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 On hand for the ribbon cut were several corporate
representatives including President Dianna Hall, Vice-president Mick
Hall, Director of Sales Dianne Weidner, Director of Operations Eric
St. Clair and Area Manager Annette Welch. Local office staff on hand
included Office Manager Josie Awe and office staff Joran Allen,
Rhonda Buse, Ashley Jackson, and Rachel Potratz. Representing the
city of Lincoln was Mayor Seth Goodman and Alderman Tracy Welch.
Alderman Jeff Hoinacki was also on hand immediately after the cut
and was joined by other guests including some office staff family
members and Bard customers.
Welch took the opportunity to show off the new
building, giving a tour to guests and explaining how and why the new
location was a big improvement over their last. The new offices have
the same square footage as the old building, but the space was
utilized to make room for more specialized care and testing. Rooms
are set up for specialized testing areas as well as a private
conference area for patients, an area designated for contact lens
orientation, and space for the doctor.
Before the cut, Bard President Dianna Hall spoke to the group. She
congratulated and thanked the staff on their new location and noted
that she understood it had been a challenge for the staff in making
the move and getting settled in, and also that the remodel of the
new building had taken quite a bit of time. However, it appeared
that patience had been rewarded with a beautiful new office.
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Hall also noted the longevity of the Bard office in
Lincoln, and mentioned that she was quite proud of the fact that
Bard Optical is 100 percent female owned business. Hall said that
Bard is ‘home bred” starting in Peoria and being an Illinois
company.
She also invited her son and Vice-President Mick Hall to speak. He
too expressed appreciation for the new location and thanked the
community for their support and gave a personal thank you to those
who had come out for the cutting.
Dianna Hall said she wanted to add that she certainly appreciated
the staff and that she was happy to have all of them be a part of
the Bard family.
Annette Welch was the next and said she and the staff were very
excited about the new offices as well. She said it was good to have
a nice, clean, updated office for the customers and noted that Bard
is happy to be part of the community and appreciates the community
support.
To end the event, Mayor Seth Goodman spoke very
briefly congratulating the Bard team not only on their new facility,
but also their 26 years in the community.
After the speakers everyone gathered together for the official
ribbon cutting. With the Halls' in the foreground joined by Welch,
and the members of the office staff, Mick Hall did the honors of
cutting the ribbon.
Afterward, Dianne Weidner and Mick Hall cut the Bard
Optical cake and hand out servings to everyone. Guests were
encouraged to stay and visit with staff and take a good look at the
new offices.
The new facility is very nice, and as one staff member put it, “it
is bright but at the same time warm and comfortable.”
The community has an open invitation to stop by and get to know the
staff and perhaps research utilizing Bard Optical for your eye care
needs in the future.
[Nila Smith] |
