Businessweek

HAL Trust, through its subsidiary, HAL Holding N.V., owns and operates optical retail chains in Europe, North America, and internationally. It operates through Optical Retail, Other Unquoted, Quoted Minority Interests, Real Estate, and Liquid Portfolio segments. The company also sells hearing aids; produces high-pressure laminate products primarily for exterior and interior applications; distributes personal protection equipment, such as safety clothing, shoes, and gloves for factory workers; supplies timber products and building materials through 49 outlets for new construction, renovation, and maintenance; offers office furniture; owns and operates gas tankers; and manufactures and sells orthopaedic devices. In addition, it provides communication products and services to the green market under the brand name of Floramedia; produces and distributes announcement cards under the Belarto brand name; offers financial communication and provides access to virtual data rooms, as well as services relating to the production of prospectuses for capital market transactions; and publishes the Dutch financial newspaper, Het Financieele Dagblad, as well as operates a radio station and Internet sites; offers factoring and clearing services for the health care industry. Further, the company develops and produces identification and timing equipment for sports events under the MYLAPS brand; provides training for pilots through full flight simulators; and develops and rents multi-family properties and office buildings in Seattle. HAL Trust operates approximately 4,920 optical stores that include 1,104 franchise stores; 25 gas tankers; and 32 specialized care centers and various fitting locations. The company was founded in 1873 and is based in Monaco.