Canadian Optical Supply (COS) is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1951, this family-owned company marks the milestone by highlighting a remarkable legacy built on service excellence, innovation and long-standing relationships with eye care professionals across Canada.

Through this anniversary, COS aims not only to honour its past, but also to reaffirm its commitment to the future of eyewear in Canada.

Three generations serving Canadian eye care professionals

When Fred and Judith Hochstadter started Canadian Optical Supply (COS) in 1951, in their kitchen in Montreal, they had no idea their company would be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026!

From its modest beginnings, Judith Hochstadter handled the company’s accounting, deliveries and customer service, while her husband, Fred, travelled across Quebec and, later, Canada, as a sales rep. In its early days, COS was the first independent distributor of eyeglasses in Quebec, in a market dominated by Imperial Optical that held a quasi-monopoly of eyeglass sales and optical laboratories.

Between 1951 and 1963, the couple stocked up on frames from the United States. At the time, eyeglasses were unattractive orthotic devices made of plastic and metal. At the end of the 1950s, their bank manager lent them money to buy Italian- and French-made eyeglasses.

On one of his trips to Europe in 1964, Fred Hochstadter met Anneliese and Arnold Schmied, the founders of Silhouette Eyewear. The Austrian couple, who spoke only German, was looking for a Canadian distributor for their new products. Fred and Judith Hochstadter spoke German fluently. In the same year, COS became their exclusive distributor in Canada.

The Silhouette adventure

The question in 1964 was how to convince eye care professionals that a pair of Austrian glasses twice as expensive as the ones sold on the market would be a lucrative venture and would revolutionize consumer habits. The design and look inspired by Austrian designer Dora Demmel, combined with quality materials and manufacturing, would become the cornerstone of their success back then, and to this day.

In fact, Silhouette is internationally renowned with over 12 million eyeglasses sold around the world, with COS doing its share in ensuring Silhouette’s success in Canada with its sales reps who were well trained by Fred Hochstadter, a highly skilled mentor for his sales team.

Silhouette was COS’s flagship product, but the Hochstadter family’s company never stopped offering other frame brands to satisfy its vast Canadian market of over 2000 customers.

Robert Hochstadter said, “Over time, we imported other brands like INFACE and NIFTIES and designed models for our in-house brands like Fitson to tap into the trends that the Silhouette brand didn’t touch.” The latest is Strak Amsterdam.

Intergenerational know-how

COS’s reputation was built on product quality, after-sales service and customer care. The current CEO, Robert Hochstadter, and his son Amir, Vice-President, both learned the ropes at COS by working in all aspects of sales, shipping, purchasing and customer service when they started.

In the 1980s, Robert introduced information technology to the company. During the 1990s, with the huge success of Silhouette’s rimless frames, Robert opened the COS Lab to ensure the highest quality in the mounting of Silhouette’s rimless frames.

In 2016, Robert also embraced e-commerce with its B2B website. Today, customers can place an order in a few seconds. The COS website has continued to grow, offering more and more services 24/7, including invoice and customer order tracking.

Next generation

Amir Hochstadter represents the third generation at the helm of COS. He joined the family business in 2012 to gain a deep understanding of its inner workings. In 2020, he was appointed Vice President, continuing a long-standing entrepreneurial tradition.

At COS, loyalty is more than a value, it is a legacy

For decades, dedicated sales representatives have shaped the company’s success, from Yann Leduc’s 28 years alongside his brother Simon’s 16 years, continuing their father’s tradition, to Paul Ponton’s remarkable (46 year) tenure, joined by Mario Di Carlo (43 years), Ardice Fenske (39 years) and Scott Valentine (33 years).

This same unwavering commitment also extends to several members of the customer service team, including Josée Boudreau, who has 39 years of service, and Sylvie Rosito, 36 years. Together, their experience and long-standing relationships remain the foundation of

COS — a legacy deeply valued and sincerely appreciated.

It took many years to build COS’s reputation, and the company intends to preserve it. As for the future, it looks extremely promising!

Source: Canadian Optical Supply

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