Photo Industry News

Fujifilm Intros Frontier LP5700R Digital Minilab with Fast Speed and Small Footprint

Photo Industry News — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:56:28 GMT

Valhalla, NY—Fujifilm North America Corporation, Imaging division, introduced the compact Frontier LP5700R digital minilab. Featuring high-resolution with “ultra-high-speed processing technology and simple operation,” LP5700R is engineered to produce quality silver halide print imaging from digital images.

The minilab incorporates several productivity-enhancing features: Fujifilm high-speed laser exposure technology developed to provide sharp, high-res images and vivid colors; a high-speed conveyor belt system to ensure rapid processing speeds; and Fujifilm’s Image Intelligence image-processing technology that automatically compensates for image problems.

“The digital Frontier LP5700R minilab gives our photo-processing customers the exceptional speed and enhanced productivity they need to strengthen their businesses,” said Kevin Spellissy, senior product manager, Lab and Kiosk Equipment, Fujifilm North America Corp., Imaging. “Using the combined processing technologies of Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper and CP-49E chemistry, the Frontier LP5700R ensures consistently high-quality images without compromise, which keeps customers coming back.”

Key features and capabilities of the Frontier LP5700R include: a space-saving size of under 13 square feet; output up to 2,040 4R prints/hour; a dry-to-dry time of 82 sec; “one-touch” CP-49E chemical handling system; 12x18-inch print size capability; two interchangeable paper magazines; and two-line back printing capability of up to 40 characters per line.

The minilab is available with Fujifilm’s Frontier Workflow Management software (“MS”) with integrated Image Intelligence technology. MS software enables retail photo shops to consolidate orders from multiple terminals and film scanners, and transfer them to each printer.

Fujifilm’s Frontier LP5700R digital minilab will be available this month.

Fujifilm also announced the Frontier DL600 dry minilab, providing a five-color ink system (CMYK, light blue), print sizes from 3.5x5 to 12x48 inches at speeds up to 650 4x6-inch prints per hour and resolutions up to 1,440 dpi. To increase production efficiency, Fujifilm offers new 180-meter paper rolls, available in up to 6-inch widths, and 700-ml ink cartridges to reduce consumables replacement. fujifilmusa.com

NPD Research Firm Names Group President for Asia Pacific

Photo Industry News — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:54:39 GMT

Port Washington, NY—The NPD Group, a provider of consumer and retail market research, appointed Tim Bush as group president for the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to leading the business in Asia Pacific, Bush will continue in his current role as general manager of The NPD Group’s Technology Analyst Business, which includes DisplaySearch, Solarbuzz and In-Stat.

“Asia Pacific is a critical and growing market for our clients, and NPD is dedicated to continued expansion in the region,” said Tod Johnson, NPD chairman and chief executive officer. “Tim has a fantastic track record of building global businesses and will be a major asset to The NPD Group as we move forward in new industries and new countries.”

Based in Hong Kong, Bush will spearhead the expansion of The NPD Group into new countries and markets, supplementing an existing presence in Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan—where the company serves the apparel, beauty, display, food service, solar, sports, toys and video games industries.

Previously at The NPD Group, Bush served as the senior vice president of Corporate Development, managing several significant transactions, including the acquisition of DisplaySearch. He has also served as president of the Home Business unit. Before joining The NPD Group, Bush held executive positions at ACNielsen, American Express and Time Warner. npd.com

Pentax Imaging Will Move to Downtown Denver Headquarters with Retail Space

Photo Industry News — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:53:13 GMT

Golden, CO—Pentax Imaging Company plans to relocate its national headquarters to downtown Denver on October 1, 2011. The headquarters will be located in the Colorado Plaza Towers building at 633 17th Street (corner of 17th and California Streets).

Pentax is leasing space on the 26th floor of Tower One of Colorado Plaza Towers, with a 68-month term.

“We are excited to be a part of the vibrant, growing Denver metropolitan hub, which will mean more exposure for Pentax and a culturally exciting environment for our employees,” said Ned Bunnell, president, Pentax Imaging Company. “In addition to the office space, Toma West [owner of the building] has offered Pentax the opportunity to explore leasing a high-traffic retail space in the property’s Galleria Area, which was a significant factor in Pentax choosing this space.”

The history of Pentax as a Colorado business dates back to 1958 when Honeywell first sold photography products under the Pentax brand name in the United States. In 1977, Pentax Corporation was established in Englewood’s Inverness Business Park. Then in 2003, Pentax relocated to the city of Golden. On July 1, 2011, Hoya, the current owner of Pentax, announced an agreement to transfer the Pentax Imaging Systems business to Ricoh Corporation. The effective date of the sale is set for October 1, 2011.

Also effective that date, all correspondence for Pentax Imaging Company may be directed to: Pentax Imaging Company, 633 17th Street, Suite 2600, Denver, Colorado, 80202.

The main Pentax telephone customer-service number, individual telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and the pentaximaging.com website will remain the same. All shipments directed to the Pentax Imaging Company Customer Service and Warehouse departments remain the same. As a reminder, these addresses are: Pentax Service Center, 250 N. 54th Street, Chandler, AZ, 85226; Pentax Imaging Company (Warehouse), C/O SEKO Worldwide, 3500 North Windsor Drive, Suite 400, Aurora, CO, 80011.

Camera Makers Ranked on “15 Most Innovative Companies of All Time” List

Photo Industry News — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:53:39 GMT

New York City, NY— Business Insider released its listing of the “15 Most Innovative Companies of All Time,” featuring a range of international technology firms that are driving forces behind technology innovation. In the number one spot is IBM, with 67,199 American patents, and five companies in the photo-imaging category made the list. Here they are by the numbers.

#2 Canon. With 41,268 patents filed in the U.S., Canon’s most famous inventions include the IVSB camera—the first marketed in the U.S.—the 10-key electronic calculator, the first automatic exposure SLR and personal copiers.

#6 Samsung. In 2010 alone, Samsung was granted 4,518 U.S. patents to bring its total to over 31,000. Business Insider recognized Samsung for several inventions, including the first microwave oven, the first 8mm VCR, the 1GB Flash memory prototype and the first mobile phone that doubles as an MP3 player.

#7 Sony. With 27,211 U.S. patents, some of Sony’s inventions are the Walkman, the first portable CD player, the first non-projection portable transistor TV and Japan’s first transistor radio and magnetic recording tape.

#11 Kodak. The company’s most notable inventions include the first commercial transparent roll of film, the Brownie camera—the first series of inexpensive cameras—pocketsize EasyShare digital cameras, and film that could be developed without the use of a darkroom. Kodak holds 22,506 U.S. patents.

#12 Mitsubishi. With slightly less U.S. patents than Kodak, Mitsubishi was included for its invention of the first rear-projection TV, a blow-by-gas reduction device, PBS trim plastic, and the jet towel. businessinsider.com

Japan's Hoya to sell Pentax camera business to Ricoh

Photo Industry News — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:12:38 GMT

TOKYO - Japanese optical glass-maker Hoya said on Friday it would sell its Pentax camera business to copier and printer maker Ricoh, in a deal the Nikkei business daily said was worth about 10 billion yen ($124.2 million).

Battling falling prices for its compact cameras, Ricoh hopes to establish a presence in the profitable upmarket single-lens reflex camera segment, the Nikkei business daily said.

The two companies will hold a news conference about the transaction at 0730 GMT. The deal will go through in October, Hoya said in a filing to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Shares in Hoya ended up 4 percent at 1,845 yen, after climbing as high as 6 percent to 1,888 yen on the news, while Ricoh was down 0.2 percent, in a broader market climb of 0.5 percent.

Hoya, which bought Pentax in 2007 mainly to gain access to its medical technology, had been widely expected to sell off the camera business.

Pentax is the world's tenth largest digital camera brand by shipments, with just 1.5 percent of the market, according to research firm IDC.

Sales of Pentax cameras dropped just over 13 percent in the year ended March 2011, amid fierce price competition in the compact camera market. Copier and printer-maker Ricoh, which aims to shed nearly 10 percent of its workforce to improve profits, also has a digital camera business, but sales are too small to feature in global data.

Eureka! Park TechZone to Feature Innovative Entrepreneurs, Start-Ups at 2012 CES

Photo Industry News — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:23:11 GMT

Arlington, VA—The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced the official launch of the Eureka! Park TechZone, a dedicated area at the 2012 International CES showcasing innovative start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Twenty-eight companies already have signed up to exhibit in the Eureka! Park TechZone, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and CNET. Owned and produced by CEA, the 2012 International CES, the world’s largest trade show for consumer technology, is scheduled January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship drive our economy forward and the Eureka! Park TechZone—which had an amazing launch—proves that CES is the global platform for growing companies to unveil their game-changing technologies to the marketplace,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “While leaders strive for policies that will create jobs, the companies within Eureka! Park are creating products and services that will bring economic prosperity. We are excited to welcome these companies to CES and look forward to witnessing their cutting-edge innovations.”

The Eureka! Park TechZone is designed to benefit budding entrepreneurs, fledgling start-ups, homegrown innovation and small companies looking to gain footing in the consumer electronics industry. Eureka! Park will be located at the Venetian, which will also feature CES keynotes and the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase. ce.org

Photo Industry Reporter and NAPCO Form Strategic Partnership

Photo Industry News — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:27:58 GMT

June 13, 2011, Woodbury, NY—Photo Industry Reporter, Inc., and North American Publishing Company (NAPCO) announced today that they are forming a strategic partnership to better serve the imaging industry. Under their agreement, NAPCO will merge their Picture Business publication into Photo Industry Reporter, and Photo Industry Reporter will begin collaboration on NAPCO programs, including development of custom publications and conferences. The two companies will also be collaborating on a number of web-related projects.

Under the new arrangement, Jerry Grossman and Alan Levine will retain their ownership of Photo Industry Reporter, Inc. Mike McEnaney, formerly editor in chief of Picture Business, will become editor-at-large for Photo Industry Reporter and will manage the photoreporter.com website and joint digital properties. He will also continue to be part of NAPCO’s publishing team.

“We’re excited about this partnership with NAPCO,” said Alan Levine, PIR’s publisher. “We see this as a better way to serve the imaging industry, and our partnership will enable us to create new programs that will broaden the opportunities that our advertisers will have available to them. NAPCO has a very deep bench, and their expertise, especially with their extensive web properties and well-established industry relationships, will significantly benefit our readers and our advertisers.”

“Jerry and Alan have evolved Photo Industry Reporter into a “must read” in the imaging industry,” added Eric Schwartz, president/publishing director at NAPCO. “We felt that with our development of trade and consumer conferences, along with our emerging web properties, that we could help each other develop joint programs that will serve this emerging industry.”

Jerry Grossman will continue in his role as editor in chief for Photo Industry Reporter, and RoseEllen Sanfilippo will continue as managing editor for the company’s publications. “We’re excited to have Mike McEnaney as part of our team,” said Grossman. “He’s a seasoned professional who will certainly strengthen our editorial lineup.” Grossman added that they would continue to publish their seasonal Demystifying Digital insert in USA Today, as well as their new publication, Photo Book & Creative Printing Retailer.

Photo Industry Reporter, Inc., publishes trade and consumer magazines and websites primarily for the imaging industry. Grossman and Levine purchased the company in 2005 from Ed Wagner and Rudy Maschke.

NAPCO was established in 1958 and successfully operates magazines, trade shows and online services for the various markets it serves, including the consumer electronics industry.

Panasonic NA Unifies Marketing, Regional Brand Management with New Marketing Head

Photo Industry News — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:13:55 GMT

Secaucus, NJ—Panasonic Corporation of North America appointed Betty Noonan to lead its marketing and branding functions. Noonan, who was most recently vice president and director of Kodak’s worldwide consumer marketing operations, will be responsible for integrating Panasonic’s marketing and enhancing its brand.

“Panasonic expects Betty Noonan will energize and integrate our marketing efforts across divisions in the U.S. and Canada based on her leadership and her proven record of success in advancing brands,” said Joseph M. Taylor, chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Betty is uniquely qualified to help Panasonic transform current marketing efforts in alignment with our long-term corporate goal of becoming the leader in green business innovation. Also, in an international organization like Panasonic, Betty’s global management expertise and perspective from 25 years of global brand marketing experience will play a very important role.”

Noonan will serve concurrently as vice president of Marketing and Brand Management, Panasonic Corporation of North America, and senior vice president of Marketing, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, the company’s consumer electronics sales division.

Olympus Announces Gumz’s Retirement as Pres./CEO of Olympus Corp. of Americas

Photo Industry News — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:11:43 GMT

Center Valley, PA—Olympus Corporation of the Americas announced that  F. Mark Gumz, president and chief executive officer, retired from the company effective May 31. Karl Watanabe, current executive vice president and chief financial officer, will be promoted to president – Corporate, OCA.

In his new role, Watanabe will report to Michael C. Woodford, Olympus Corporation president and chief operating officer, who will become the chief executive of Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA) in addition to his role as chairman.

“I’ve always admired individuals who know when it’s time to move on. This is the right time for me. Over the last few months, we’ve put in place new leadership in our businesses. We have made progress but there is more work to do and the new leadership is best positioned to execute the plans,” Gumz stated. “As rewarding as I’ve found my nearly 20 years at Olympus, which represents half of my career, there are still some things I want to do in my life. I’m announcing my decision now so that I can pursue those possibilities.”

Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, chairman and CEO of Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, the parent company of OCA, said, “Under Mark’s strong leadership, the company has developed and grown, serving the needs of our customers not only in the U.S. market, but also those in Canada and the important and rapidly developing markets in Latin America. I would like to publicly express my sincere thanks to Mark, on behalf of myself and my board colleagues, for his considerable contribution to Olympus over the years.”

In addition to his role as CEO, to which he was appointed on April 1, 2008, Gumz was president and COO of Olympus America Inc., to which he was appointed on January 1, 2000. In 2008 he was named an executive officer of Olympus Corporation, the first American to achieve this distinction, and he served in the Global Management Office for the parent company. He was made an executive managing officer of Olympus Corporation in April 2011.

Gumz began his career with General Electric Company and held management positions with the Marubeni America Corporation. He also ran his own international trading company for nearly 15 years. olympusamerica.com

D&H Distributing Posts 10 Percent Growth in Revenue

Photo Industry News — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:05:22 GMT

Harrisburg, PA—D&H Distributing closed out its fiscal year on April 30 with a 10.2 percent increase in revenue to $240 million for a total of $2.6 billion for year, according to CE Pro.

“At the close of our fiscal year that began with considerable economic uncertainty, I am pleased to report that D&H once again delivered a strong financial performance in our year ending April 30, 2011,” copresidents Dan and Michael Schwab wrote in a letter to D&H’s partners. “In keeping a sharp focus on our core business philosophies, D&H continued in its steadfast commitment to doing what is best to support the intersection of our vendors and customers needs; providing a foundation for trust and loyalty that is unsurpassed in the distribution industry.”

The consumer electronics and IT distributor attributed the primary reason for its growth to its personnel, who are also co-owners of the 93-year-old company. “This high-touch customer engagement strategy has allowed our sales organization to take customer relationships beyond just a traditional transactional exchange. Rather, we have built a community of customers where the main differentiator is service, not price, which aligns to our core distribution strategy,” added the Schwabs.

The company’s employee ownership program was recently recognized by the National ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Association.

“As a private company, we are neither driven towards nor motivated by quarterly per-share earnings, particularly as to whether it meets, exceeds or falls short of analysts’ estimates. Rather, we are focused on growth opportunities that align to your innovative products and business strategies,” said the Schwabs. dandh.com