Two branches in Stonehaven and Montrose join nationwide group.
Independent optician and hearing care specialist Duncan and Todd Group have added The Spectacle Company, which has two branches in Stonehaven and Montrose, to its Scotland-wide portfolio.
The latest acquisition takes the Group’s total branches to 43, retaining its position as the largest privately-owned optician and hearing care provider in Scotland.
It has also taken on patients registered at Gibson Opticians on Rosemount Viaduct in Aberdeen, which has closed due to retirement.
The Spectacle Company practice on Montrose’s High Street will continue to operate as usual, while the existing Duncan and Todd branch on Market Square has moved to the larger Spectacle Company premises on Barclay Street.
Both will now trade as Duncan and Todd Opticians and the 13 staff, most of whom have at least 10 years of service, have transferred to Duncan and Todd Group.
Duncan and Todd Group managing director Frances Rus said: “We are pleased to have added The Spectacle Company to our family of opticians. As a fellow long-established independent optometrist who is committed to providing a high quality and personal service to its local communities, it was a great fit for us.
“We are continuing to grow the Duncan and Todd Group as we add to our portfolio of branches and move into new areas. This acquisition allows us to expand into Montrose, which is a new location for us but complements our existing branches in Arbroath and Forfar.”
The Spectacle Company directors, Graeme and Anne Shand, are to retire.
Anne Shand said: “We are delighted our practices are now part of the Duncan and Todd Group. It is great to know that both our patients and staff will benefit from the ethos of an independent optician, caring for our patients in the same way we have for the last 26 years in Montrose and 23 in Stonehaven.
“With a proven track record and established roots in North-east Scotland, we are happy for our business to still be ‘local’. Our long-standing members of staff, many with more than 10 years’ experience, will be a valuable asset to the new owners.”
The acquisition of nine practices from Black & Lizars in April 2019 bolstered Duncan and Todd’s reach across Scotland, from the Borders and central belt to the Highlands and Islands.
Duncan and Todd trades as 20 20 Opticians south of Tayside and as Duncan and Todd in the north, as well as retaining names which are well known locally, such as JM MacDonald in the Highlands.
The group has invested in hearing care and now offers this service across Scotland, with free hearing tests and supply, fitting and tuning of a comprehensive range of hearing aids, including digital aids.
As well as Caledonian Optical, its own dedicated lens manufacturing facility, the group also operates Smart Employee Eyecare (SEE), a corporate eye care offering which provides a simple web-based service to satisfy a company’s legal HSE compliance requirements for employees’ eye care to large public and private sector clients.
For more information, visit https://www.duncanandtodd.com