The Founder
The founder of the “Jorge Oculista” group is Alberto Jorge Moreira da Fonseca .
Jorge Fonseca started his activity within the field of optics in the already distant year of 1953, when he was only 15 years old (driven by a family member who owned “Oculista Rocha”, located in the downtown area of the city of Porto). Over the years, he performed various tasks within this specific branch, where he already felt a kind of natural inclination for the “workshop” space. After having worked for some time in the field, he came to naturally assume the role of “eye technician” within that commercial space. Throughout the time he developed his activity, he was simultaneously a direct collaborator of other renowned companies and a reference in this commercial area (at the level of greater Porto) having right away affirmed his name, as an exemplary professional, truly respected. He later obtained the training of "Ocular Technician" which was taught by the "École National d'Arts et Métiers" in Paris.
Jorge Fonseca already had a strategic and global vision within our business area, to which he was always outlining different personal objectives. And it was thanks to his spirit of entrepreneurship and a certain amount of sacrifice that he started to manually produce his own frames, in order to enable him to obtain enough “stock” to create his own business, and our current brand.
In 1964 and at just 25 years old, Jorge Fonseca finally opened his first commercial space in Santo Tirso. In a still embryonic phase of his own company, he managed to conciliate his commercial activity with the work he kept in his previous company (as it was an important financial support, with a view to maintaining and developing his own business).
Through his work, effort, perseverance and commitment, he ends up achieving, with some naturalness, an equally natural expansion of his own company, to other commercial spaces located in: Vila Nova de Famalicão, Barcelos and Guimarães, among other spaces located in areas adjacent to the aforementioned cities. Today the company has a vast network of 20 stores throughout the north of the country, now also including locations such as Arcos de Valdevez, Braga, Porto, Vilas das Aves, Viana do Castelo, Vizela and Vila do Conde.
But his business in this branch was even broader:
In 1973 – Founds “Unióptica” – a company devoted to import and export within the optical branch, which operated not only within the country, but also in markets such as France and Italy.
He also represented several brands and optical products, even becoming MARCOLIN's exclusive representative for the Portuguese market.
In 1974 – He starts a personal and innovative project, with a view to developing and producing his first ophthalmic lens cutting machine.
1980 – Creates the “Metal Óptica” Factory (employing a total of 23 employees); with its factory production supplying a wide range of customers both nationally and internationally.
In 1984 – Founds “Stock Óptica” – a company essentially dedicated to the business of importing and selling acetate frames, as well as selling metal frames, having the Iberian Peninsula as its main focus and commercial destination. Later, he opens a branch of this company in Madrid, which will simultaneously serve as an important commercial hub. Currently, the founder of the “Jorge Oculista” group remains closely linked to the development and expansion of our company, which has the precious support and direct collaboration of his two daughters Andreia and Daniela Fonseca (Lic. Optometry and Business Management).
Jorge Fonseca still manages to combine efforts to develop and manage various investments in different business areas, such as real estate sectors and computer systems.
