The Phillips family has a history of more than 100 years in the optical business. We started producing Glasses for Bausch & Lomb in 1905. In 1914 Phillips Lens was founded, working out of the basement of our grandfather's home in Rochester, New York. The company reworked the lenses that Bausch & Lomb rejected due to production errors and sold them back to Bausch & Lomb. When the ultex lens went off-patent in 1916, the company moved to Middlesex, New Jersey and started production of ultex bifocals, selling them to optical labs for prescription lenses.

From 1916 to 2000, the Company made optical lenses for the military, semi-finished lenses for optical labs to make into prescription Glasses, and we produced sunglass lenses and specialty bifocal lenses.

With the creation of Phillips Safety products in 2001, our marketing focus changed. We moved out of the optical manufacturing business and entered the occupational safety market business, serving clients in the laser, x-ray, glassblowing and other safety markets. In 2009, Aqua Eyewear was established as a division of Phillips Safety. The Company produces the RXSafety line and distributes (both wholesale and retail) prescription safety Glasses for the military and other safety markets. Due to a growing demand for our products and a lack of space, we will be moving in 2006 to a new location in Middlesex County, New Jersey.

With our top quality CNC (computer numeric control) edging facility, Aqua Eyewear produces the highest quality prescription wrap around frames. Our CNC generator ensures a high level of accuracy and efficiency and can produce both spherical and aspheric lenses.

President Robert Phillips has been in the optical manufacturing business since 1968. Vice President Ryan Phillips is a graduate of Monmouth University and he has worked in the optical industry since 1996. Sales Manager Mike Demasi has more than 20 years of experience in environmental and safety sales. Lab Manager Israel Graulau has worked in the optical lab business since 1990. He was employed by Lenscrafters, Pearl Vision, and private practices for eight years before coming to Phillips Safety.