Smuteye Alabama 

I guess you can say Affordable Eyewear started with the birth of Hobson Cox back in the late 40’s in a small rural community in South Central Alabama. Smuteye, Alabama.
Hobson started his journey late 1968 after serving in the US Army. He took an entry level position with The LM Prince Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hobson Worked for one year as a Surface Optician, grinding and polishing lenses lenses. Hobson worked in the lab where the average age was 50 years old and above. Most of the opticians were very protective of their skills and you had to look over their shoulder to learn anything. There was an idea seeded by one of the oldest gentleman there, Walter Moorehouse, the Surface Lab Mananger, who’s son worked along side Hobson. Hobson worked there for a little more than a year. Walter would talk to Hobson about how you could own your own optical business. The first catch was you had to dispense glasses and contacts. Well as a surface Grinder Hobson had to learn bench work, the actual fabrication of eyewear. Dispensing was the real prize for this young journeyman optician. Hobson peaked at the Prince Company, that was purchased by a larger company House of Vision, located in Columbus, Ohio. HOV manufactured equipment under the name Greyhound, Robinson Houghsin. Hobson owns  two working pieces of equipment with that trademark                                                   Bench Man and Dispensing
Hobson left the Optical Business for a few months, working for the Kroger Food Distribution Warehouse, another large Cincinnati company. But he never forgot what Walter Moorehouse told him, about owning his own business.
Hobson wanted to get back in the Optical Business, he started making calls trying to broker his Surface Skills, still not having any bench man experience. He called a company he found in the yellow pages that advertised they made glasses while you wait. this meant they had a surface lab.

    Hobson made a cold call and left his name and his mothers phone number because his mother was usually at home during the day. Guess what the one and only and the last time Hobson was called for an interview happened. Dr. Herschel York called two times looking for Hobson. Mrs. Cox finally traced Hobson down and told him that Dr. York called. This was the beginning of a great friendship and a career for Hobson. Not only was Hobson given a chance to learn Bench work, but Dispensing also. Within a year Hobson was in charge of the Bench lab and working on weekends in relief as a dispenser at the different branch locations of York Optical. “No one wants to work weekends”. York was the first chain in the modern era of the Optical Business in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hobson before leaving Cincinnati for his home Alabama, managed York’s Swifton Center Location and turned it around making it the most profitable of the 7 locations. Hobson will tell you that Precision Lencrafters copied Dr York’s concept. Two of their original employees worked for York Optical, Jack Roskopf and Ron Albrieght. Hobson taught Ron Albrieght Dispensing                      

Sweet Home Alabama                       

May 2nd 1979 Hobson left Cincinnati for Alabama. He arrived in Smuteye and stayed with his cousin for about a month. Working for a radio station in Tuskegee, Alabama until he went to work for Ellis Optical in 1979. Hobson spent about 6 months in Montgomery, working at Ellis’s Optical's Montgomery Mall location, Optique Boutique. Ellis had been operating a location in Tuskegee. This business was located in the Tuskegee Eye Clinic. Ellis wanted out of the lease and Hobson had a meeting with the owner of the clinic, S H Settler Jr. M.D. From this meeting came Tuskegee Optical. Hobson managed Tuskegee Optical for about 3 years. This is where Hobson found his wife Ramona Crawford. In 1982 Hobson took a job with the second oldest company in the United States, American Optical.

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