Well-known lens specialist John Clemence, founder and director of Independent Lens Specialists (ILS) has retired from a lifelong career in optics.
“Many in the New Zealand optical industry have had dealings with John over the years and his passion, experience and knowledge of lenses is legendary,” said long-term business partner Glenn Bolton. “John loved chatting about and offering a solution to a tricky, problematic prescription. Having that ‘old school’ knowledge allows you to think outside the square and push beyond some limitations that modern machines throw at us.” As a business partner Clemence was the best, added Bolton, especially as he was always happy to invest in the latest technology.
Talking to Clemence on holiday, via a patchy West Coast phone line, he said he’s enjoying having more time to spend in the great outdoors, “dusting off the old cobwebs on the mountain bike”, but he will miss the people in the industry, especially Bolton. “In all the years we’ve been in business together we’ve never had an argument. Some of our best decisions were made at the end of a long day finishing up over a bourbon.”
He said he’s lucky to always have worked in a family type of environment where everyone pulls together. “I have enjoyed the people and watching young people grow.”
Clemence got his start in optics after an ad in the local paper caught his eye. “I was always good with my hands, making things and building models, and then I saw a job advertised for manufacturing lenses for spectacles and I thought, ‘oh that sounds quite interesting,’ so I applied and got it. The rest is history. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
