| Revision as of 18:48, 17 March 2015 editArtin Mehraban (talk | contribs)669 edits →Karim Hakimi← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 22:36, 4 February 2024 edit undoComplexRational (talk | contribs)Administrators29,768 editsm Removing link(s) Misplaced Pages:Articles for deletion/Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards closed as delete (XFDcloser) | ||
| (59 intermediate revisions by 32 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{short description|Iranian Canadian entrepreneur and optician, founder of Hakim Optical}} | |||
| {{db-copyvio|url=http://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/canadas-top-25-immigrants-2011/karim-hakimi}} | |||
| {{Infobox person | |||
| {{Prod blp/dated|concern=|month=March|day=17|year=2015|time=18:28|timestamp=20150317182828|user=}} <!-- Do not use the "prod blp/dated" template directly; the above line is generated by "subst:prod blp|reason" --> | |||
| | name = Karim Hakimi | |||
| | image = | |||
| | alt = | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | |||
| | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Birth-date and age|birth date†}} --> | |||
| | birth_place = Iran | |||
| | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} --> | |||
| | death_place = | |||
| | nationality = {{plainlist| | |||
| * Iran | |||
| * Canada | |||
| }} | |||
| | other_names = | |||
| | occupation = {{hlist|Entrepreneur|]}} | |||
| | years_active = | |||
| | known_for = Founder of ] | |||
| | notable_works = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Karim Hakimi''' (Persian: '''کریم حکیمی''') (born 1933)<ref>{{cite news |title=Founder of Hakim Optical apologizes after being caught stopping in a bike lane |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2118013/founder-of-hakim-optical-apologizes-after-being-caught-stopping-in-a-bike-lane/ |work=Global News}}</ref> is an Iranian-Canadian entrepreneur and ], known for founding ], a large chain of eyeglass stores across Canada. | |||
| '''Occupation: | |||
| Founder and owner of Hakim Optical | |||
| ==Early life== | |||
| Country of Origin: | |||
| Hakimi was born in Iran. At the age of five, his father died, forcing Hakimi to leave school to work to support his family.<ref name="CI" /> He found work in Iran grinding discarded window glass into lenses for magnifying glasses and eyeglasses. This experience taught him much about the techniques and equipment needed by an optician.<ref name="CI" /> | |||
| Iran | |||
| At 14, Hakimi attended night school to complete his elementary education, learning to read and write.<ref name="PT" /> Later, following service in the Iranian navy,<ref name="NY" /> he immigrated first to Germany and then to Switzerland, where he furthered his education in the optician's craft.<ref name="NY" /> | |||
| City of Residence: | |||
| Toronto, ON | |||
| ==Career== | |||
| Self-made tycoon | |||
| Hakimi finally settled in ], Ontario, Canada, where he found work in the field of ophthalmic lens grinding. He saved his money until he could start his own shop.<ref name="PT" /> | |||
| In 1967, Hakimi opened his own lens-grinding laboratory in the former Elwood Hotel in Toronto, buying and rebuilding equipment from a shuttered facility in Chicago. At first, he sold his lenses ], directly to optician shops. Soon he was able to save enough money to open his first retail shop, selling glasses by day and working nights to fulfil orders.<ref name="PT" /> | |||
| Born: (needs edits) ''' | |||
| At first, Hakimi offered glasses for {{CAD|8|link=yes}}/pair ($12 for ]), which far undersold any competitors. He was able to raise his prices 50 percent from this starting point while still underselling his competitors and assuring continued demand for his glasses.<ref name="NY" /> | |||
| == Early life == | |||
| By consistently offering value, selection and excellent customer service, Karim Hakimi has turned a one-person operation into one of the most successful optical companies in Canada, with over 40 million pairs of eyeglasses sold to date. | |||
| From this beginning as a single retail outlet, Hakimi has built Hakim Optical into a national chain of over 150 outlets with over 600 employees serving the eastern provinces of Canada.<ref name="CI" /> | |||
| At nine years old, Karim Hakimi lost his father. He left school to support his family and found employment grinding magnifying glass from old window panes. He learned many aspects of the eyewear business, from lens grinding to equipment maintenance. | |||
| ==Awards and recognition== | |||
| As a 14-year-old, Karim set his sights on completing his education. Undaunted in his effort to improve himself, he toiled in nightschool to learn how to read and write. After a stint in the Iranian Navy, he emigrated to Germany and then Switzerland, where he learned modern methods of grinding optical lenses for precision instruments and eyeglasses. | |||
| Based on Hakimi's "]" success, he has been widely recognized as an outstanding immigrant to Canada. | |||
| * 2005: He was knighted by the ] in a Ceremony at ] in Toronto. | |||
| * 2008: Recognized by the City of Toronto by renaming Scarborough Street to Hakimi Avenue in his honor<ref name="PT" /> | |||
| * 2011: Named one of Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners by ''Canadian Immigrant''<ref name="CI" /> | |||
| * 2012: Awarded the ]<ref name="PT" /> | |||
| * 2014: The City of Toronto renamed a portion of Lebovic Avenue "Hakimi Avenue" in honour of Hakimi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hakimi Ave. honours Hakim Optical founder: street names |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2014/03/20/hakimi_ave_honours_hakim_optical_founder_street_names.html |work=Toronto Star |date=20 March 2014}}</ref> At the northwest corner of Hakimi and Eglinton Avenue is a Hakim Optical store. | |||
| * 2016: ] is renamed "Hakimi Lebovic stop" to represent the street where the stop will be located.<ref>{{cite news |title=Eglinton Crosstown station name sparks contentious Metrolinx debate |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2016/01/14/eglinton-crosstown-station-name-sparks-contentious-metrolinx-debate.html |access-date=13 December 2020 |work=Toronto Star |date=14 January 2016}}</ref> | |||
| == |
== References== | ||
| {{reflist|refs= | |||
| Seeking success, Karim came to Canada and found work in the field of ophthalmic lens grinding. Saving his money as he gained expertise, he waited for his chance to strike out on his own. | |||
| <ref name="PT">{{cite web | |||
| |url=http://www.persiantribune.ca/1029/people/karim-hakimi | |||
| |work=Persian Tribune | |||
| |title=People: Karim Hakimi | |||
| |date=17 November 2013 | |||
| |accessdate=17 March 2015 | |||
| |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131535/http://www.persiantribune.ca/1029/people/karim-hakimi | |||
| |archive-date=2 April 2015 | |||
| |url-status=dead | |||
| }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=March 2015}} | |||
| <ref name="CI"> | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| |url=http://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/canadas-top-25-immigrants-2011/karim-hakimi | |||
| |title=Top Canadian Immigrants 2011: The Winners: Karim Hakimi | |||
| |work=Canadian Immigrant | |||
| |accessdate=17 March 2015 | |||
| }} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| <ref name="NY"> | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| |title=North Yorker Karim Hakimi named one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants | |||
| |url=http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/64643-north-yorker-karim-hakimi-named-one-of-the-top-25-canadian-immigrants/ | |||
| |work=Inside Toronto | |||
| |date=1 June 2011 | |||
| |first=Justin|last=Skinner | |||
| |accessdate=17 March 2015 | |||
| }} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Hakimi, Karim}} | |||
| In 1967, he set up a laboratory in the former Elmwood Hotel in Toronto, and bought and rebuilt old equipment from a closed down lab in Chicago. Armed with pairs of his very own, brand new lenses for sale, Karim began to knock on doors. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| Karim’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to opticians and optometrists who supplied him with frames to mount his lenses. Although his reputation as a quality lens grinder soon became well known, he realized that he needed to become his own middle man to profit more from the retail price of a pair of eye- glasses, as his optician friends did. So he then found a way to market his quality, lower-cost products directly to the public. He opened a small storefront, selling eyeglasses by day, and often spending the night working to fulfill his promise of 24 hour order delivery. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| Hakimi began selling glasses for $8 a pair and bifocals for $12 a pair, increasing his own profits exponentially while charging far less than others. Before long, he was able to raise his prices by 50 per cent and still have customers lining up because he offered far lower-cost options than his competitors.<ref>http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/64643-north-yorker-karim-hakimi-named-one-of-the-top-25-canadian-immigrants/</ref> | |||
| One of the many keys to Hakim Optical’s success was Karim’s commitment to mentoring the best staff he could find. As a result, many have stayed with the company, working as opticians and technicians, freeing Karim up to focus on developing new retail opportunities. | |||
| Hakim Optical offers a wide selection of fashion frames imported from all over the world. Today, Hakim Optical has 170 showrooms and over 100 one- hour factory outlets in Eastern and Central Canada, with plans to expand further into Western Canada. A supporter of Ride For Sight, Karim regularly hops on his motorcycle to participate in this and other vision-oriented charitable causes. Hakim Optical also donates thousands of pairs of eyeglasses to those in less fortunate countries. | |||
| '''Because of Hakim’s entrepreneurial, business and philanthropic achievements, in 2008, the City of Toronto named a Scarborough street “Hakimi Avenue” in his honour. For those same reasons, in 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.''' | |||
| ==] of ]== | |||
| ] | |||
| The article ] has been ] because it appears to have no references. Under ], this newly created ''']''' will be deleted unless it has at least one reference to a ] that directly supports material in the article. | |||
| If you created the article, please don't be offended. Instead, consider improving the article. For help on inserting references, see ], or ask at the ]. Once you have provided at least one ], you may remove the {{tl|prod blp}} tag. '''Please do not remove the tag unless the article is sourced.''' If you cannot provide such a source within seven days, the article may be deleted, but you can {{#ifexist:Karim Hakimi|request that it be undeleted|]}} when you are ready to add one.<!-- Template:ProdwarningBLP --> ] (]) 18:47, 17 March 2015 (UTC) | |||
Latest revision as of 22:36, 4 February 2024
Iranian Canadian entrepreneur and optician, founder of Hakim Optical| Karim Hakimi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Iran |
| Nationality |
|
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Founder of Hakim Optical |
Karim Hakimi (Persian: کریم حکیمی) (born 1933) is an Iranian-Canadian entrepreneur and optician, known for founding Hakim Optical, a large chain of eyeglass stores across Canada.
Early life
Hakimi was born in Iran. At the age of five, his father died, forcing Hakimi to leave school to work to support his family. He found work in Iran grinding discarded window glass into lenses for magnifying glasses and eyeglasses. This experience taught him much about the techniques and equipment needed by an optician.
At 14, Hakimi attended night school to complete his elementary education, learning to read and write. Later, following service in the Iranian navy, he immigrated first to Germany and then to Switzerland, where he furthered his education in the optician's craft.
Career
Hakimi finally settled in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he found work in the field of ophthalmic lens grinding. He saved his money until he could start his own shop.
In 1967, Hakimi opened his own lens-grinding laboratory in the former Elwood Hotel in Toronto, buying and rebuilding equipment from a shuttered facility in Chicago. At first, he sold his lenses door-to-door, directly to optician shops. Soon he was able to save enough money to open his first retail shop, selling glasses by day and working nights to fulfil orders.
At first, Hakimi offered glasses for CA$8/pair ($12 for bifocals), which far undersold any competitors. He was able to raise his prices 50 percent from this starting point while still underselling his competitors and assuring continued demand for his glasses.
From this beginning as a single retail outlet, Hakimi has built Hakim Optical into a national chain of over 150 outlets with over 600 employees serving the eastern provinces of Canada.
Awards and recognition
Based on Hakimi's "rags-to-riches" success, he has been widely recognized as an outstanding immigrant to Canada.
- 2005: He was knighted by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in a Ceremony at Queen's Park in Toronto.
- 2008: Recognized by the City of Toronto by renaming Scarborough Street to Hakimi Avenue in his honor
- 2011: Named one of Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners by Canadian Immigrant
- 2012: Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- 2014: The City of Toronto renamed a portion of Lebovic Avenue "Hakimi Avenue" in honour of Hakimi. At the northwest corner of Hakimi and Eglinton Avenue is a Hakim Optical store.
- 2016: Lebovic LRT stop is renamed "Hakimi Lebovic stop" to represent the street where the stop will be located.
References
- "Founder of Hakim Optical apologizes after being caught stopping in a bike lane". Global News.
- ^ "Top Canadian Immigrants 2011: The Winners: Karim Hakimi". Canadian Immigrant. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ "People: Karim Hakimi". Persian Tribune. 17 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ Skinner, Justin (1 June 2011). "North Yorker Karim Hakimi named one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants". Inside Toronto. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- "Hakimi Ave. honours Hakim Optical founder: street names". Toronto Star. 20 March 2014.
- "Eglinton Crosstown station name sparks contentious Metrolinx debate". Toronto Star. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2020.