Alcon has grown exponentially since Robert Alexander and William Conner slapped the first syllables of their last names on a Fort Worth pharmacy in 1945. What started out as a two-man operation is now a global company with 25,000 employees in 75 countries and annual sales of more than $10 billon. Among Alcon’s contributions to the eye-care industry are the first dispensing bottle for eye drops and the first material developed specifically for intraocular lenses.
With divisions devoted to pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, and vision-care products, Alcon’s employees deal with a variety of ophthalmologists, surgeons, pharmacists, and retailers. Until late last year, many such interactions—including demonstrations and training—happened primarily in hotels’ conference rooms. But that changed in early December, when the Alcon Experience Center—a 36,000-square-foot, $7 million facility—opened at the firm’s headquarters in south Fort Worth.
“We are saving the company so much money,” says Mary Williams, who manages the facility. “There’s so much value in this center.”
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