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Statement from Harman Technology regarding recent sale to Pemberstone Ventures Ltd.


Hi, I need to convince nobody. Did the fact that genuine Bad Sarrow ADOX films came after the Agfa and that there is Ferrania around the corner, or the Kentmere line of films in its many incarnations, of the Filmotec packed in cassettes surprise you?

Yes, I do remember 400s, even advertised in magazines.
 
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All that was yesterday read the Adox response.
Tomorrow Adox need to start with niche films that sell...
The day after yes definite maybe...

Fuji could not sell Neopan400 they remaindered over production as Leagacy Pro, it was as good as Tx, HP5+, APX400... etc.,

I still have reels of 400s... And one Legacy...
 

ADOX makes three unique films already, well their CMS 20 may have been coated before their time, and they sell.
About the Neopan 400, there have been no offical reports from Japan as to why the film has been withdrawn, maybe lack of certain components, sales, who knows, I wouldn't jump to conclusion too quickly.
 
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You like Ilford Photo's film and paper lineup? Do you like their products? Then buy the stuff and use it. That is the surest way to make sure the products you use to make your art stay available. So long as the quality is there, and it continues to be made profitably, does it really matter who the owners of the company are? Kodak stopped Kodachrome, then Ektachrome, because it was no longer profitable for them. Pure and simple.

Here's the thing: We've got one manufacturer of E-6 film in the world (soon to be 2 when Ferrania gets off the ground). Not a lot of choice there - if you want to shoot slide film, you're gonna buy Fuji's stuff, since Ferrania's not off the ground yet. Kodak's color negative films are quite simply da bomb, if your end result is a print. Personally, my end result of choice is a projected slide, so at the moment it's Fuji. When I shoot B&W, though, unless I'm going for an infrared look, I reach for the Ilford. Period. I've tried Tri-X and it just doesn't seem to work for me, but the HP5+, OTOH, well, I like it a lot.

Bottom line: You want Ilford to keep making film, buy their stuff. Money talks, regardless of who the owners are. Show them the money! When you get customer service of the excellent kind that Simon Galley provided as part of Harman/Ilford Photo, well that's the icing on the cake that has earned Ilford a lot of respect around here. I hope Neil, Sue, and David will continue to provide that level of support around here. It will make a lot of people feel better about the new owners, I'm sure.
 
Separate topic, separate post. A hearty APUG welcome to Neil, Sue, and David from Central Illinois, USA!
 
I think Harman/Illford have said what needed to be said. It's not their job to engage with people that dismiss what they have already said, and invent their own narrative from their own imaginations based on fear and distrust of everyone and everything. This kind of "distrust" is mental and certifiable.
 
Statement from Harman Technology regarding recent sale to Pemberstone Venture...

Where's Simon? What did you do with Simon?!? Why can't we talk to Simon?!? Simon!!!
 
I have no idea about the reasons that led Ilford going into receivership 10 years ago but this time round that hasn't happened. I can't see any benefit to this VC company except in progressing Harman / Ilford as a viable company. So in short I don't think anyone has anything to worry about unless the company isn't profitable. Assuming B+W sales are stable or increasing then that isn't likely to happen unless someone has seen the companies profit and loss accounts at companies house which show different. The VC company would have checked those before commiting to purchase so I think they must perceive Ilford as viable going concern with potential for increased profits.
So sit back and see what happens. The next crisis point will be lease renewal in 10 years or maybe sooner or it could already have happened for all we know.
 

Agree with everything, except Pemberstone is a PE not a VC.
 
One of the dangers of a change of control of a company is the loss of key people who are experts on the product and/or business sector. I have direct personal experience with this principle as a former employee of a company that underwent a change of control.

I also have indirect experience with this principle with regard to Harman... not the company under current ownership, but under the immediate previous ownership/management. I had a technical question about the spectral response of their variable contrast papers. It was a question that went beyond the meager information given in their online documentation but one that would be well within what a company should know about the products they manufacture. The company could not answer the question because the technical information I sought had been lost, presumably through key employee attrition combined with loss of product documentation. This happened just a very few years ago.

It would be an extraordinary outcome if this principle were not to apply to the company after the present change of control. Indeed, we already know that most of the principals have already left the company, though we know less about what is happening among the rank and file. Time will tell of course, but I wouldn't bet the farm against the odds.
 

New people to management while still having the key director in charge is a good thing IMHO. The ability to see things with fresh eyes and the added resources Pemberstone provide will enable all involved to progress towards future goals. Goals that were set some time ago, but went unmet and were past goal dates. The decision to what to me looks more like a partnership than a sale, is to revise these goals and put more resources to them so they can be realized as planned.
 

Please stop with the opinions based on historical experience and circumstances. It does not play well into those who do not want to hear it.
 
You are assuming mine was not, as well?
 
alanrockwood said:
I assumed yours was not, but evidently I was wrong.

This is not the first time I have been wrong about something.
Click to expand...

I never make a mistake. One time I thought I did. But I was mistaken.
 

This must be an error. There's no way 200 people, raw materials, and production costs, could be supported by such a tiny amount of revenue.[/QUOTE]

They may be lean and hungry.
Factory costs and retail are way different.
The ex A-G factory at Leverkursen only operated for a few months before the new owners called in administrators...
Harman bought a finishing machine from the fire sale...
Not all the staff may be full time this is still zero hours UK...
 
The demise of the AgfaPhoto production entity still is kind of enigmatic.
 
AgX said:
The demise of the AgfaPhoto production entity still is kind of enigmatic.
Click to expand...

Yes that was the sympathy I omitted from my post.
And it is well expressed.

Normally companies do trial books monthly to prepare themselves for any shocks in their next published quartly formal set. Or to vote themselves a pay rise.

So the new owners should have had monthly updates - weeks in delay.
After you get five in succession that are worse month on month you might detect that the long term looked grim but there was an escape tunnel dug.

Turning silver stocks into master rolls, selling finishing machine, coater, terminating staff, etc.,

I've had to explain month on month £ 'deviations' all the time.


There are other scenarios...
 
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