SUPPLYING INDEPENDENT OPTICIANS THROUGHOUT THE UK FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

Founded in 1972 by Ray Smith, Waterside remains a family run business retaining its independence and the values it was built on. Ray’s vision was to create a lab for the independent optician, offering exception customer service, quality products and innovation.

“Customer service is an ethos, not just a department” Chris Smith (Ray’s son) Managing Director

Big enough to cope, small enough to care is a much-used phrase but it really does sum up the ethos of the Waterside business and we never lose sight of the fact that we are here to serve our customers.

The ethos hasn’t changed in 50 years but we have never been afraid of embracing technology. Our fully integrated lab management system ensures we can offer our customers a full online ordering platform incorporating remote edging. Internally the same system ensures an efficient and seamless journey for each order, from start to finish we want every order to be the very best it can possibly be.

Having invested heavily in freeform surfacing technology Waterside’s comprehensive lens offering is comparable with any of the major lens manufacturers and being smaller and more adaptable even introduced specialist products of its own for sports eyewear, Photochromics and VFX Honeycomb ‘Mesh’ technology.

The ability of offer AR coating in-house allows the business to be a true one-stop shop but it’s the personalised service and ability to talk with the Waterside customer service team that practices most appreciate.

We are not the biggest, but our technology, skilled technicians and experienced customer service personnel ensures we can give a level of service and a comprehensive range of lens products to meet the needs of even the most demanding independent practice.

We are specialist at what we do, we make lenses! You won’t find us on the high street or online competing against you for those all important patients that are the lifeblood of any practice.