© 2002 MagEyes.com™

The MagEyes Story -

How an ordinary trip to the dentist turned into a successful business!

MagEyes has become a successful product in the $11 billion craft and hobby business because of it ’s unique head mounted magnifier design which gives vision enhancement to all types of people doing close precision work, or just simply reading. And to think it all began with a trip to her dentist ( he was using an expensive medical magnifier which he gave to her to use) and Mary Frances being a keen observer of anything that could help those with visual acuity limitations or hand-related disabilities saw this was a product anyone could use. As I was sitting and smocking in the beauty shop in Houston wearing this expensive magnifier, all these ladies asked, “Where did you get that!” I immediately saw a need for it and finally decided on New Year’s in 1992: ”This is it ! ” I was going to do it or quit thinking about it. ” Because the dentist gave her his magnifier, she later decided to invent her own to make it easier to use and more cost “friendly ” for the average person.

Mary Frances’s early steps were to form MagEyes, Inc. Her family and personal background gave her the faith and determination to start her own business . “My father had been an independent oil operator, and he took me and my brother into the business with him. That’s where we learned how to take risks in a big way.” Mary Frances also had polio when she was 12. She had to learn to walk all over again and as an adult, learned to get around in a motorized wheelchair and drive a special equipped van.

Then she met with a patent lawyer in Houston along with a design engineer to begin the long process of designing the MagEyes for submission to the U.S. patent office. MagEyes’s first patent was issued in May of 1995 and two subsequent patents were issued in the next several years. Some of the MagEyes uses and applications are: hand sewing, fly tying, manicures, model building, needlepoint, quilting, miniature painting, coin/stamp collecting, jewelry making, inspection, rework, antique collecting/inspection. The vision enhancement also helps in reading the stock market, maps, directories, medicine bottle labels, schematics, contract fine print, and the Bible.

Finding a manufacturer proved easier than first thought. When Mary Frances' husband, Edward, retired from the insurance business they moved to retire in Kerrville, TX. There they found Acrotech Southwest which was able to do the manufacturing of the unit. The lenses are manufactured by a high, quality control lens manufacturer in America and then they are shipped to Acrotech so they complete the product including packaging and some palletized shipping nationwide and around the world.

Mary Frances began marketing the MagEyes in consumer and trade shows; as well as advertising regularly in hobby, craft and sewing magazines. At the trade shows she would introduce this revolutionary product to anyone who would listen. People were amazed at the comfort, ease of use, and quality of the MagEyes.

Stores and catalog companies quickly began buying the MagEyes; they realized their overall sales would increase if people could work on their hobbies/crafts with less eye strain or fatigue, by wearing the MagEyes to enhance their vision.

Soon MagEyes, Inc. outgrew their office space. In the course of four years, MagEyes, Inc. had to move four times to expand to larger office space. The number of stores carrying the MagEyes grew to be more than the office staff could handle. So, MagEyes, Inc. then pursued distributors to sell to the stores. This allowed the office staff to handle the shipments in larger quantities and to less areas. Soon, all the existing stores bought the MagEyes through a distributor. Catalog and distributor sales steadily increased. Mary Frances has always been a forward thinker in advertising and marketing the MagEyes. She knows to keep the product before the public. There are still millions of people who would benefit by using this magnifier. Still, many have never heard of MagEyes. So Mary Frances is now marketing the MagEyes on T.V.

The many benefits of MagEyes are: the unit is feather-light, easy to travel with , very comfortable , easily interchangeable lenses (1.6x ,2.0x , 2.25 x , & 2.75 x ), and it brings your reading or work closer into focus than regular “drugstore” magnifying glasses and does not mess up your hairstyle. The unit is designed to be worn with or without prescription glasses. It is not intended to replace prescription glasses. The dual lenses are a high grade, optical quality acrylic, which create no distortion in the viewing area.

In 1997, MagEyes introduced an ESD (antistatic) unit for companies manufacturing live computer boards or any assembly requiring a Static Free environment. This black, with copper flecks, unit is a static dissipater and can be used in any clean room environment where any bit of static charge could result in millions of lost dollars in product.

During the 2000 International Toy Fair Trade Show in New York, MagEyes introduced its Educational Children’s model. This unit has a millennium dark silver look and includes the 1.6x magnification lens. Of course, as with all the MagEyes magnifiers, all the lenses easily inter-change in any MagEyes headband.

The steady, continued growth of MagEyes prompted the owner of the company to bring on John Schubert as Operational Manager/CEO in 2000. Mr. Schubert brought with him 22 years of injection molding experience. His addition to the company has enabled MagEyes to begin manufacturing their own high grade optical quality magnification lenses, thus keeping lens quality, supply on hand, and manufacturing costs well in control. Mr. Schubert fully implemented his knowledge of design and mechanics into our two newest product members, MagEyes Plus and HatEyes.

MagEyes PLUS was introduced in 2001 as a “High Power” unit for the professional in: watch repair, jewelry making, antiquities, research, etc. This unit offers three lenses: 1.6x, 2.0x, PLUS a 5x loupe as the lower power set and 2.25x, 2.75x, PLUS a 5x loupe as the higher power set. The loupe is used with either of the binocular lenses or it may be used alone. If it is used with the binocular lenses, the power of the binocular lenses is almost doubled. Hence, one has five different powers available with the MagEyes Plus!

By 2002, MagEyes made two dramatic additions to the product line: HatEyes and Body-Rite, The Posture Pleaser! HatEyes is a very clever and well thought out magnifier for the outdoor person. This unit easily clips to the brim of caps, hats, and sun-visors! Take your magnification on your boat, at the ballpark, or in the hunting blind! HatEyes will neatly tuck under the brim when not in use. Body-Rite, The Posture Pleaser extends the MagEyes product line in the help aids industry. This gentle counter balance helps one reduce back pain and strain caused from repetitive tasks performed in the craft, home, or work environment.

Internationally, MagEyes products are well received in Australia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and well beyond into the “new Europe”. Products are shipped regularly to almost every major country in the world. MagEyes’ vision is truly global.

MagEyes, Inc. is a true American success story of one woman’s vision, faith, courage, and determination. Mary Frances Sherlock is a uniquely blessed and gifted businesswoman.

© 2002-2007 MagEyes.com™ |