Cooper & Flower eyes a successful future.

A company that survives 81 years in business must be doing something right. And with the refurbishment of its longest-established practice in Middlesbrough now complete, opticians Cooper & Flower has its sights set firmly on a prosperous future.

IT'S a fact that some family businesses don't survive three years. Cooper & Flower, on the other hand, has been providing Middlesbrough residents with a quality eye-care service for more than three quarters of a century. And far from being content with this, the firm is already planning the next chapter of its remarkable success story.

Carl Cooper has overseen an extensive refurbishment of the company's practice on Borough Road, Middlesbrough, and according to him, it was money well spent. "Although we have been in business for 81 years, we felt that we had to move with the times", he explained. "We have completely re-designed the layout of the practice and customers can now see our qualified technician at work.

"We have invested in a new shop front and made more efficient use of available space to facilitate easier access to the building. The previous layout had served us well for the last 30 years but it really did need updating. Now we have created a better environment both for our staff and our customers."

To put it simply, Cooper & Flower is one of the Tees Valley's resounding success stories. Three generations of the Cooper family have transformed this outstanding optical practice into a thriving business. But, as is the case with many family businesses, this company had humble origins.

In 1925, ophthalmic optician William Cooper took over the practice, which at the time was owned by a Mr Mellor in central Middlesbrough. Seven years later William married Evelyn, who subsequently became a dispensing optician. Together they ran the practice and in 1958 their daughter, Marion, decided to join the business. Following William's death in 1967, Jeff Flower went into partnership with Marion and it was he who introduced contact lens fitting to the practice.

William's son, Carl, joined the business and expanded it by opening another outlet in the picturesque market town of Stokesley. When Marion retired in 1999, she was replaced by Carl and Julie's daughter, Nicola, who qualified as an optometrist in 1997.

This means that three generations of Coopers have served the business over an 81-year period.

A third outlet has been established in Coulby Newham and Carl is optimistic about the future. He continued: "No practice or business can survive without good supporting staff and we are very fortunate to have a team of dedicated, loyal and friendly people working for us. We employ qualified optometrists, practical administrators, clinical assistants, a dispensing optician and dispensing assistants. We are not an anonymous multiple and our success has been built on the highly personal service that we provide. Much of our revenue comes from repeat business and that's very important to us. I firmly believe that it's no good attracting customers if you cannot retain them."

As the business has evolved, Cooper & Flower has introduced a diverse range of services to cater for the ever-changing demands of the consumer. These services include eye examinations and a special Business Eye Care Scheme, which offers special rates for companies that require, for example, VDU examinations and safety spectacles for their staff.

The company also supplies contact lenses and possibly the widest choice of frames available in the area, from up-to-date economy models to high-fashion designer ranges. Carl said: "We are a Varilux Specialist Practice for varifocal lenses and also agents for Nikon lenses. All of our spectacles are competitively priced to give our patients true value for money. Our on-site workshop at the Middlesbrough practice processes transactions quickly and efficiently and we provide the best lenses within the customer's budget. In addition, if we do not have the lenses in stock, we can order them on an individual basis."

Essentially, quality is synonymous with this forward-thinking company, which is a member of the Independent Practice Group (IPG), an affiliation of privately-owned practices covering the North-east. And Cooper & Flower has also been quick to utilise new technology to ensure that customers receive the best possible service.

For example, the company has adopted orthokeratology, a revolutionary new procedure that uses specially-designed DreamLite contact lenses to gently correct patients' vision while they sleep. The procedure, which was created by a company called Ortho K, records a detailed map of the patient's cornea and allows the practitioner to access specific data that is used to manufacture a special type of lens that the patient wears overnight. During sleep, the contact lens gently alters the shape of the cornea and in the morning the patient removes the contact lens. No other visual aid is required for the rest of the day.

By taking advantage of revolutionary methods such as orthokeratology, Cooper & Flower has managed to keep one step ahead of the competition. But the company's ability to provide a consistently professional, value-for-money service has perhaps been the main driving force behind its success to date. Indeed, if the first 81 years are anything to go by, Cooper & Flower can look forward with confidence to even greater success during the next 81 years. Competition in the marketplace may be tough, but it's a fair bet that this company will rise to the challenge and prosper.