Hakim Group buys Norville Opticians
Norville Opticians was founded in 1898
The Hakim Group has acquired Gloucester-based Norville Opticians with the promise of safeguarding the majority of practice staff jobs.
The retail division of the Norville Group, Norville Opticians was founded in 1898 and has practices in various locations including Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stonehouse.
In a statement, the Hakim Group said: “The recent impact of Covid-19 meant that the business needed significant investment, which has been provided through the sale, and almost all jobs have been secured. The manufacturing laboratory is a separate business and is not included in the sale. This is still being operated by the Norville Group.”
All the optical practices will retain the Norville Opticians name above the door and continue to serve their local communities, the Group stated.
Adrian Street, director at Norville Opticians, commented: “With so many jobs at risk in the current climate, our number one priority throughout this period has been to make sure the livelihoods of our people were safeguarded.
“We are delighted that our patients can continue to receive the same level of care that our teams are proud to deliver every day. All of us at Norville Opticians are excited for the journey ahead in the next chapter of our history which is already over a century old.”
Luke Wren, head of business development at the Hakim Group, added: “We are very happy to welcome Norville Opticians into the HG family of independent practices; Frank Norville, Adrian and their teams have built up a dedicated patient base through a commitment to delivering a first-class service putting the customer at the heart of their proposition.
“With jobs secured, the practice teams can continue to do what they do best – providing their communities with the eyecare they need, when they need it.”
The Hakim Group has confirmed that a full investment and transformation programme has been planned, which includes shared ownership opportunities for some of the existing employees.