Menicon has acquired all shares of Japan-based manufacturer of contact lens care solutions, soft contact lenses and RGP materials Tomey Co from Tomey Shoji, as part of its plans to expand globally by vertical integration.
The acquisition will enable Menicon to control completely the manufacture of Tomey’s lens and lens care products, and will strengthen its competitiveness in Japan as well as in the global markets.
Tomey has been the contracted supplier to Menicon of contact lens care solutions and the exclusive supplier of Menicon monthly replacement soft contact lenses, and latheable RGP and soft lens materials including Menicon Z, Menicon EX, Menisoft and Menicon Soft 72.
Tomey will be renamed as MeniconNect. A former director of Tomey, Hirofumi Minamikawa, has been appointed to lead MeniconNect as its president, with Tokiyasu Tsuchida of Menicon named executive vice president of MeniconNect. Together, they will form a new management team to steer the company as one of the Menicon group companies. All former Tomey Co. employees will remain in MeniconNect and the manufacturing facilities will stay as they are.
Hidenari Tanaka, president of Menicon, said: “Menicon is pleased to complete, through this acquisition, the vertical integration of manufacturing and material procurement into operation. Having complete control of manufacturing operations will help us provide even better products and services, and excellent value to all our customers in Japan and around the world. This will certainly help us accelerate our global business expansion.”