Vincett Consulting Group has a rich history that dates back almost a century ago to 1925.
That’s when my grandfather Dr. Kenneth C. Vincett, earned his Pennsylvania optometry license and set up his first office space in the back of Yenny’s Jewelers in an industrial town near Pittsburgh. The reason for this unusual location is simple – he needed to share tools with the jeweler to repair eyeglasses.
My grandfather’s practice primarily catered to local industrial workers and immigrant families who would take the trolley to see him. Eye injuries, before OSHA regulations, were not uncommon. He developed and advocated for the first worker eye safety program for Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, where many of his patients were employed. The program would go on to become an eye safety model for industrial settings throughout the country.
In 1954, my grandfather’s son (my father), William K. Vincett followed in his optometric footsteps. He too was a pioneer in his field, being one of the first optometrists to provide vision therapy for learning disabilities. Through his PAVE Program, he helped hundreds of mislabeled “slow learners” achieve academic success, and in the process, gathered data and processes that made him a leading authority on visual and perceptual development in children, a book author, and international lecturer.
When I became a third-generation optometrist in 1984, my family name carried significant expectations as my predecessors were respected pioneers in optometry, admired by their patients and peers. Initially, I decided to specialize in contact lens care, conducting over 20 clinical studies for contact lens manufacturers. I was among the first optometrists in the country to incorporate corneal topography into designing custom lenses and built a devoted patient base for those with complex prescriptions, such as keratoconus. As a result, I was invited to write journal articles, train manufacturer representatives, and speak at continuing education conferences. By the 1990s, my practice had grown to become the largest contact lens practice in western Pennsylvania.
However, what ultimately marked me a pioneer in my family’s legacy was my ambition to expand to multiple locations, and willingness to acquire the business skill set and financial acumen to do so.
In 2000, I founded Vincett Consulting Group to begin sharing what I was learning and the tools I was developing along the way of becoming a four-location,14-doctor practice, and a Vision Monday Top 50 Optical Retailer managed under two platforms — Vincett Eye Care Associates in Pittsburgh, PA, and State Street Eye in Boston, MA.
My consulting and advisory services have since expanded upon the sale of my practice to MyEyeDr in 2019.
William K. Vincett, O.D., Principal Consultant
