnel. In the early 1990s, sales were expanded to offer their products to the consumer marketplace. [2] By August 2008, the company had expanded its eyewear offerings to include other specialty lines of sunglasses for police, security personnel, outdoor sports enthusiasts and other sight-critical occupations and outdoor enthusiasts. [8]

Presently the company supplies the military with a variety of glasses and frames including contracts with the Defense Logistics Agency worth $9 million each. The current contract is valued at $38,662,664 and was issued on December 23, 2011. [9]

In 2011, the company had approximately $8 million in sales. [3]

All glasses are made at the U.S. location in Randolph, Massachusetts using only a handful of international components. Sales are handled through their website, large retailers and worldwide distributors. Randolph Engineering has positioned itself as a vendor to other Air Forces around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Israel, and Jordan.

The Alliance for the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts Port Authority awarded Randolph the 1997 Massachusetts Product Export Achievement Award in recognition of achievements made in International trade. [10]

Notable products

Randolph Engineering has three categories of products: the Sunglass Series, Ranger Series, and Rx Series.

Sunglasses
Randolph Engineering HGU4/P conform sunglasses Randolph Engineering 5-11 007.jpg
Randolph Engineering HGU4/P conform sunglasses
Randolph Engineering P3 Submariner sunglasses Randolph Engineering P3 sunglasses.jpg
Randolph Engineering P3 Submariner sunglasses
Shooting glasses

Manufacturing processes

Randolph Engineering produces shooting eyewear, sunglasses, and prescription eyewear. Their products come in a variety of lens and frame styles, the most popular being the traditional aviator style. Each pair of sunglasses is made nearly entirely by hand in a detailed 200-step process. [11] An average of 53,000 pairs of glasses are produced per month. All manufacturing processes take place at the company's 22,000-square-foot facility in the United States. [3]

Randolph Engineering also produces their own high-strength solder flux, and every pair of their glasses comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee for every solder joint. [12] Navy pilots and Army helicopter pilots both wear Randolph's matte chrome 52 mm Aviators. [11] In 2011, Randolph Engineering also began production of the Michael Bastian Signature Series. Today, products are sold in over 400 retailers globally and compete with brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasses</span> Form of vision aid

Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear with lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms that rest over the ears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunglasses</span> Eyewear for protecting against bright light

Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened. In the early 20th century, they were also known as sun cheaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakley, Inc.</span> Manufacturer of sports eyewear

Oakley, Inc. is an American company headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, which is an autonomous subsidiary of EssilorLuxottica. The company designs, develops and manufactures sports performance equipment and lifestyle pieces including sunglasses, safety glasses, eyeglasses, sports visors, ski/snowboard goggles, watches, apparel, backpacks, shoes, optical frames, and other accessories. Most items are designed in house at their head office, but some countries hold exclusive designs relevant to their market. Oakley currently holds more than 600 patents for eyewear, materials, and performance gear.

Luxottica Group S.p.A. is an Italian eyewear conglomerate based in Milan which is the world's largest eyewear company. As a vertically integrated company, Luxottica designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails its eyewear brands all through its own subsidiaries.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirrored sunglasses</span> Type of sunglasses

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persol</span> Eyewear company

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviator sunglasses</span> Style of sunglasses

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Eyewear is a term used to refer to all accessories worn over both of a person's eyes, or occasionally a single eye, for one or more of a variety of purposes. Though historically used for vision improvement and correction, eyewear has also evolved into eye protection, for fashion and aesthetic purposes, and starting in the late 20th century, computers and virtual reality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GI glasses</span> Eyeglasses issued by the American military to its service members

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Polaroid Eyewear manufactures polarized sunglasses and polarized lenses, as well as optical frames, reading glasses, and clip-on lenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safilo Group</span>

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References

  1. "Randolph Engineering - 50th Anniversary Story - Made in USA Sunglasses".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Randolph Engineering: Our Authentic American History" . Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Made with the shades: Randolph Engineering grows as its sunglasses get noticed". Boston Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  4. "Randolph Engineering - 50th Anniversary Story - Made in USA Sunglasses".
  5. "Randolph Engineering - 50th Anniversary Story - Made in USA Sunglasses".
  6. "Randolph Engineering — An Authentic American Story" . Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "The American Dream". The Patriot Ledger, Boston. June 16, 1983. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  8. "Michael Bastian for Randolph Engineering" . Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  9. "Randolph Engineering Defense Contract Values" . Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  10. "Randolph Sunglasses: About Randolph" . Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  11. 1 2 "Step Into My Factory", GQ Magazine, January 23, 2012
  12. "Quality and Technology" Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine , January 23, 2012