A story of opo design sweden 1
OPO in brief OPO Design Sweden is one of the optical markets leading suppliers in Scandinavia. The company has experienced a strong positive growth since establishment in 1996 and today we distribute 150.000 frames worldwide yearly. We currently have 22 employees in the company. Our company is distinguished by having a wide selection of frames intended for several different target groups. High quality design in combination with excellent customer service are other factors that have paved the way for our success. We deliver eyewear to 24 countries around the world. Our headquarter is located in Höllviken, Skåne. 2 3
1996 OPO is founded in Höllviken by Peo Stjernqvist and Ola Kunosson. 1997 Launch of Photo Eyewear, the first collection. 1998 Launch of OPO KID, NPT and OPO Titan. 2000 Danish A-Optik is acquired by OPO. Where we come from 2004 2005 Launch of KunoQvist collection in SILMOexhibition in Paris. The company takes its first step towards international markets. Finnish Stamy Oy is acquired by OPO. 2007 KunoQvist Young collection is launched in SILMO-exhibition in Paris and attracts a lot of attention within the exhibition s audience. OPO Design Sweden has its origin by the seaside of Öresund. The company was founded in 1996 by two friends, Peo Stjernqvist and Ola Kunosson. The first employee was taken on the same year. 2008 The company takes on its 22st employee. The first collection saw daylight in 1997 as Photo Eyewear was introduced. The collection became popular and interest towards the company grew in the Nordic countries. In the following years three other collections were launched. OPO Titan collection, OPO KID frames a collection intended for children and NPT, a youthful collection that now is known by the name OPO Trend They all soon became sought-after items. After a couple of years the time was right to take the step towards markets outside the Nordic countries. KunoQvist, which has been known as the flagship of the company, was launched at the SILMO-exhibition in Paris in 2004. The Collection aroused enthusiasm and the reputation of our stylish Swedish designed eyewear spread through out the world. The establishment of KunoQvist Young collection took place in Paris three years later. This collection has attracted a lot of attention. 4 5
EUROPE: Belgium Denmark Estonia Finland Iceland Norway Luxemburg Sweden Poland Slovakia Czech Republic Germany Hungary France Greece Italy Netherlands Where we are now USA Canada Mexico South Korea Japan Our eyewear is currently available in 24 countries. We have sales representatives in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Luxemburg, Norway and Sweden. We have distributors in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. In addition we have distributors in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea and USA. Our design is also available in Japan through a retailer. Australia New Zealand 6 7
Where we are heading OPO has a vision to become the leading design house in the Nordic countries for high quality eyewear that are built on wellknown brands made in the Scandinavian spirit. As we are expanding and strengthening our position in the Nordic markets, we are going to further develop our successful export strategy. 8 9
Our heroes It is quite obvious that OPO wouldn t enjoy the success of today without all its co-workers. Here follows some highlights of some of our team members viewpoints of OPO and their tasks. Design is hard work and humility Peo Stjernqvist is the designer and founder of OPO. According to Peo, OPO was born out of the driving force of seeing how far the wings can take you. The same force has made him take eyewear design to a higher level. If you ask him why he chose to work with eyewear, the answer is probably going to be a short one. The choice has been obvious from the very beginning and his instinct for good design is innate. Peo tells that the most important characteristic of a good designer is to have an open mind. The second most important is to have endurance. You create expressions that nobody ever has invented before. At the same time you have to be humble towards users and functionality without falling in the trap of creating the expected. Good design demands hard work. 10 11
In the head of expansion Marcus Gårdö, newly appointed CEO for OPO, is enthusiastic about the future. OPO has a great potential for growth. The company is very well-managed and there is a lot of scope for us growing abroad. Our staff are one of the key strengths of OPO. Familiarity is characteristic of our company culture. We are candid with each other, but the atmosphere remains relaxed. The dynamics of the company let us make changes quickly and adapt to the changing requirements of the markets. Marcus stresses the influence of having a highly-skilled staff taking care of customers needs and wishes. One of our biggest strengths lies with our very accommodating customer service and our excellence in spare parts delivery. At last - but not least -he goes on and signifies the importance of high quality products, targeted at the right place at the right time. OPO has been in the field for 12 years and we have earned the ability to see what the market wants. We offer high-quality frames that our markets are craving for, but nobody has ever made before. Our products are really fantastic. Closeness and good service on export Sari and Theodora are two hard-working, language-skilled co-workers in the export department, which started in 2004. The export department was newly started when Sari Helminen, export manager, came to OPO. She says that she has enjoyed her work from the very beginning: The best thing about working in the Export department is all the customer contact you have developed through these years. I have close customer relationships with many distributors, and I think that is just great. The fact that you personally know the customers makes you try even harder. She says that the company culture is making it possible to serve its customers in the best way: We get a lot of freedom to plan our work, as we have a lot of responsibility. It is a nice and rewarding way to work. She continues with pointing out that not only the products are high quality Customers have commended our service. We have shorter delivery times and are able to help the customers out for example when it comes to spareparts. 12 13
Mutual sincerity as the bottom line The spirit of our sales team is high. Ola, Fredrik and Rolf who are working in Sweden, Kristian and Steen who are sales representative in Denmark as well as Marko, Steffe and Uffe working in Finland, all think in the same way. Customer s first. Honesty, understanding and loyalty are the key factors of us having good relationships with customers says Steffe Selroos when I ask about his working preferences. He goes on directly: This in combination with our high-quality products, wide assortment and extremely good customer service makes us a reliable and appreciated supplier of eyewear. Service that never fails The joy and willingness to help is shared among co-workers in our customer service. Åsa, Anette and Petra are working towards Swedish customers, Martin and Sermin for opticians in Denmark and Katja and Pirkko help Finnish customers. Martin Clauson, working within Danish customer service since 2006, tells that one of the biggest advantages that OPO has as a work place is the variation of assignments: I am happy going to work in the mornings. Finding solutions to problems and working on tasks that are different from one day to the another. He goes on by describing the quality of the service: I cannot recall any occurrence when I haven t been able to help a customer. We always find a solution to customers problems. 14 15
What we do We have a wide assortment of frames that suit many different personalities. The selection covers every segment from high quality eyewear to more basic models. The selection is divided into five brands: KunoQvist, KunoQvist Young, OPO Kid, OPO Trend and Photo Eyewear. KunoQvist makes no compromises when it comes to stylish design. The collection shows that to be devoted to stylish design doesn t mean the same as to be bound to predictability. The boundary-breaking design is a celebration where form and colour come together in the spirit of creativity. The design of this collection is a fusion of modernity, innovativity, urban classic style, tradition and dare. KunoQvist breaks boundaries by merging the extreme. 16 17
As described by its name, KunoQvist Young is a collection of high quality frames, its composition of shapes and colours are carefully composed to meet the demands of modern and fashionable youth. 18 19
Our always up to date collection when it comes to design - colours and shapes. The Photo collection always follows the latest in fashion in design and colours and all models are available in various colours. Designed frames, both for boys and girls. This collection is fun, colorful and attractive, not only in design, but also in value for money and practicality. Many models are equipped with memory metal in nosepart and temple to make them more flexible. One of the strongest collections in the youth segment. The OPO Trend collection appeals to young teenagers in demand of value of money. This collection has a big range of models that are covering everything from the black acetate frame to the small metal frames in gold. 20 21
The local global company We know Customer Relationship is one of the key ingredients a supplier can offer its customers. We know that supply chain management with everything from high quality products, delivery saftey, to spare parts guarantee is the key that signifies whether you are a good partner or not. In different polls, OPO always comes out on top in terms of Customer Relationships. Did you know that our customer service department speaks more than 15 languages and are always ready to serve your needs? 22 23
Our friends We represent Marius Morel Julbo and Global Vision in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, as we represent JF Rey and Breitfeld & Schliekert in Denmark and in Finland. 24 25
OPO Design Sweden Gyavägen 5, SE-23637 Höllviken, Sweden www.opo.se 26