AO Eyewear Inc. has received a $1.5 million tax-exempt bond from MassDevelopment to renovated and update the equipment in its 12,000-square-foot Southbridge facility. Southbridge Savings Bank purchased the bond.
The new equipment includes a fully automatic rim-forming machine, an ultrasonic cleaning system and two fully automatic frame induction soldering lines.
AO Eyewear Inc., formerly the metal frame division of American Optical Corp., manufactures Original Pilots, the aviator sunglasses worn by members of the U.S. military. In 2012, the company set a goal to move 100 percent of its production and jobs back to the United States from China and hopes this equipment and renovation will assist in that objective. The project will create an estimated 15 jobs in Southbridge.
"Bringing manufacturing back to the United States is an important part of AO Eyewear’s long-term business model. MassDevelopment and Southbridge Savings Bank have been key factors in the financing aspect of that plan. We are proud to be a part of the reshoring initiative and look forward to hiring more people while our business grows," AO Eyewear President and owner Alan McKinley said in a statement.
