Vistakon Makes Further Progress With $218m Expansion

Vistakon, the contact lens production company under the Johnson & Johnson Vision Care umbrella, plans to invest $218 million into expanding its campus in South Jacksonville. The aim of this expansion is to boost the company’s production capacity for its Acuvue disposable contact lenses. The latest step forward was made last week, when Vistakon received approval from the Jacksonville City Council to finish the $13.4 million expansion of its manufacturing site in Deerwood Park, the Daily Record reported.

Last September, the newspaper revealed that Vistakon had filed its construction plans with city councillors two days after the council authorised an incentives package. Of the total investment amount reserved, it is estimated that $20 million will go into building improvements, machinery and equipment purchases will account for $188 million and upgrades to two product lines will be made at a cost of $10 million.

According to Vistakon, the project will bring as many as 100 new jobs to the city, with an average pay of $65,000. As a result of the expansion, the contact lens manufacturer will boost its workforce to nearly 2,000, while its production space will grow to approximately 800,000 square foot. The Deerwood Park property was bought in 1992 and Johnson & Johnson has so far erected nine buildings on it.

Vistakon traces its roots back to the 1950s, when it began operating in Buffalo under the name Frontier Contact Lens. It received its current name after its 1981 acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. When the Acuvue lenses were launched in 1987, it was the first seven-day extended-wear disposable contact lens available on the market.