Business profile: Couple saw opportunity for eye-care office

Owner: Maricopa residents Dr. Roger Vesper and his wife Jeanene Vesper own Maricopa Eye Care.

Why did you start your business in Maricopa in 2006? When we moved to Maricopa in 2004, Maricopa was very underserved in terms of medical and optical eye care. We felt this was a community where we could really make a positive impact. Also, having lived in the Bay Area, the idea of having a three-minute commute to work was especially appealing.

How is your business doing? I have conducted more than 14,000 eye exams in Maricopa. Maricopa Eye Care has steadily grown along with the city for the past six years.

What is your education background? I have a doctoral degree in optometry from the University of California Berkeley. I did my undergraduate work at the University of Utah.

What challenges have you faced in building your practice? Working with insurance companies has proven a lot more challenging than we anticipated. So much so, we now have a full-time employee whose primary job is dealing with insurance.
Another challenge has been the economy. As economic changes have reshaped people’s preferences and spending, we’ve had to adjust to help our patients get more for their dollar, while still maintaining our standards for quality and service.