Wearing clear protective glasses, Obama spoke to workers in the three companies and witnessed manufacturing that included the energy-efficient lights developed by Verfuerth.

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Kris Hedstrom, the director of CHEP's Innovation Center, which adjoins the plant, is wearing earplugs, protective glasses and hard plastic shoe covers over his toes.

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Eventually, the design team equipped themselves with gloves and protective glasses.

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That might be why an unlikely pair of investors (amongst a few others) decided to invest in Gunnar, a Carlsbad, California company that believes it can help 70-75% of those eye strain sufferers by wearing its stylish, but protective computer eye glasses.

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