Forte papers WILL BE available

To let you this community know, I just received this email from Robert Vonk (fotohuis) with his permission to pass it on here (he's a friend of mine). Also you can check the www.aphog.de site (the German part of the message is from this site, at the bottom is a rough translation (please someone with native knowledge of German, do correct my translation)):

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News: Rettung für Forte?
Im Moment verhandeln folgende s/w-Spezialisten und Partner:

Wolfgang Moersch (Hürth, Deutschland)
Bergger (Paris, Frankreich)
Foma Bohemia S.R.O. (Hradec Kralové, Tchechische Republik)
Fotohuis RoVo (Ravenstein, Niederlande)

www.moersch-photochemie.de
www.bergger.com/inter/index.html
www.foma.cz
www.fotohuisrovo.nl

über eine Übernahme von Forte (P.W.) Papiere und die zukunfstige Herstellung
in der tchechischen Republik. Inzwischen wurde ein Geldbetrag von den
Partnern auf den Tisch gelegt um das alles möglich zu machen. Weitere
Informstionen dazu werden in den nächsten 2 Wochen erwartet..

*****************************************

Also involved and due to the mess with Impex/Efke/Freestyle and Rollei/Maco
a new extended I.R. 850nm film, based on APX100. Also this new film will be
produced by Gevaert (former R&D lab from Agfa in Mortsel, Belgium).

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The above mentioned people/companies are going to take over the production of Forte papers in the Czech Republic. The money was already paid. Further info should follow in 2 weeks

So the implication is that the Forte papers will now be made in the Foma plant?

Is the Forte equipment being moved to the Foma plant? How about the Forte employees? If it's just the formulas that are moving, then they can make something similar, maybe better, maybe worse, but it won't be the same.

David, no further info on my part. Please wait for more information from Robert Vonk (fotohuis), who is I think well known in this community.

Wait and see...

Negotiations

Hallo,

in the german original it is said that the new partners have negotiations with Forte concerning a production of the paper in the future. Therefore we have to wait and see, wether the negotiations will be successful.

Best regards,
Jana

fingers crossed

My guess is that the Croatians have come to a deal with Forte (with the support of the partners mentioned) to produce the papers using the Forte formulas in their plant. They won't be the same, that's for sure. But let's hope they will be as interesting as the original Forte stuff. And the variety offered will still be there (the graded ones, most important of all).

George Papantoniou said:

My guess is that the Croatians have come to a deal with Forte (with the support of the partners mentioned) to produce the papers using the Forte formulas in their plant. They won't be the same, that's for sure. But let's hope they will be as interesting as the original Forte stuff. And the variety offered will still be there (the graded ones, most important of all).

Click to expand...

Dear George,

Foma is located in the Czech Republic. The Croatians are the Fotokemika Nova (Efke) people, but they are not involved.

Best regards,
Jana

David A. Goldfarb said:

So the implication is that the Forte papers will now be made in the Foma plant?

Is the Forte equipment being moved to the Foma plant? How about the Forte employees? If it's just the formulas that are moving, then they can make something similar, maybe better, maybe worse, but it won't be the same.

Click to expand...

Well, let's be honest...

As a user of Forte's VC papers for three years...Forte papers weren't necessarily the same from one batch to the next

I remain skeptical but hope things work out.

One thing's for certain...you can't tell the players without the proverbial scorecard at the moment.

If you translate this announcement more carefully you will see that it says that the above group of people has the intention to do what they describe and that money has been raised and put on their table to make a proposal to Forte.

I wonder what drives so many people lately to announce things in internet forums which are at that particular point only in planing stage.

Here it reads as if things were definite yet and the paper was just about to be produced again.

I am just returning from Budapest and my view on the situation is:

Point 1: Nothing has been decided by the owners of Forte yet and probably won´t be in short term
Point 2: The situation down there is currently of a kind which does not put any pressure on the owner to make anykind of an immediate decision
Point 3: Fomas coating line differs substantually from Fortes (I know both) and a smooth transfer will be VERY difficult if not impossible
Point 4: There have been earlier attempts by other, very prominent companies who did not succed and I would really wonder why this project suddenly should be much luckier than them
Point 5: The stage described in the announcement from Fotohuis (want to save the paper and make a proposal, have a budget to do that, have good plans of what to do) has been reached at least by three other groups before (including Fotoimpex) and where did they get: nowhere, sofar.

Sorry to say this. I hope I don´t get stamped as the bad news guy here but these announcements lately make me wonder.

But maybe they work a miracle. Let´s wish them good luck. We´d definitely like to continue to carry this paper in our portfolio.

Regards,

Mirko

Thanks for the interpretation. I was skeptical about the previous announcement.

Who does own Forte at this point in time? In other words, did they again go into bankruptcy before ceasing production - or did the ownership simply decide to stop production to prevent further losses and preserve their capital?

Also, is it possible that Foma would simply assume control of the present-day Forte plant and do the coating there rather than attempt to produce the paper at Foma's own facilities?

Whatever the case, I appreciate the information.

aldevo said:

Thanks for the interpretation. I was skeptical about the previous announcement.

Who does own Forte at this point in time? In other words, did they again go into bankruptcy before ceasing production - or did the ownership simply decide to stop production to prevent further losses and preserve their capital?

.

Click to expand...

The owner is the Csurgo investment group and they closed down the plant as they have other plan for the property as it's very attractive! The Csurgo group is an estate development group. They hardly ever have been at Forte at all and have a totally different location geographically speaking! Yes, they have losing “some” money but they are people who is got big money so they don’t care at all. They are not in the rush at all and even pay some money to all the employes with the closing down the plant!

ADOX FOTOIMPEX said:

If you translate this announcement more carefully you will see that it says that the above group of people has the intention to do what they describe and that money has been raised and put on their table to make a proposal to Forte.

I wonder what drives so many people lately to announce things in internet forums which are at that particular point only in planing stage.
Here it reads as if things were definite yet and the paper was just about to be produced again.

I am just returning from Budapest and my view on the situation is:

Point 1: Nothing has been decided by the owners of Forte yet and probably won´t be in short term
Point 2: The situation down there is currently of a kind which does not put any pressure on the owner to make anykind of an immediate decision
Point 3: Fomas coating line differs substantually from Fortes (I know both) and a smooth transfer will be VERY difficult if not impossible
Point 4: There have been earlier attempts by other, very prominent companies who did not succed and I would really wonder why this project suddenly should be much luckier than them
Point 5: The stage described in the announcement from Fotohuis (want to save the paper and make a proposal, have a budget to do that, have good plans of what to do) has been reached at least by three other groups before (including Fotoimpex) and where did they get: nowhere, sofar.

Sorry to say this. I hope I don´t get stamped as the bad news guy here but these announcements lately make me wonder.

But maybe they work a miracle. Let´s wish them good luck. We´d definitely like to continue to carry this paper in our portfolio.

Regards,

Mirko

Click to expand...

To answer the above highlited first.

All the wannabe's who think they know it all but, know nothing.


And for the rest you wrote and this is not for you but to all other readers.

The situation described by Mirko is the very situation as is. It’s correct and thru by any means.

uraniumnitrate said:

All the wannabe's who think they know it all but, know nothing.

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More likey just people who are gutted by the prospective dissappaerance of a beautifull paper. Cut them some slack and don't be obnoxious....

Jaap Jan