The eyewear and eyecare business Luxottica has secured a contract worth $33.5 million, to provide optical services for the Australian Defence Force.

The agreement is for Luxottica’s brands – OPSM, Laubman & Pank and Budget Eyewear – to act as exclusive subcontractors to the prime contractor Medibank.

The win is part of a larger multi-million dollar contract awarded by the ADF to Medibank to provide a wide range of medical and allied health services both on and off base. 

Luxottica’s retail footprint, including its 388 strong OPSM store network, will exclusively offer eye services to more than 80,000 ADF personnel each year. This will include eye tests, frames and lenses, and access to eye health scans using the most-up-to-date next-generation technology following an $20 million investment this year.

Chris Beer, chief executive officer of Luxottica Asia Pacific, said “Our agreement to provide optical services to the Australian Defence Force as a sub-contractor to Medibank is exclusive, and is due to our proven track record with the ADF in Western Australia and South Australia, extensive geographical reach, superior high-quality product offering and Australia’s largest team of expert optometrists. 

“Our continued drive is to raise the standard of eye care for all Australians and we are proud to be caring for the eyes of Australia’s Defence personnel.”

From 1 September 2012, Luxottica’s off-base optical services will be available to all ADF personnel who will be able to select optical and sunglass frames from a wide range. 

Beer said “While the retail environment remains challenging for many, Luxottica continues to be a market leader and to build a solid platform for long-term growth. We have a very clear vision for the future and we are pleased the ADF contract is a part of it.”