World’s biggest eyewear company opens new plant in Rayong
EssilorLuxottica, the world’s leading eyewear producer, officially opened a new plant in Rayong on Tuesday.
The integrated ophthalmic lenses and frames manufacturing plant is part of the company’s 16-billion-baht investment to turn Thailand into its Southeast Asia manufacturing hub. The new factory is expected to create 6,000 jobs.
The Rayong plant is among the largest of EssilorLuxottica Group’s global facilities, chief operating officer Giorgio Striano told a press conference on Monday ahead of the plant's inauguration.
He said that the new facility will complement the group’s existing Asia Pacific operations, including major facilities in mainland China, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Japan, and South Korea.
The 220,000-square-metre Rayong factory will manufacture ophthalmic lenses, prescription frames, and sunglasses, as well as complete pairs of lenses and frames. Production will begin in mid-November with a capacity of 50,000 pairs of eyewear per day, which can be increased depending on market demand, Striano said. Products from the Thai plant will be exported globally.
"This is a significant step in our commitment to better address the growing global visual health needs through an increasingly integrated, diversified, and geographically balanced footprint," he said.
The company said it is investing to build two new facilities, upgrade capacity at two existing plants, and enhance latest lens technology to meet demand in the medical-tools market.
The Rayong plant covers the entire supply chain and is close to markets, said EssilorLuxottica’s director and co-chief operating officer Norbert Gorny. This was necessary to deal with expanding demand for the company’s diverse range of affordable high-quality eyecare and eyewear while ensuring quality and innovation, he added.
Both chief operating officers noted a global post-Covid health trend for eyewear that can protect and care for the eyes.
Gorny said EssilorLuxottica expects to create 6,000 new jobs in Thailand over the next 3-5 years.
On a global scale, the company plans to grow to at least double its current size while focusing more on technology services.
"As a result, we will invest not only in manufacturing technology, but also in software, IT instruments, and digital devices that will provide a better medical experience for its customers when they visit our stores, partners' outlets, and doctors," he said, adding that EssilorLuxottica is developing telemedicine for expansion of eyecare services on a larger scale.
EssilorLuxottica is a French-based international ophthalmic optics company that designs, manufactures, and markets lenses. It is currently present in 150 countries around the world, with 200,000 employees.
The group now has three manufacturing plants and industrial labs – in Chonburi, Lat Krabang, and the latest in Rayong – as well as offices and retail stores in Bangkok.
