Louis Stone Optical to close

The co-directors have announced plans to retire, with the optical distributor taking final orders until 5pm on 11 December

1 min read

Paul and Judith Gaba stand side-by-side in office attire, smiling at the camera.

Kimberley Young

04 December 2023

The family-led business, Louis Stone Optical, has thanked its loyal customers as the co-directors announce plans to retire.

The optical distributor will take final orders until 5pm on 11 December.

Judith and Paul Gaba, husband and wife and co-directors, have run the Cardiff-based business for 42 years.

Louis Stone was established in 1950 as a spectacle company and has since been built up into a distributor of spectacles, cases and optical instruments to opticians, optometrists, hospitals and universities worldwide.

The business was a major distributor for Oculus, Volk and Ishihara.

Daughter, Clare Hayley Brent, head of marketing and communications joined the business in 2016, creating Louis Stone’s Instagram account and growing its following to 17,000. The business won the LuxLife 2019 Customer Service award and a top three finalist position in the 2018 Opticians Awards.

Brent will continue her work as a freelance marketing consultant, as well as a food and hospitality influencer.

In a statement announcing the news, the company shared: “Louis Stone wants to thank all of their loyal customers for their support over the last 73 years.”