The great success of MEI – a leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech machinery for the optical industry – based in Ponte San Pietro (BG), has always been based on a passion for innovation and research. Founded in 1985 by Stefano Sonzogni and Raffaele Scudeletti, MEI has always focused on the development of high-quality numerical control machines, and its debut in the optical industry dates back to the 1990s. A story that tells of Italian know-how, famous and exported internationally, the very high quality, technology, and research from which each product is born.
“Our Group currently has 353 employees worldwide distributed across 6 branches – Italy, the USA, Brazil, Asia, India, and Japan – and in 4 offices dedicated to Customer Service in Texas, California, Colombia, and the United Kingdom,” declares Stefano Sonzogni, President of MEI. “We believe that the relationship and assistance to our clients are fundamental and represent a significant aspect of our work. Therefore, we are undertaking an important expansion effort both in Italy and abroad, enlarging our branches and customer service offices.”
ITALY
In Italy, the headquarters is set to double, from 10.000 to 20.000 square meters. This project results from the rapid workforce growth experienced in recent years. MEI’s recruitment has accelerated yearly since 2020, with an 81% increase in staff between December 2020 and December 2023. The new headquarters will double the room for offices and will offer a large showroom, a 300-space underground parking lot, a new
restaurant with a terrace, and other amenities that promote employees’ well-being and productivity. Moreover, the expansion will strengthen MEI’s reputation for high-quality products and ensure that our customers continue to receive the best service, with faster response times and improved product availability. It is expected to be completed by the end of next year, marking a new era in the Company’s history.
UNITED STATES
MEI’s expansion has been notable in recent years, particularly in the United States, where the need to enhance facilities near Chicago has arisen multiple times over the past 17 years:
August 2007 – two rooms in Des Plaines, Illinois
January 2009 – 6,000 square feet in Elk Grove Village, Illinois
January 2015 – 21,000 square feet in Wood Dale, Illinois
May 2024 – Start construction on 60,000 square feet building in Itasca, Illinois.
Scheduled for completion by mid-2025, the new headquarters will triple the size of MEI USA’s current facilities. It will feature innovative amenities aimed at enhancing productivity and employee well-being. These include spacious parking with electric car chargers, a two-level structure (office and warehouse), and a dedicated demonstration area for showcasing MEI’s technologies to current customers and prospects. On June 19, 2024, MEI USA celebrated this significant milestone with the ceremonial groundbreaking of its new
headquarters.
THE REST OF THE WORLD
Another significant achievement is the 10th anniversary of MEI System do Brasil. MEI Brasil’s new headquarters in São Paulo spans 500 square meters and includes administration and a stock of spare parts and tools. In 2023, MEI moved to this new location to enlarge facilities and create a showroom to exhibit machines and technologies to customers and prospects.
Simultaneously, MEI is establishing a stronger foothold in Southeast Asia with new offices for the Hong Kong branch. This office, featuring a large showroom area, is strategically positioned to act as a central hub for customer service, backed by a team of skilled technicians.
This move is part of a larger strategy to reinforce MEI’s presence in vital markets, including locations in Tokyo and Bangalore. Work is underway at this branch to build the new headquarters, which will house offices, a showroom, a dedicated parts division, and a warehouse and logistics area. The completion of construction is expected by the end of the year.
“The Indian market is very important to us,” – emphasizes the company’s Global Sales Director, Michele Sartirani – “We want to be present in what will become the third-largest economy in the world.”
These collective efforts highlight MEI’s unstoppable growth and its unwavering commitment to global expansion and leadership in the optical industry. “We estimate to reach a revenue of 125 million this year,” specified Rodolfo Scatigna, General Manager of MEI, “slightly higher than the 2023 figure. The workforce in Italy has grown from 250 to 270, with 320 machines produced, and the retail market (EasyFit) is growing faster than the industrial sector. We also intend to develop new products.”
Future objectives include expanding foreign locations, consolidating current production, and introducing new products, as well as further commercial pushes towards the Far East, Oceania, the USA, and South America.
About MEI
MEI leads the global market of edging machines for eyeglasses lenses. Since its foundation, in the early nineties, the company has been driven by a passion for innovation and dedication to the customer’s needs. MEI has distinguished itself by designing and manufacturing visionary equipment for the lens edging process, whose robustness, reliability, and flexibility has no comparison with any other available product. The “thinking out of the box” inclination of the company, brought in the dry cut technology, which is used in all MEI edging machines, and comes with many advantages over the old-fashioned grinding method.
Driven by its mindful attention to the customer’s needs, today MEI offers a broad range of edgers of different sizes, different loading systems, and different throughputs, suitable for any kind of customer, from the optical shop up to the big fully automated industrial labs. MEI edgers are completely manufactured in Italy.
