Menicon Announces French Affiliate Menicon SAS’s 40th Anniversary and Completion of its New Premises
Menicon Co., Ltd.’s French affiliate, Menicon SAS (hereinafter “M-SAS”), recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its establishment. In line with its corporate principle “Contributing to society by providing superior visual correction,” since launching its business in Europe, Menicon has been dedicated to pursuing the company’s mission of disseminating accurate knowledge rather than just developing the market. With great appreciation for your support, we are pleased to announce M-SAS’s 40th anniversary and completion of its new premises in the business park near Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Commemoration ceremony for 40th anniversary of M-SAS’s establishment, May 24-26, 2018
- New premises completion ceremony at Paris Nord 2 International Business Park
- 40th anniversary commemoration ceremony, Menicon Symposium (Chantilly, near Paris)
Under the chairmanship of Dr. R. Mély, President of the European Contact Lens Society of Ophthalmologists (ECLSO), more than 150 French ophthalmologists took part in discussions on prescriptions for children, presbyopia, irregular corneas, and other topics over two days.
Prescription results for the new product Miru 1day Up Side* and the Smart Touch concept were presented in the soft contact lens session, which attracted considerable attention, and a press conference was also held for the product.
In addition, the following sessions were highly rated by participants:
- Interview with Dr. Paul Rose, a creator of lenses for keratoconus.
- Application of contact lenses to treat animal eye diseases.
* Trade name for Japanese market: 1day Menicon Premio
On May 24, a completion ceremony for the new premises preceded the start of the symposium.
The ceremony was attended by Ms. Farida Adlani, Vice-president of the Île-de-France Region and Vice-mayor of Villepinte, and Ms. Martine Valleton, Mayor of Villepinte, with both making congratulatory speeches expressing their high expectations for vitalization of the local economy.
Anatole Diep, President of M-SAS remarked:
“This year marks the Menicon Group’s 40th year in France. Relocation of our premises closer to Charles de Gaulle Airport represents the following factors in our preparation for the next 10 years:
- Choice of an international setting to improve our logistics function
- Contact lens production in France using innovative technology from Japan
- Establishment of a new training center that will host healthcare professionals from all over France and other parts of Europe.”
The Business Park which is home to M-SAS’s new premises is located in an economic center with easy access to the international airport, TGV, and local rail lines.
As clearly shown by the fact that M-SAS currently holds about 75% share of the rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens market in France, Menicon’s business activities in Europe have been focused on RGP lenses. However, while the launch of disposable/replacement lenses was delayed, these products are now being successively introduced to the market. Therefore, we believe that the company’s relocation to an area with better access to the transportation network will contribute significantly to expanded sales of these products.
Toki Building
The company’s new building will be nicknamed “Toki,” after a bird that is widely loved in Japan, partly because the area surrounding the premises has several streets named for birds, such as a partridge. Another reason is that Menicon has been involved in the Japanese Crested Ibis (toki) protection activity led by Niigata Prefecture through the company’s environmental program. So, “Toki” is a symbol of Menicon’s corporate culture, in which Japan’s native flora and fauna are cherished.
The new premises, with an area of 5,000 m2 are designed to harmonize with the surrounding scenery and lush greenery. They also meet various environmental requirements. We plan to establish a new training center called “Campus Menicon” in the new premises to provide training opportunities for ophthalmologists and other professionals in the ophthalmic field.