Lens firm focus on new growth in Hamilton

Jul 9 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A LANARKSHIRE-based disposable contact lens manufacturer has created thirty-five new jobs.

The new jobs at Daysoft in Hamilton International Technology Park range from production operators, technicians, engineers and IT specialists and bring the total workforce there to 150.

Most of the staff come from the Hamilton area.

The jobs boost follows healthy sales, and production capacity at the Blantyre premises – where Daysoft began operating in 1999 – has been increased with a massive £2.5m investment.

Daysoft sell daily contact lenses direct to consumers.

They have sold 200 million lenses so far, all of which are made at Blantyre.

Chairman and founder of Daysoft Ron Hamilton said this week: ”The continued growth of our business has boosted our resources at a time when other manufacturers are struggling.

“We judged this a great time to invest in our building and increase our staff levels.

”The purchase of our laboratory and office premises in Blantyre brings our investment this year alone to £2.5 million.

“Our growing online sales mean that for more clicks we can invest in more bricks.

“We really feel we have the tiger by the tail and we’ll be looking at other opportunities to grow the business in the near future.”

Daysoft sell contact lenses to 27 countries via independent opticians.

Three years ago, following changes in regulation, it decided to go straight-to-market and began selling direct to consumers via the internet.

Orders are growing at a rate of 10 per cent each month.

Daysoft started selling daily disposable contact lenses via independent opticians in 2001.

But following the passing of the UK Optician’s Act, which separated the fitting of contact lenses from their physical supply, Daysoft began selling direct to consumers via the web.