French optician Edgard releases its first Mission activity report

Two years ago, Edgard Opticiens became the first ‘Entreprise à Mission’ of the optical sector in France. The denomination, created in 2019 by the PACTE law that encourages businesses to grow while taking into account societal, social and environmental factors, requires a ‘mission’ to be set, and with it the long-term commitment to fulfill the mission’s objectives.

In 2021, Edgard changed the company’s mission statement to include these objectives, namely: to raise awareness and facilitate access to vision health for all, via events such as world vision day; to create working conditions that give meaning to its employees, such as giving access to coffee and water machines to reduce plastic; and to promote access to the optical profession, in partnership with recruitment agencies and optical schools.

Now, after a two year period, the company has written its first report, and received its first positive review after an audit issued by the independent third-party organisation EXPO’STAT. “This mission completely reflects our entire raison d’être,” explains Edgard Opticiens’ cofounder Jean-François Porte, who is also in the running for the next IOA Optician of the Year Award, “which is ‘To make our employees and customers proud and happy by living the experience every day’. We couldn’t be prouder to have received this positive review.”