HAINE and Smith opticians recently celebrated their 40th birthday, after setting up one of their first practices in Westbury in 1975.
The staff on the High Street held a small party for their customers last week, to celebrate the company’s milestone.
Store manager Viv Howse said, “It was a lovely day – we gave out goody bags which are always popular, and helped people wash their glasses. We also had balloons and a celebration cake! Our older customers love to have a cup of tea and piece of cake when they come in. We had a really nice relaxing day.”
It has now been 40 years since Sue Haine and Barry Smith partnered up to form the company.
Barry said, “We both recognised there was an opportunity locally for an optician that would consistently provide high standards of care and personal service, so in February 1975 we decided to take the plunge and open our first practices in Marlborough and Westbury.”
The pair credit their success to the fact they have stayed true to their original philosophy of being big enough to stay competitive, without losing the personal touch and independent values of a smaller family firm.
Sue explained, “Whether we are running two practices or 19, our philosophy has remained the same over forty years. I believe this is the reason we enjoy such loyalty from patients and staff.
“It’s not unusual to find our practices caring for several generations of the same family, while over a third of our employees have been with us for between 10 and 31 years!”
Haine & Smith’s dedication to giving their patients the best possible service has led to a number of awards, most recently a Wiltshire Business of the Year Award for customer and staff care, plus the prestigious ‘Software Practice of the Year’ at the national 2014 Optician Awards.
Sue and Barry also feel strongly about giving back to the local community which has always been so supportive and in 1995 formed the Haine & Smith Charitable Trust. To date, Haine & Smith have made over 600 donations to a variety of worthy causes across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire.
On what the future holds for Haine & Smith, Barry said, “We will continue to work hard to be professional yet caring; I like to feel we have a more personal relationship with our patients and staff than other larger firms.
“Plus, hearing will become an increasingly important part of our service. Overall, I want us to get better rather than bigger.”
This summer the individual practices will be holding open days to celebrate with patients and members of the local community.