The Founder

The founder of the “Jorge Oculista” group is Alberto Jorge Moreira da Fonseca .

Jorge Fonseca began his career in the optical industry in 1953, when he was just 15 years old (driven by a family member who owned “Oculista Rocha”, located in the downtown area of Porto). Over the years, he performed various tasks within this specific industry, where he began to feel a natural inclination for the “workshop” space. After working in the industry for some time, he naturally assumed the role of “eye technician” within that commercial space. Throughout the time he was developing his activity, he was also a direct collaborator of other renowned and reference companies in this commercial area (at the level of greater Porto), having immediately established his name as an exemplary and highly respected professional. He later obtained training as an “Ocular Technician” which was provided by the “École National d´Arts et Métiers” in Paris.

Jorge Fonseca already had a strategic and global vision within our business area, for which he always set various personal objectives. And it was thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit and a certain amount of sacrifice that he began to produce his own frames by hand, in order to enable him to obtain sufficient stock to create his own business, and our current brand.

In 1964 , at just 25 years of age, Jorge Fonseca finally opened his first commercial space in Santo Tirso. At a still embryonic stage of his own company, he managed to reconcile his commercial activity with the work he had done at his previous company (as it was an important financial support for the maintenance and development of his own business).

Through his hard work, effort, perseverance and dedication, he ended up achieving, quite naturally, 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 northern part 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 field was even more comprehensive:

In 1973 – Founded “Unióptica” – a company focused on import and export within the optical sector, 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 the exclusive representative of MARCOLIN for the Portuguese market.

In 1974 – He began a personal and innovative project, with a view to developing and producing his first ophthalmic lens cutting machine.

In 1980 – The “Metal Óptica” Factory was created (employing a total of 23 employees); its production supplied a wide range of customers both nationally and internationally.

In 1984 – He founded “Stock Óptica” – a company mainly focused on the import and sale of acetate frames, as well as the sale of metal frames, with the Iberian Peninsula as its main focus and commercial destination. Later, he opened a branch of this company in Madrid, which would simultaneously serve as an important commercial hub. Today, the founder of the “Jorge Oculista” group continues to be closely involved in the development and expansion of our company, which has the invaluable support and direct collaboration of his two daughters Andreia and Daniela Fonseca (degree in Optometry and Business Management).

Jorge Fonseca still manages to gather efforts to develop and direct various investments, in different business areas, such as the real estate sector and computer systems.