Vortex Optics is a US-based manufacturer of optics equipment primarily for birdwatching, hunting, wildlife watching and other outdoor recreational activities.Theirmain products include binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes,monoculars, red dots and rangefinders. Some of their products are also used by law enforcement agencies, such asthestate police, drug enforcementand border control.
Wild Birds Unlimited
Originating in 1986, Vortex Optics started out their operations inMiddleton, Wisconsinin the form of asmall retail store, called“Wild Birds Unlimited”that sold optics productsalong with bird feed. Founded by Daniel C. Hamiltonand Margie Hamilton, themanufacturerhas remained Americancompanysince its conception and is still owned by the originalfamily memberstoday. The owners ran their business on the foundation of customer satisfaction and personalized service since thevery beginning.
Unlike what many optics enthusiasts believe, the company initially started its operations with an emphasis on thesalesof binocularsfor birdwatching.The owners recall the binoculars of the time were not sophisticated as they are today and most of them had cheap construction and no glass coatings to improve optical performance. In addition, most binoculars were heavy, featured short eye reliefs and waterproofing capabilities only existed in the premium models. Before the establishment of Vortex Optics, Daniel persuaded several European optics manufacturers, like Swarovski, to introduce innovative products to the Americans, including high-powered spotting scopes.
Establishment of Vortex Optics
The continued involvement in the optics business and regular communications with several manufacturers convinced Daniel and Margie to buy binoculars in large volume and market it to other businesses. To further expand the business, they created their very own optics business, called Eagle Optics, which produced and sold binoculars produced in other countries under the Eagle Optics brand.
This part of the business advised overseas manufacturers on which features had high demand among consumers shopping at Wild BirdsUnlimited‘swhopping 300 stores.Thesuccess in reselling optics equipment laid the foundation oftheir own brand in optics. While Margie managed the retail store business, Daniel along with some of his key staff worked on creating a new business,which they eventually did in 2002by the nameofVortex Optics.Thecompany alsomaintained close ties with Shelter Wings in the beginning.
Transition to other products
Although they kept their focus to the manufacturing of binoculars in the beginning, Vortex Optics gradually transitioned to other sport optics products over the years, including rifle scopes, range finders and spotting scopes.It was not much later that the company became one of the best opticsmanufacturerin the world after starting their operations 18 years ago. Partial credit of their success in the optics market goes to their VIP warranty and after sales services, which means a lifetime warranty for most of their products.Due to the sensitivity, most optics devices are prone to damage if exposed to unwanted conditions, therefore, a lifetime warranty attractsa large number ofhunters and birdwatchers to the stores of Vortex Optics.
USA Operations
The headquarters of Vortex Optics is still located in thestate of Wisconsin in the USA but employees in Wisconsin only oversee the management of design, marketing, salesand supply chain operations.The office was situated inMadisonn, WI until 2018when the owner Dan C. Hamilton transferred theheadofficeto a business park in Barneveld, a small village in Iowa County in the state of Wisconsin. The switch was inspired by an expansion in the US manufacturing operations of riflescopes,binocularsand rangefinders.
Initially, Dan was eyeing an area of 10 to 15 acres in the village’s business parkin 2013but today, the companyowns nearlyall of the150 acrearea in the park. Actualheadofficeand the manufacturing facility cover a staggering 280,000 square feet area. The remaining area includes a product showroom, two indoor-shooting ranges and a combineddaycareand preschoolcenterwhich spans at over 12,000 square feet.The Barneveld office has a workforce ofaround300 skilled employees.
The employees occupied several small buildings in the previous Madison location and relocating all of them was not an easy task, recalls Shamus Terry, Manager of Sales.Thelarge factoryarea at the newlocationallowed the designers to create wide open offices that serves to boost employee morale and interdepartmental communications.In addition to regular business operations, the new factory mainly focuses on the manufacturing ofriflescopes.
The manufacturing of individual components and their assemblies of most Vortex products, especially binoculars, takes place ata number oflocations in Asia, mainly in Japan, Philippines, China, Taiwan and Korea.Althoughthere were plansto start production of binoculars at the Barneveld factory, currently all binoculars models are manufactured overseas.Daniel Hamilton and his son Sam, a design engineer, often travel tokeyfactory locationsin above countriesto oversee the manufacturing operations and maintaineffectiverelationships with their suppliers.
Japan
A number ofvendors in Japan manufacture optics components for all major Vortex products, includingVortex Golden Eagle HD, Razor HD, Razor HD LH, Razor HD Gen III and Razor HD Gen II-E riflescopes.Japanese factories also manufacture the lenses and other glass internals for the Vortex Razor HD AMG riflescope. Japan-made productsare considered to beof the highestquality.
Philippines
Similarly, due to cheap labour, multiple factories produce optics products for the US-based Vortex. All Viper series riflescopes are manufactured in Philippines, includingVortex Viper, Viper HS, Viper HS LR, Viper HST, and Viper PST Gen 2 riflescopes.
China
Vortex is actively taking part in the rise of optics production in China. As of now, nearly half of the products in Vortex’s portfolio are produced in Chinese industries. Some of the factories are overseen and managed by Japanese optics experts to ensure consistent quality in all product categories. CurrentChinese-manufactured products areVortex Copperhead, Crossfire and Crossfire II, Strike Eagle, Diamondback scopes, and Diamondback Tactical riflescopes.
At the moment, Vortex Optics offers the following series of binoculars.
Razor®UHDBinoculars
Razor UHDseriesare the top-of-the-linecategory of binoculars from Vortex Optics. As the name suggests, the binoculars provide unparalleled ultra–high-definition imageswiththe use of high-quality optics. They are also one of the few non-European binoculars to feature theAbbe–Koenig roof prisms, which are known for improved light transmission compared to other types.
The Razor UHD series aremanufactured and assembled in Japanandare the mostexpensive of all binoculars offered by Vortex. They are available in the following configurations:
Razor UHD – 18×56, 12×50, 10×42 and 8×42 binoculars
Razor®HD Binoculars
Like the UHD models, the Razor HD binoculars are notable among a multitude of users due to their high-optical performance and a robust, lightweight construction.
The Razor HD series are manufactured and assembled in Japan, just like all the previous generations of Razor HD binoculars. These binocularsare available in the following configurations:
RazorHD – 12×50, 10×50, 10×42 and 8×42 binoculars
Kaibab®HDBinoculars
Manufactured and assembled in China, the Kaibab HD binoculars are known for their exceptional magnification power and large objectivesizewhich make these binoculars suitable forlonge-range viewing. Mostly used by large-game huntersand law enforcement, these binoculars only come in the 18×56 configuration.
Fury®HDBinoculars
The Fury HD binoculars are the series ofrangefindingbinoculars from Vortex Optics. Specially designed for long-distance viewing, these binoculars feature high-class glass internals along with an embedded inclinometer, which provides efficient angles in addition to distance readings.
Theserangefindingbinocularsare manufactured in China andonly come in the standard 10×42 configuration.Currently, the second generation is available, namedFury HD 5000(the first generation was titled Fury HD).
Viper®HDBinoculars
Unlike other high-end models, theViper HD binocularsguaranteea premium viewing experience without costingan arm and a leg.HD low-dispersion glass lenses and XR anti-reflective coatings generate stunning bright images and a wide field of view, which are the reasons behind their popularity.
The Viper HD series are completely manufactured and assembled inPhilippines. Previous Viper models were manufactured in Japan before Vortex decided to shift their production to China and then eventually to Philippines.Viper HD series isavailable in the following configurations:
Viper HD – 12×50, 10×50, 10×42 and 8×42 binoculars
Diamondback® HD Binoculars
For those looking for budget-friendly binoculars, Vortex Diamondback HD binoculars provide a good value for money. With twisting eyecups, individualdioptersettings and waterproofing capability, these binoculars serve as an affordable yet value-added entry point into the Vortex line-up. DiamondbackHD series is available in a multitude of configurations, all of which are produced in China:
Diamondback HD – 15×56, 12×50, 10×50, 10×42, 8×42, 10×32, 8×32, 10×28 and 8×28 binoculars
Crossfire® HD
The Crossfire series is another line of affordable binoculars produced by Vortex Optics. These binocularsoffer basic viewing functionality combined with a central focus, individualdioptermechanism and twisting eyecups at affordable prices. Crossfire HD binoculars are produced in China. CrossfireHD series is available in the following configurations:
Crossfire HD – 12×50, 10×50, 10×42 and 8×42 binoculars
Raptor®Binoculars
Unlike all other Vortex binoculars, the Raptor series feature the iconicPorro-prisms in an affordable package combined with a range of interpupillary distances. Being on thelower-end of the price spectrum, these binoculars lack protective coatings which may expose them to abrasion and scratches. They are also produced in China. Raptor series is available in the followingtwoconfigurations:
Raptor–10×32 and 8.5×32 binoculars
Vanquish® Binoculars
The smallest devices on the list are the compact Vanquish binoculars, weighing less than a pound. Although they are designed to be ultra-portable with an objective size of 26mm, these binoculars featurea rubber armourand a generous field-of-view of 352 feet at 1000 yards, which is impressive at this price range. Both models of this series are produced in China.
Raptor series is available in the following configurations:
Raptor– 10x26and 8x26binoculars
Vortex Optics is one of the largest manufacturers of sport optics products and its products are often considered at par with other premium optics brands. While many optics manufacturers originated in Europe, Vortex is headquartered in Wisconsin, United States. Established in 2002, it is also one of the youngest optics brands to becomehighly successfulin the business in a short period of time.
The owners,Danieland Margie,had an experience of working with a number of optics producers worldwide on binoculars and spotting scopes before they decided to introduce their own brand. Since they knew which features were liked by hunters andbirdwatchers, Dan focused on perfecting them from the beginning which helped them to attain their current position in the market.
Today, Vortex offersa number ofmodels in each device segment, ranging from binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes, rangefinderstomonocularsand red-dot sights. All premium, mid-range and affordable categories provide excellent valueto the consumersat their designated prices.Vortex has achieved this feat by outsourcing the manufacturing of most of its product lines to countries with comparatively lowerproduction and labour costs, like China,Japanand Philippines. The high-end models are produced in Japanese manufacturing sites whereas mid-range and affordable line of products are made in Philippines and China.
Vortex products were initially only manufactured in Japan since the Chinese optics industry lacked know-how andheritage. When Vortex shifted the manufacturing of its affordable models to Chinese production facilities, the quality of initial products was not up to the mark and the factories had to be overseen by Japanese engineers and optics experts.Gradually, the technology was developed,and Chinese workforce were trained to obtain higher optical performance and better buildquality.
Today, most of the affordable Vortex binoculars and riflescopes are proudly manufactured in China. Daniel Hamilton and his son, Sam, visit all Asian factories from time to time to oversee the ongoing operations.
