A San Angelo hearing aid store with deep West Texas roots is celebrating a milestone in 2023.

It was 1953 when Ollie Livingston opened Livingston Hearing Aids at 1913 19th St. in Lubbock. He was eventually joined in 1976 by Richard Davila Sr., who purchased it in 1986.

His son, Richard Davila Jr., still runs Livingston Hearing Aid Center, 70 years after the family-owned business began. It still operates in Lubbock, now at 5303 50th St., along with more than 90 locations across four states, including San Angelo, Abilene and Wichita Falls.

Dr. Hunter Gerhart, with Livingston Hearing Aid Center, also celebrated a milestone with the company - his 10th year in August 2022. Gerhart talked about what the milestones meant to him, personally and for Livingston.

"It feels really amazing to be open, to serve and enrich lives through better hearing throughout this many locations," Gerhart said. "It's a great feeling to be a part of that history. We're really proud of what we've accomplished."

Gerhart attributed the company's ongoing success to the communities' support, and forming long-lasting partnerships with their patients.

"At Livingston, we don't believe that our job ends when a patient is fitted with hearing aids," he said. "It's actually just beginning. We're going to be there every step of the way for patients. We're going to continue to serve and educate our communities on hearing health and the best way to overcome hearing loss."

Gerhart mentioned that hearing loss affects one in eight people.

"I've always been a firm believer that hearing is what connects us to people in the world around us," he said. "Hearing loss is a big deal, and we are aware that hearing journeys are full of emotions. We're going to continue to be there for people every step of the way as they, or their loved one, deal with hearing loss."

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. HLAA also reported that two out of three children are born with "a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears" and one in five teens experience a degree of hearing loss.

"We've continued to grow, but we've always kept the future of better hearing in mind, and we're constantly, consistently, innovating to achieve that purpose," Gerhart said. "There are still lots of people we believe need our help, and so, we don't have any plans to stop our expansions."

As of Feb. 3, 2023, Livingston is in eight cities in Arizona, two in Colorado, 18 in New Mexico, and 68 in Texas.

People can visit the business's website at lhac.com, or follow their social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Livingston Hearing Aid Center celebrates 70 years since Lubbock start