• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Presidential!We Are Generous!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Buckeye Optical

By MarionMade! on August 31, 2017

TENACITY AND GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE FUELS DREAM.
.
Over 10 years ago, Jeramy Donelson was a licensed optician at a big box store in Marion. Terrible hours, lack of control, and the corporate push to see as many customers as possible pushed Jeramy to the realization that it was time for him to leave his job and pursue his own business. The first step was to put together a trustworthy team. In February 2006, Buckeye Optical officially opened at 163 Jamesway with Jeramy, Dr. Kelly Bruch, and CJ.
.
The road to becoming Marion’s premier eye health provider wasn’t easy. Time after time, Jeramy risked everything to pursue his dream. He put it all on the line, “I maxed out the equity on my house, my credit, and asked the bank for more, until I was denied another penny. I took the biggest risk of my life.”
.
Starting small, the business strategy was simple: Jeramy was to handle the retail/material end of the business, while Kelly was to oversee eye health and patient care, with a mission is to provide a friendly, personal alternative to big box stores. Not long after opening, the team at Buckeye Optical realized that they were outgrowing their facility. In 2010, they found the perfect place.
.
Working 12-16 hour days, the Donelson and Bruch families grew even closer. Looking back on their hard work, Kelly remembers the events of one night specifically, “We worked all day at the Jamesway location. After work, we took a U-Haul down to Cincinnati to get most of the furniture for our new space. I remember driving back at 2 a.m. to unload everything, and then working early the next morning.”
.
After six months of blood, sweat, and tears, they were ready to open. Whether you’re looking for a new pair of glasses, quality preventative care, a thorough exam, or just to stop in and say hello, you can find Jeramy, Dr. Bruch, and the entire Buckeye Optical team at 150 McMahan Blvd.
.
Article content edited from story supplied by Family Values Magazine. To read this story in its entirety, visit www.familyvaluesmagazine.com
.
#MarionMade #WeAreBuckeyeOptical

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Local Family Navigates Tough Times Together

    Ernst Stuckey’s family had moved to Prospect in the 1880s. The family-owned a meat market near the train tracks next to the fire station. His father, John, and his brother, Rudolph, were butchers and firemen. His sister, Emma, taught English at the local German school. Ernst met his wife, Ella, while they worked summer jobs […]Read More »
  • Jeff Ruth

    He may have come from Lexington (Ohio), but Jeff Ruth is MarionMade! without a doubt. He’s been a fixture on local radio–WMRN–since moving here in 1979 as the station’s evening announcer, fresh out of Bowling Green State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. As fate would have it, in 1983, the sports director left […]Read More »
  • Ted McKinniss

    His roots are in Marion. Born in Marion in 1950 and a graduate of Harding High School, Ted he has devoted a lifetime’s worth of time and talent to his hometown and is definitely MarionMade! As a practicing attorney, serving Marion for more than four decades, Ted’s work has had a significant impact here, including […]Read More »
  • MARCA Helps Local Adults with Disabilities Live Their Best Lives

    For more than 50 years, MARCA Industries has supported local adults with developmental disabilities by empowering them to live their best, most productive lives. While they have decades of experience, this agency has undergone major changes in the last several years. Due to regulatory requirements, MARCA separated from the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2026 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image