Walman Company History




The Diversity You Need, The Values You Trust

Walman Optical® was founded in 1915 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Mr. J.A.L. Walman. Mr. Walman was an optometrist, optician and jeweler, a fairly common combination of trades in those days. Mr. Walman brought the attention to quality and detail seen in fine jewelry to the world of eyewear. His standards were extremely high, not tolerating even the slightest blemish in a lens or frame. He even modified jewelry tools for use with frames and lenses. This concern for quality and detail became the foundation for the success and growth of the company.

Since then, Walman has grown to become the largest independent ophthalmic company in the United States with 2010 total sales in excess of $210,000,000.00. While the company origin and headquarters are in Minnesota, Walman is now truly a national company with over 40 branch offices in 19 states. Best of all is that Walman is owned by the employees of the company through the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).