Pearle Vision Salutes the Veterans Now Serving as Licensed Owners
Dr. Jeffrey Butcher knew he wanted to be an optometrist from the time he was 11 years old following an eye exam in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. “I loved that I could see so much better afterward, and the optometrist just seemed to really like his job,” Butcher says. “After high school, I joined the Army to help pay for my education, knowing that I wanted to do something in the medical field.”
The Army assigned Butcher work as an X-ray technician at Fort Hood, Texas, where he was stationed from 1982-1986.
After graduating from Northeastern State University in 1992 as an optometrist, he re-enlisted with the Air Force and served another three years as an optometrist at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. “I treated it like an internship,” he says.
In 1999, he opened his first Pearle Vision EyeCare Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
“I was attracted to the Pearle Vision business model because I liked the freedom of owning my own practice combined with the franchise structure and tools that helped me operate my business successfully,” Butcher says.
But Dr. Butcher wasn’t finished with the military just yet. In 2012, he elected to sign up for a third military stint, serving as an optometrist with the Air National Guard from 2012-2017 at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma.
Butcher is one of many veterans who are now licensed owners in the Pearle Vision system. Today, Butcher and his son, Dr. Chris Butcher, also an optometrist, own and operate three Pearle Vision EyeCare Centers in Oklahoma and seven in Florida.
Pearle Vision proudly offers a discount of 20% off the franchise fee to honorably discharged U.S. veterans who wish to join the roster of Pearle Vision EyeCare Center licensed owners. Pearle Vision also is a member of the International Franchise Association Foundation®’s VetFran® program. VetFran was established after the first Gulf War to build a network of “brands that voluntarily offer financial discounts, mentorship and training for aspiring veteran franchisees and veterans seeking employment.”
For its exceptional commitment to military veterans, Pearle Vision is ranked No. 47 on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2020 Top Franchises for Veterans list.
“Military service taught me leadership skills and instilled in me the fortitude to overcome obstacles,” Butcher says. “My experiences in the military have been invaluable in my career as a Pearle Vision licensed owner.”