Vision Works/ECCA Company Information

Profile

Company History/Information Incorporated in Texas in 1988, we are the third largest optical retail chain as measured by net revenues and the largest company focused solely on the optical retail sector in the United States. We currently operate or manage nearly 400 stores in 36 states, offering a broad assortment of high-quality branded, private label and non-branded eyeglasses and other eye care products. We provide in-house lens processing capabilities in most of our stores allowing us to offer our customers one-hour service on most prescriptions. We believe this integrated eye care solution, in combination with our value-oriented pricing strategy and marketing tag line, "Why Pay More?," represents a compelling value proposition to consumers. Optometrists located within or adjacent to all of our stores provide convenient eye exams which we believe results in strong customer loyalty and a consistent source of optical retail customers. Our stores are located primarily in the Southwest, Midwest and Southeast, along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coasts and in the Pacific Northwest regions of the United States and operate under separate trade names in each of our local markets, including "EyeMasters," "Visionworks," "Vision World," "Doctor's VisionWorks," "Dr. Bizer's VisionWorld," "Dr. Bizer's ValuVision," "Doctor's ValuVision," "Hour Eyes," "Stein Optical," "Eye DRx" and "Binyon's." glasses Our strategy of clustering stores within targeted markets allows us to build local market leadership and strong consumer brand awareness, as well as achieve economies of scale in advertising and field management. As a result, we estimate that we hold either the number one or two market share position in all of our top ten markets, comprised of Washington, D.C., Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Louisville, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Milwaukee and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.