Shamir's Asia Pacific team: Roy Lim (Singapore), Danny Messenger (Australia), Glenn Bolton (NZ), Edmund Song (Asia Pacific president) and Gagan Tiwari (India), with Shamir CEO Yagen Moshe (centre) and (third from right) Henrik Naas (Sweden) at the 50

Shamir Optical Industry brought management, employees and business partners from around the world to its corporate headquarters at Kibbutz Shamir in Israel to mark its 50th anniversary. NZ country manager Glenn Bolton took time out to tell us all about it.

I was excited to attend the 50th anniversary of Shamir and see for myself where it all began. First stop, however, was closer to home, Brisbane, to meet up with my Australian counterpart Danny Messenger and check out Shamir’s Australian laboratory and new Metaform machine. This new nano-structure lens-manufacturing technology rapidly fuses a multi-feature overlay, combining a coating structure with an optical film to any lens in an eco-friendly process. It was designed to create thinner, lighter lenses that are more durable, without the risk of peeling or breakage.

Impressed by the company’s latest technology, Danny and I then flew to Israel, where we met up with other country managers in Tel Aviv, before being given a tour of some of the historical sites and significant archaeological finds in the Golan Heights area, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It certainly made you realise how ‘young’ Aotearoa really is. Then it was on to Shamir Kibbutz itself.

Seeing where Shamir began and how it had grown to the high-tech international lens company it is today, was truly enlightening. Shamir Kibbutz is its own town and community, located on the western slopes of the Golan Heights in Upper Galilee with a population of about 1000 people. From 2006, Shamir has been one of the most prosperous kibbutzim in Israel, producing honey and toiletries, as well as the advanced optical products it is known for. The kibbutz also earns money from tourism, offering views of Mount Hermon to the north and the Hula Valley to the west.

Shamir country managers at the Sea of Galilee (Glenn Bolton is sixth from right at the front)

The following few days were spent touring the kibbutz, seeing the original labs, the R&D centre and the blank lens casting plant, and meeting with Shamir Optical shareholders. The trip culminated in a party at a winery in Northern Israel attended by about 700 members of the Shamir team, including former executives and others who have been instrumental in guiding the company’s success over the past five decades. A highlight of the event was the screening of a documentary tracing Shamir’s evolution from a humble manufacturer of glass bifocals to a global leader in ophthalmic technology. Entertainment was provided by Israeli music stars Shlomi Shabat and Shiri Maimon, who each had the crowd singing along to their hits.

I am so grateful to be part of such a strong, innovative global team that is producing such great products for us to supply to independent optometry in New Zealand, and to have been a part of these celebrations in person.

Glenn Bolton visiting an eighth-century crusaders fortress in Acre

Danny and I were also lucky enough to have time to indulge in a little sightseeing before we returned, journeying to Acre (Akko), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest ports in the world, where we visited an eighth century crusaders fortress. Israel is a fantastic place to visit. Anyone travelling there or wishing to travel there, let me know, as Shamir are very proud of their heritage and humble beginnings, and are fantastic hosts who would love to show you around their amazing kibbutz.

Glenn Bolton is the New Zealand country manager of Shamir and director of Independent Lens Specialists. He travelled to Israel courtesy of Shamir to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations in June this year.