Essilor of America, Essilor International’s U.S. subsidiary, has expanded its prescription laboratory network in the U.S. with the acquisition of Interstate Optical, an independent wholesale laboratory headquartered in Mansfield, Ohio.

Interstate was ranked the fifth largest independent U.S. wholesale lab in Vision Monday’s 2007 Top Labs Report, with Rx sales of $24.9 million. Interstate, which operates a branch in Indianapolis, has 210 employees and serves eyecare professionals in 32 states. The lab was owned by the Art family. Interstate's management team, headed by John Art, president, Rob Art, vice president and Debbie Art, secretary/treasurer, will remain in place, according to Essilor. 

In addition, Essilor has acquired a stake in Unilab, a prescription lab in northeastern Brazil. Although Essilor has been present for more than 20 years in Brazil through a distribution subsidiary, one plant and five lens treatment centers, Unilab represents its first local acquisition in line with its downstream integration policy. Essilor said it will gradually increase its share in Unilab to 51 percent by early 2011.