Thomas H. Lee Partners Completes 1-800 CONTACTS Acquisition, Names Bethers CEO

DRAPER, Utah—1-800 CONTACTS announced on Feb . 3 that the acquisition of the company from WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE:WLP) by funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P., (THL), a leading private equity firm with extensive experience in the retail and consumer sectors, has been completed. The deal was first announced on Jan. 7, as VMail reported.   1-800 CONTACTS also announced that its founder and chief executive officer, Jonathan Coon, is retiring from his position at the company, and that current president, Brian Bethers, will succeed him as the 1-800 CONTACTS' new CEO.   Jeff Swenson, managing director at THL, said, "We are excited to partner with Brian Bethers and the 1-800 CONTACTS management team to continue to grow the largest direct-to-consumer retailer of contact lenses with a model built on providing a superior customer experience and the broadest selection of contact lenses available at affordable prices."    See more