Fully focused

Ian has set his sights high

A SADDLEWORTH optician is celebrating after registering his 7,000th patient in the month his practice was recognised in a national awards project.

2020 Saddleworth, opened by Ian Johnston 61/2-years ago, in High Street, Uppermill, is way ahead of the business plan, which projected 5,000 patients at this stage.

“This figure represents more than half of the people in Saddleworth registered as patients and 90 per cent come from Saddleworth with the majority of the rest from Mossley.

“I believe this makes me the largest independent optician in the Oldham area,” says Mr Johnston, (44), who lives in village.

He celebrated with cream cakes and coffee in the new-look practice reception.

On show is the certificate that 2020 Saddleworth received for being shortlisted in the annual Optician Awards, a national event which culminated with a black-tie dinner for 650 guests at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

Nominated by a patient, 2020 Saddleworth was judged by a panel of industry experts and reached a shortlist of five which went forward to the Oscars-style grand finals.

“More than 9,000 practices are eligible so for a village optician to be up there on stage, and on the big screen, in competition with some of the biggest opticians in the country was something special,” said Mr Johnstone.

The top prize in the Varilux Golden Jubilee Award category went to a multi-million pound turnover, four-practice business based in Norwich but Mr Johnstone now has the bug and is determined to enter again next year — and one of the nominations will be his staff in the Team of the Year category.

In growing the practice from four patients in 2002 — basically himself his wife and two children — to 7,000 registrations 2020 Saddleworth has also grown to a staff of four optical assistants, two associate optometrists, one technician and one bookkeeper.

In addition to specialising in Varilux lenses, 2020 Saddleworth offers a range of designer spectacle frames, Prada, Versacci, DKNY, Ray Ban and Silhouette and contact lenses.