Photo supplied.
Millbrook entrepreneur Paul Storace embraces every aspect of his business, including product design.
In his career, Paul Storace has veered far from his agricultural roots.
When he began working with an eyewear firm in Toronto some 30+ years ago, he knew little about the industry. He now owns and operates an eyewear design and sales company with a large sales force operating across North America, serving more than 7,000 independent opticians and optical firms from their base in Ajax.
Paul fell into the eyewear design industry by accident and was soon hooked. The business is a fascinating combination of design, performance and technology; products are subject to fast-changing fashion trends and technological developments that quickly render products obsolete and new materials that open doors to different manufacturing processes.
Paul went out on his own with another colleague and friend from his first employer, and quickly became an eyeglass designer, he claims, out of necessity: they needed product to sell. This was not a hardship- Paul refers to himself as an “eyeglass junkie” and the products scattered across his desk confirm his love of the product. He loves colour, shape and new materials. Paul is hands-on operator. When he imagines a new material combination, he goes to the shop and experiments with the materials to see if his idea has legs before handing it off to someone else to move it forward.
His first independent venture began with three product lines, with a focus on clip-ons. At Plan B, there are now more than 14 collections with 50-100 styles each, Paul is very prolific designing more that 200 new styles each year.
There are no ivory towers at Plan B. Paul and his team are very active with customers and take a grass roots approach to their business. People actually answer the phone there. The objective is customer satisfaction, and that’s not just a mission statement. They understand that their success depends on that of their clients, which happens when they delivering current, eclectic, quality products at the right price.
Their collections are broad and diverse, and include specialized lines for big men, sports and children as well as an extensive line of ladies brands and modern takes on the original clip-on styles where Paul first began.
Locally, Alternative Eyewear/Plan B merchandise is available at Green Eyewear, an independent Optical shop owned by Opticians Amanda and Shane Palmer who are pleased to showcase local talent. Located at 234 Hunter St. West, they are a full service, fashion-forward with a licensed optometrist available to ensure customers look good and see well with their new eyewear.
While Paul has no plans to join his wife in early retirement, a succession plan is formulating as their daughter is joining the management ranks at the firm shortly. She has been away from the business for a while but brings years of experience to the task. Her youthful energy will be useful as she tries to keep up with her father whose energy and enthusiasm has established this firm’s credentials across North America. KG
