Ilford Developers (Sourced from?)

[John Bragg]

So where are Ilford sourcing their liquid developer from these days ? I thought it may have been Tetenal back along, but since the problems there, who currently makes Ilfotec HC etc for Ilford ? Anyone have any clue ? Champion perhaps ? The label says made in EU rather than made in Germany as before.

 

[Alessandro Serrao]

So where are Ilford sourcing their liquid developer from these days ? I thought it may have been Tetenal back along, but since the problems there, who currently makes Ilfotec HC etc for Ilford ? Anyone have any clue ? Champion perhaps ? The label says made in EU rather than made in Germany as before.

Other than Tetenal, which went kaputt, in EU the only manufacturers that I know of are:
1) Calbe
2) Bellini
3) Fuji Hunt (but it's color)
4) Adox
I vote for Calbe.

 

[koraks]

3) Fuji Hunt (but it's color)

Not exclusively. They do all sorts of stuff that we don't know about as (amateur) photographers.
I certainly wouldn't put it beyond them to contract manufacture Ilford's chemistry. Which is not to say I have any specific hint in this direction - just that it's a perfectly reasonable possibility.

 

[mshchem]

Not exclusively. They do all sorts of stuff that we don't know about as (amateur) photographers.
I certainly wouldn't put it beyond them to contract manufacture Ilford's chemistry. Which is not to say I have any specific hint in this direction - just that it's a perfectly reasonable possibility.

It would be fun to SPY on these guys. Serious CIA, KGB stuff find out where all the drums come from. It's the supplier's suppliers that would be fascinating.
Automobiles are assembled with pieces from multiple sources, I suspect that the same is true, especially these days, of darkroom chemicals.

 

[koraks]

It would be fun to SPY on these guys.

Well, there certainly are interesting links between photographic companies that aren't necessarily secrets, but that I never heard about online. No spying involved, but you sometimes pick things up and they always make perfect sense - it's just that I never thought about them.

I suspect that the same is true, especially these days, of darkroom chemicals

Nobody works in a vacuum, and that certainly is true for the photographic industry just as well.

 

[MattKing]

I tweaked the thread title - because the old version made me want to link to: https://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology - Intro.html
I hope that is okay with @John Bragg

 

[John Bragg]

I tweaked the thread title - because the old version made me want to link to: https://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology - Intro.html
I hope that is okay with @John Bragg

Of course Matt. Thankyou.

 

[Lachlan Young]

The label also shows an EU address in the Netherlands, and the lids (and 5L bottles) are very, very similar to Fuji Hunt ones.

 

[koraks]

Well, Fuji Hunt is not in The Netherlands. Didn't Ilford use a mailbox address in Amsterdam for tax purposes?

 

[Lachlan Young]

Well, Fuji Hunt is not in The Netherlands. Didn't Ilford use a mailbox address in Amsterdam for tax purposes?

Probably made at the Fuji Hunt Sint Niklaas plant in Belgium, the address could be for tax purposes, or easier distribution to Europe (using Fuji warehousing capacity?).

 

[koraks]

Probably made at the Fuji Hunt Sint Niklaas plant in Belgium

Possibly. It's certainly not a far-fetched idea. Fuji Hunt does contract manufacturing for others, too.

or easier distribution to Europe (using Fuji warehousing capacity?).

If Fuji contract manufacture for Ilford then at least some warehousing capacity is undoubtedly used, but it's more likely to be the finished stock warehouse of Hunt in Sint Niklaas than something in The Netherlands. It's conceivable they expedite to the Dutch Fuji distributor, but they may just as well use any 3PL provider's warehousing. Last time I checked the Ilford NL address it was a mailbox firm in an office tower in Amsterdam; no warehousing there.

 

[Henning Serger]

Not exclusively. They do all sorts of stuff that we don't know about as (amateur) photographers.
I certainly wouldn't put it beyond them to contract manufacture Ilford's chemistry. Which is not to say I have any specific hint in this direction - just that it's a perfectly reasonable possibility.

Correct.
I can confirm that Fuji Hunt generally has been active in OEM production of BW photo chemistry for others.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[koraks]

Fuji Hunt generally has been active in OEM production of BW photo chemistry for others

Indeed, that's carefully formulated and consistent to what I know.

 

[Henning Serger]

Indeed, that's carefully formulated and consistent to what I know.

I often have to "carefully formulate" because of trust / responsibility to my sources and / or NDAs.
In any case:
We can be sure that Harman technology / Ilford photo will definitely cooperate with an excellent, very competent partner for their BW chemistry. We don't have to worry about quality.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Alessandro Serrao]

I'm worried about availability. Id-11 is nowhere to be found in Italy...

 

[mshchem]

Powders are my concern. Bromophen.

 

[Alessandro Serrao]

I often have to "carefully formulate" because of trust / responsibility to my sources and / or NDAs.
In any case:
We can be sure that Harman technology / Ilford photo will definitely cooperate with an excellent, very competent partner for their BW chemistry. We don't have to worry about quality.

Best regards,
Henning

Not one, but two at least.
Ilford powder developers are made in the usa, while liquid chemistry is made in the EU...

 

[Mark77]

I'm worried about availability. Id-11 is nowhere to be found in Italy...

These guys seem to carry ID-11 in Italy. https://fotomatica.it/shop/ricerca?controller=search&s=id-11

 

[Alessandro Serrao]

Yes, now there's a steady supply coming in. Thanks.