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C@ moving ahead with growth plans
31-May-06 by James Moses


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Listed Perth-based eyewear products marketer C@ Ltd has finalised a deal with a major un-named health care company and is also progressing plans to establish business relationships with 25 independent optometrist practices by July.

The above initiatives provide further signs of the increasing momentum of the company's growth plans.

C@, pronounced 'see at', will reveal the identity of the health fund shortly.

It listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in December after a successful $2.5 million capital raising, and in March announced plans to commence international operations with the establishment of shop-front optometrist outlets in the United Kingdom.

The UK pilot scheme will commence mid year, and will apply the same marketing package, and linked lens and frame ordering system as C@ uses in Australia.

The company's business model sees it provide marketing services to independent optometrists in exchange for supplying a range of frames and lenses.

C@ are pursuing a vertically integrated strategy with the laboratory linked with a client assessment and lens ordering service at retail outlets - providing turnaround for some orders of under 24-hours.

The company said it was confident of signing business relationships with 25 practices as associates by July 1, and then having them sign on as joint venture partners after a six month trial.

C@ has already signed 10 practices under this arrangement in Perth, and is well advanced in negotiations with several Sydney practices.

The longer term goal is to have 300 independent practices on-board in five years.

In February C@ opened its optical lens laboratory at its production facilities in East Perth.

The laboratory is one of the most advanced of its kind in the country and includes the latest German robotic technology to cut and shape lenses in rapid time.