SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
September 28, 1998
LCA-Vision Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
Delaware 0-27610 11-2882328
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer
of incorporation) File No.) Identification Number)
7840 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (513)792-9292
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Item 5. Other Events
On September 28, 1998, the Registrant issued the attached press
release announcing the naming of T. Jeffrey Dowdle as Vice President and
Director of Marketing.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(a) Exhibits
99.1 Press Release dated September 28, 1998
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
LCA-VISION INC.
Date: September 29, 1998 By:/s/Larry P. Rapp
Larry P. Rapp,
Chief Financial Officer
Exhibit 99.1
Headline: ----------------------------------------------
Contacts: Stephen N. Joffe, MD Joel Pomerantz or Ken DiPaola
LCA-Vision Inc. The Dilenschneider Group, Inc.
(513) 792-9292 (212) 922-0900
LCA-VISION NAMES JEFFREY DOWDLE, FORMER LENSCRAFTERS MARKETING
EXECUTIVE, TO TOP MARKETING POST
CINCINNATI, September 28 -- LCA-Vision Inc. (NASDAQ:LCAV), one of
the largest U.S.-based providers of laser vision correction
services, today named T. Jeffrey Dowdle, 36, Vice President and
Director of Marketing, a new position. Mr. Dowdle was formerly a
top marketing executive at LensCrafters, the world's largest full-service
optical chain with over 800 retail outlets in the U.S. and
Canada.
Most recently, Mr. Dowdle served as Associate Vice President, High-End
Retail Operations for LensCrafters and General Manager of its
upscale Specttica unit. For three years beginning in July 1993, he
was LensCrafters Director of Advertising, overseeing the company's
multi-million dollar ad budget.
Mr. Dowdle directed highly successful marketing and advertising
programs that played a key role in LensCrafter's explosive growth.
The firm's revenues have nearly doubled to over $900 million
annually.
LCA-Vision Chairman and CEO Dr. Stephen N. Joffe commented: "Jeff
Dowdle's appointment comes at an especially timely stage in LCA-Vision's
development. As procedure volume at all of our centers
continues to grow rapidly, innovative, creative, targeted marketing
will be key to further expanding our network, driving faster growth
and improving future profitability.
"With over a decade of front-line marketing and management
experience at LensCrafters, Jeff Dowdle knows the vision correction
sector intimately and comes to us with fresh insights and new ideas
that will strengthen LCA's marketing capabilities." Mr. Dowdle
added: "LCA Vision is a dynamic young company and an aggressive
leader in laser vision correction. Clearly, this procedure is the
wave-of-the future."
LCA-Vision's new Marketing Director began his professional career in
1984 as a budget manager and financial analyst with The Kroger
Company's SuperX Drugs Division, where he was responsible for
assessing the profitability of new store locations. Three years
later, he joined LensCrafters -- initially, as a financial analyst
working closely with the firm's marketing and merchandising team to
evaluate long-term profitability of products and programs.
Mr. Dowdle earned a BBA degree in accounting and business
management from the University of Cincinnati. He continues to
reside in Cincinnati with his wife, Karen, and eight-year-old son,
Jacob.
LCA-Vision, recently named one of the "Top 50 Stocks of 98" by
Money Magazine, currently operates 19 laser vision correction
centers in the U.S., two in Canada and one in Helsinki, Finland.
More than 38,000 laser vision correction procedures have been
performed at all of the company's sites. The professional network
serving the company's sites includes more than 600 practicing
physicians and 800 referring optometrists.
# # #
Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking
statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including,
but not limited to, the impact of competition and pricing, procedure
demand and marketplace acceptance, and unforeseen fluctuations in
operating results and other risks detailed from time to time in the
company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
