Company founder Angel Alvarez to continue in position of chairman

ABB OPTICAL GROUP announced the appointment of Thomas E. Burke III, a healthcare logistics leader with nearly 40 years of experience, to chief executive officer. Burke will assume CEO responsibilities from Angel Alvarez, who will remain as chairman. Brad Weinbrum will continue as president.

“We are thrilled to have Tom as part of the ABB OPTICAL team. He brings the additional talent and leadership needed to harness the dynamic opportunities for growth and innovation that we have in front of us,” Alvarez said. “Tom’s expertise and experience in building innovative customer solutions, developing cutting-edge warehouse and logistics networks, and leading dynamic and engaged teams will be an asset to our customers and all of our stakeholders. He represents a perfect cultural fit with our core values.”

Thomas E. Burke, III

Throughout his career, Burke has guided world-class organizations through extraordinary growth trajectories. Prior to joining ABB OPTICAL, Burke was CEO of Massachusetts-based Medical Specialties Distributors, a supply chain solutions provider for the home infusion therapy, home medical equipment and oncology markets.

Previously, Burke served as vice president/general manager of the specialty distribution division of Cardinal Health from 2012 to 2014 and then as senior vice president/general manager for Cardinal Health’s acute pharmaceutical distribution business and numerous solutions companies from 2014 to 2016. He was CEO and president of Miami-based Novis Pharmaceuticals, a start-up national distributor of therapeutic products, from 2007 until 2012, when it was acquired by Cardinal Health.

Burke’s career in healthcare logistics spans nearly four decades, beginning as a warehouse employee for Daly Hospital Supply in 1979 while attending Salem State University in Massachusetts. Daly Hospital Supply was later acquired by Cardinal Health, beginning Burke’s long tenure with the Fortune 500 company in advancing leadership roles.

“Since day one, I have been passionate about delivering best-in-class service to healthcare providers to better enable them to improve the lives of their patients,” Burke said. “I look forward to working closely with Angel, Brad and the entire ABB team to build upon the strong foundation that Angel has laid over the past 29 years. In this rapidly changing industry, we will continue to be at the forefront with innovative solutions and exceptional service. This is an amazing opportunity and I am happy to be here.”

Angel Alvarez

ABB OPTICAL GROUP founder Angel Alvarez will continue to guide the strategic vision of the company as chairman, partnering closely with Burke and Weinbrum as they guide the organization through its next chapter of growth.

During his 29 years as CEO, Alvarez grew ABB OPTICAL from three staff members in a small warehouse room to more than 1,000 employees across eight facilities nationwide, establishing ABB OPTICAL GROUPas the eye care industry’s trusted partner and one of the leading distributors of optical products in the United States. The company generates more than $1 billion in revenue annually.

Founded in 1989, ABB OPTICAL supplies nearly two-thirds of eye care professionals across the country with brand-name contact lenses, specialty contact lenses, ophthalmic lenses and more. The company also provides business-building services for its customers such as pricing strategy tools, as well as performance dashboards through its Glimpse software division and practice management solutions through Primary Eyecare Network. ABB OPTICAL’s DIGITAL EYE LAB Network utilizes cutting-edge technology to produce eyewear that is personalized to patients’ needs and lifestyles.

The company experienced rapid growth and expansion in the 1990s and 2000s through the acquisition of several regional contact lens companies, most notably CON-CISE Contact Lens Company in California, which established ABB CONCISE as the largest contact lens distributor in the United States.

In 2012, private equity firm New Mountain Capital of New York recapitalized ABB CONCISE to support continued growth and expansion. Later that year, ABB CONCISE and Optical Distributor Group, the second largest contact lens distributor in the nation, merged to become ABB OPTICAL GROUP.

An acquisition of Diversified Ophthalmics, Inc. and partner company MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics in 2016 expandedABB OPTICAL’s logistics support along the East and West Coasts into the central U.S., increasing the company’s geographic footprint across several Midwestern states.

For more information about ABB OPTICAL GROUP, visit ABBOptical.com.

ABOUT ABB OPTICAL GROUP

ABB OPTICAL GROUP is a leading distributor of optical products in the United States. The company supplies nearly two-thirds of eye care professionals across the country with brand name contact lenses, fully customizable gas permeable and custom specialty soft contact lenses, ophthalmic lenses and more. The company's DIGITAL EYE LAB Network is dedicated to producing eyewear that is truly personalized to patients’ needs and lifestyles. ABB OPTICAL GROUP also offers practice building services such as pricing strategy tools, business reviews, annual supply staff training and e-commerce solutions. For additional information, visit ABBOptical.com.