I realize this post is a bit old, but wanted to add some information
on the Jason line for people searching. This is from Bushnell's
public relations department although it doesn't appear on any of their
websites:
Jake Levin founded Jason/Empire, Inc. in 1947. Jake and his son,
Dick, started the business by importing binoculars from France, as
well as cigarettes and pearls from the Orient. The product was sold
to jewelry stores and catalog showrooms. The company?s name was
created by shortening the name of ?Jake and Son? to get Jason. Empire
was the name of a brand of products the company sold. Jason?s
original location was on the 8th floor of a building at 12th and
Walnut in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The company later moved to
a facility in Kansas City on Warwick Boulevard. As the business
continued to grow, Dick was responsible for the expansion and
evolution of the binocular and telescope business into a major
competitor in the U.S. Sports optics market.
Carson Companies, Inc. of Minneapolis acquired Jason/Empire, Inc. in
1977. In 1987, Jason introduced the Perma Focus binocular. This
patented binocular eliminated the need for focusing and revolutionized
the binocular industry. GlassOn, the first binocular exclusively for
eyeglass wearers, was introduced in 1991. The eyeglass wearer could
obtain a wide angle, full field of view when using the binoculars
while wearing eyeglasses. Other innovations included: the graphite
binocular, upscale consumer packaging, clam packaging, the ?Easy
Track? telescope mount, and the telescope dual-position diagonal
eyepiece.
In 1992, Bausch & Lomb a.k.a. Bushnell, purchased Jason from Carlson
Companies and moved the sports optics operation to the current
facility in Overland Park, Kansas. The name of the division was
changed from Bushnell to Bausch & Lomb Sports Optics Division.
Bausch & Lomb divested the Sports Optics Division in 1995 and Bushnell
became a wholly owned subsidiary of Worldwide Sports & Recreation, Inc
(WSR). WSR was a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of
brand name sporting goods and outdoor-recreational products.
Since then, Bushnell has changed hands again and the Jason name has
been discontinued. It is no longer used in new products produced by
Bushnell and many of the more popular models were simply rebranded as
Bushnell models. Hope that adds a little bit of information for those
looking for information on Jason models.
Matthew McDermott
Chief Binocular Officer
http://www.binocularoutlet.com/jason-binoculars.html |