About Us
Thundercloud Optical, LLC is a Native American- and Woman-owned, small business that provides high quality and affordable prescription eyewear to Native American optometry clinics across the country. MJ Optical Group, a woman-owned small business, is our laboratory partner that brings more than 45 years of optical experience and is one of the largest wholesale, independent laboratories in the nation. Melissa (Missy) Woolf Ellis is the owner and President of Thundercloud Optical. Missy is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. She utilizes her unique skill set and background to successfully manage all aspects of Thundercloud Optical.
Thundercloud Optical’s office suites are located within MJ Optical’s office and warehouse building in Omaha, NE. Our proximity and day-to-day communication are essential to ensuring our customers get their eyeglasses expeditiously and are crucial to our overall success. Thundercloud Optical manages all correspondence with our customers, conducts all financial transactions, administers frame orders, and tracks order transactions. We provide the prescription to MJ Optical to manufacture and ship to the customer.
History
Thundercloud Optical began operating in partnership with MJ Optical Group in August 2019. Prior to that date, our customers were working with Thundercloud, LLC owned by John Woolf (Missy’s father).
John Woolf’s story: Thundercloud, LLC began operating in 1995 in partnership with Barnett & Ramel Optical (B&R). The business grew as John and B&R’s Keith Besch traveled to Tribal and Indian Health clinics in the west and mid-west regions, developing many friendships along the way. The partnership continued after Essilor of America acquired B&R in 2009. Unfortunately, Essilor eventually closed their doors in 2018 and directed Thundercloud’s orders to an out-of-state lab. But the new lab struggled over the next year fulfilling orders and maintaining the standards so many of Thundercloud’s accounts had grown accustomed to over the years. In 2019, John Woolf experienced health issues that left him unable to manage Thundercloud and decided to retire.
The Thundercloud legacy continues: John Woolf’s retirement prompted his daughter Missy to get involved in the optical business. Missy Ellis started a new company - Thundercloud Optical, LLC! She had the desire to provide better turn-around time and customer service than the clinics had been getting the past year. She tasked herself with two things: 1. Finding the right lab to fabricate the lenses and: 2. Hire the right staff. After interviewing several labs, she partnered with a local, independent laboratory that was also a small, Woman-owned business, MJ Optical and hired two members of the experienced Thundercloud Customer Service team. This has been a winning combination for Thundercloud Optical!
Our Team
Thundercloud Optical is fortunate to have a team with a combination of strengths giving us the right balance of optical experience, Native American heritage, customer service, retail management, and project management. Our team includes two full-time Optical Customer Service Specialists, one full-time Optical Customer Service Specialist/Office Manager, one part-time Office Support Specialist, and a hands-on owner/President with ABOC certification.
With a combined 47 years of optical experience, our team is qualified to assist our customers with technical questions and support. In addition, Missy utilizes her expertise in project and process management to help the team become more efficient, improve processes, and enhance the overall customer experience. Missy also manages Thundercloud Optical’s various government contracts and the solicitation process.