An independent group of opticians with practices across South Wales have been prioritising people and putting their team first following rapid growth over the past year.

Julian Davies Opticians, established in 1992 in Newport, has built strong relationships with patients in and around the area by providing clinical excellence and exceptional eyecare.

Over the past year, the opticians has seen significant growth, increasing from four to eight practices and saving jobs in the process.

At the start of 2023, Julian Davies Opticians joined forces with Batemans Opticians, saving the business from administration and retaining the jobs of 19 team members.

Director of Julian Davies Opticians Chris Tannorella has hopes of further consolidating the newly acquired practices and investing in the team at the heart of the business.

Chris added: “It’s the people who work in our practices that make the service we offer so special.

“There’s been a lot of change over the past year and that can be quite tough on the whole team, so I really want to make sure that they feel seen and appreciated because they’re amazing at what they do.”

A team day was held at Newhouse Hotel in August for the entire team to get together and celebrate their success over the past year as well as reviewing their goals and pushing personal development.

To further invest in their teams, all employees of Julian Davies Opticians will be receiving enhanced holidays, maternity/paternity leave and additional contractual sick pay.

Talks were also held by an external speaker on the topic of ‘change’ to help the team feel confident amidst some of the changes and challenges that they might face.

Presenting awards at the event were Chris’ two young children who awarded staff members with the Kindness Award, Happiness Award, Unsung Hero and Team Member of the Year. These were voted for by the team to show appreciation for their peers.

While investing in work culture is currently the team’s main priority, there is still plenty yet to come from Julian Davies Opticians in the near future.

In the latter half of 2023, the team hopes to see the Blackwood practice relocated to new premises which will allow for improved standards of care and increased capacity to accommodate technological investments and higher influxes of patients.

Chris said: “It’s always our mission to ensure that we are constantly improving and investing in our team and services to provide the highest quality eyecare possible to the communities which we serve.”