| Ilford C.R.Kennedy AU & NZ |
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FACT SHEET Who owns ILFORD? Earlier this year UK based Harman Technology Limited and the Japanese Company Oji Paper Limited both purchased different parts of the ILFORD business. ILFORD’s black and white manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom underwent a management buy out by Harman Technology in February of this year and in July ILFORD Imaging’s digital manufacturing facility in Marly, Switzerland was acquired by the Japanese paper company Oji Paper. The ILFORD brand is owned by the Swiss company, ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH who has granted a licence for the UK based Harman Technology to use for black and white photographic products. Who is the new owner of ILFORD Asia Pacific? There will be no new owner as such, rather different channels of distribution in line with each of the new owner’s distribution policies. Effective from 16th January 2006, C.R. Kennedy will take over distribution of ILFORD products in Australian and New Zealand. This signals a change in distribution rather than ownership, and a new and exciting future for the ILFORD brand, which will continue to be a market force into the future. Who is C. R. Kennedy? C.R. Kennedy and Company Pty. Ltd. (CRK) is Australia's largest distributor of photographic, surveying, surveillance, medical and digital audio equipment. With famous brands such as Pentax, Hasselblad, Sigma, Bowens, Redwing, Elmo, Leica Geosystems, Dallmeier, Samsung Electronics, iRiver and more. Headquartered in Melbourne since 1934 C.R. Kennedy has offices in all major Australian capital cities and Auckland, New Zealand, allowing it to provide a quality of service to match the calibre of its brands. Who appointed C. R. Kennedy? Harman Technology Ltd. and ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH have both agreed on the appointment of C.R. Kennedy to manage their brands in Australia and New Zealand. Why was a new distributor appointed? It is ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH and Harman’s business strategy to appoint distributors rather than maintain dedicated selling companies such as ILFORD Asia Pacific. CRK was appointed in line with ILFORD Imaging and Harman’s distribution strategy. Why is CRK interested in ILFORD? CRK recognised the strength of the ILFORD brand, a premium asset which is based on the dedication into research and development of premium photographic supplies worldwide. CRK also recognised that the range of products complemented their existing ranges and fulfilled customers’ needs. How will distribution be affected? Nothing changes in regards to availability or suppliers, the only change will be who distributes ILFORD products in Australia and New Zealand. C. R. Kennedy will take over the role of distribution of ILFORD products on behalf of ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH and Harman. With many synergies in existing customer relationships and servicing CRK and ILFORD expect and have prioritised for a seamless transition. Who can I call at CRK regarding my orders? You can contact Hilton Mok at CRK on concerning customer orders and enquiries. What plans does CRK have for ILFORD? CRK has designs to improve the positioning of ILFORD and drive brand awareness with dedicated resources to areas like marketing. CRK has a proven track record in growing brands like Bowens and Hasselblad Digital into key market players in the specialist photographic industry. Will any product lines be dropped? No. ILFORD customers can expect the same availability and supply of products. With Harman’s commitment to black and white and ILFORD Imaging Switzerland’s specialisation in inkjet, an increase in range can be expected. Will ILFORD cost more? ILFORD’s premium products are priced at the market level and there should be minimal change in the price of ILFORD products to consumers. Should photographers expect to see any changes? Dedicated users of ILFORD photographic supplies should expect only future improvement and new product developments. Availability of products will not change, with ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH and Harman still developing the consistently high quality and wide range of inkjet and black and white ILFORD products. How does this affect schools, the ‘ILFORD Dollars’ program and the ILFORD ‘Images’ magazine? Schools will still be able to purchase their trusted ILFORD products from their current suppliers. Back-to-School promotions will continue, with ILFORD Dollars still valid and the program remaining unaltered. The ILFORD Images magazine will continue to be produced providing useful information and exposure for student photography work. How will the new structure affect ILFORD staff? ILFORD Asia Pacific’s Clayton North headquarters will cease to be the Australasian home of ILFORD, and redundancies will take effect from the end of January 2006 as a result. How will ILFORD’s positioning in the market be affected? ILFORD has been in Australia for well over 70 years and represented by a fully owned subsidiary company for the past 55 years as a market leading premium quality imaging brand. With the changing business environment and current trends the new model is more suitable to broader positioning of the brand. What is the status of ILFORD worldwide? ILFORD around the world continues, stronger than ever, with ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GMBH and Oji (in the top ten within the paper industry) and Harman Technology being the major player in the market for black and white. Production of ILFORD’s premium inkjet and black and white products is continuing worldwide. Research and manufacturing at Swiss and UK sites continues and distributors continue to deliver consistent, reliable and premium product to imaging consumers globally.
     
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ILFORD Imaging Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, the leading supplier of digital/inkjet products and photo printing technologies, announces the appointment of C.R. Kennedy & Company Pty. Ltd. to manage and distribute the ILFORD range of products in Australia and New Zealand.About Ilford
ILFORD has been a major player in the development and manufacture of photo quality media for both inkjet printing and for photographic processes, and will continue to be so as more and more innovative ideas are realized. As one of the leading manufacturers of photo inkjet media we are able to see trends and developments in the market place and tailor our R&D and manufacturing resources to meet that demand.
Since 2005 ILFORD Imaging Switzerland GmbH is a part of the Oji Paper Co. Ltd. The entire process of taking images has become much more immediate and, as digital camera technology has improved, the demand for photo quality output has increased: ILFORD has risen to this challenge and has become one of the world's leading manufacturers of inkjet media for desktop and wide format applications.
ILFORD has a world class manufacturing facility in Switzerland. ILFORD is selling photo quality digital media to world leading retailers, allowing amateurs and professionals alike to produce photo quality images.
Building on photographic knowledge and expertise, ILFORD has developed inkjet media that have the look and feel of traditional photographs. We are one of the few companies in the world to have integrated research and development initiatives for dyes, inks and coated media used in photo quality inkjet printing, all leading to award winning products.
The unique market position that ILFORD holds ensures that all our photo quality media are compatible with all the latest inkjet printer models and manufacturers.
As a manufacturer, ILFORD is able to offer the flexibility and professional quality products that are demanded in today's market place. Our customers can take comfort in the knowledge they are dealing with one of the world's leading manufacturers, know where to direct their enquiries, and are therefore delighted in the products and services only a company that has been in the industry for over 100 years can offer.
