History

Hilsinger was founded in 1956 in Attleboro, MA by Arthur Hilsinger Sr., Arthur Hilsinger, Jr., and Herbert P. Nelson. In its initial phase the company’s business was the design and manufacture of decorative aluminum and plastic parts for eyewear frames. Soon thereafter, the company began to manufacture molded plastic nose pads for metal frames and developed a series of optical accessories products, repair parts, and tools for eye care professionals.

In 1961 the company acquired the Evans Case Company, a manufacturer of gift products and accessories, and operations were relocated to the company’s current headquarters facility in Plainville, MA. In 1975 it began manufacturing aluminum eyeglass frames under the Evans brand.

During the 1980’s the company transitioned away from the decorative eyewear components, gift products, and frames product lines and became focused exclusively on consumer and professional optical accessories, categories that remain important components of the modern Hilco business.

The business has grown and diversified substantially over the past 15 years through a combination of internal growth and several key business acquisitions, most notably Wilson Ophthalmic (1998); Shield Lens Care (1999); Leader Sports (2001); Quality Accessories (2006), OnGuard Safety (2007), and Sadler Optical Tools & Findings (2007).With each acquisition Hilsinger has increased its value to existing customers, capitalizing on numerous product synergies and operating efficiencies.

Present

Hilsinger supplies more than 20,000 products to a very large and diverse group of customers (25,000+). The company trades under five primary brands: Hilco® – professional products; Leader® – consumer eyewear accessories, sports eyewear, sunwear, and swim products; Quality Accessories – premium, personalized lens care products; OnGuard® Safety – industrial safety eyewear; and Wilson Ophthalmic – eye care supplies and accessories. Hilsinger customers are serviced through company-operated facilities in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and France.

Hilsinger has demonstrated an uncommon ability to innovate new products across many different, yet contiguous categories; to manage the supply of those products efficiently; and to deliver them with unparalleled speed and accuracy. The company has been granted a number of patents for various accessory and eyewear products and has won numerous industry awards for innovation.

It has also earned an excellent reputation with its customers for systemization – bringing order to complex programs such as replacement eyewear parts and consumer accessories – and for delivering comprehensive solutions that extend beyond products to merchandising programs, training aids, and dispensing tools.