Agfa Returns !!! Email the new president !!!

AgfaPhoto starts up
Pressrelease

Transfer from the Agfa-Gevaert group concluded as planned


Leverkusen, 3rd November 2004 – AgfaPhoto, the new independent company
in the world of digital and analog photography, has started its
worldwide business operations as planned at the beginning of November
2004. This concludes the transfer of the previous Consumer Imaging
(CI) business group of the Agfa-Gevaert group to an independent
company with new owners. The turnover of the CI business group last
year amounted to € 870 million. The new company will continue with the
previous business units Film/Consumer Products, Finishing and Lab
Equipment and further develop them.

AgfaPhoto has taken over the complete assets of the old Agfa CI
business group, including all production plant, patents and
technological know-how, inventory and accounts receivable, etc.

Financially the new company has an excellent basis: the share capital
ratio is over 40 percent. AgfaPhoto`s liability for pensions is
limited to the current employees. In addition the new, leaner
structure will result in a double-digit fall in annual overhead costs
(in million Euro).

A total workforce of about 2,900 persons, of whom approximately 2,275
are based in Germany, is being transferred from Agfa-Gevaert to
AgfaPhoto. AgfaPhoto has subsidiaries in more than 30 countries around
the world and thus continues to have worldwide activities. The company
presence in Germany consists of sites in Leverkusen, Cologne, Munich,
Gera, Peiting, Rottenburg/Laaber, Vaihingen/Enz and Windhagen.

The main operating entity of the group is AgfaPhoto GmbH, Leverkusen,
a 100 percent subsidiary of AgfaPhoto Holding GmbH, also based in
Leverkusen. The principal owner with a 55 percent shareholding is
NannO Beteiligungsholding GmbH, Munich. With a combined holding of 25
percent eight members of AgfaPhoto management are also owners, led by
the chairman of the management board of AgfaPhoto GmbH, Eddy Rottie,
who previously headed the Consumer Imaging business group. Two private
equity companies, Highfields Capital and Abrams Capital, both of
Boston, hold 10 percent each.

Alongside the chairman Eddy Rottie, the managing directors are Marc M.
Bamberger (Finance) and Ingbert Schmitz (Marketing & Sales).

AgfaPhoto is world market leader in equipment for wholesale photo labs
and private label films, and is one of the world´s four largest
suppliers of minilabs, photographic papers and photochemicals.

Although films and consumer products have an important role at
AgfaPhoto, the development, production and marketing of lab equipment,
software and consumables for the production of photo prints on
photographic paper are at the centre of the company´s business
activities. This applies equally to images captured by digital and
analog means, to minilabs ("One-Hour Labs") and wholesale photo labs
operating on an industrial scale. AgfaPhoto anticipates good market
opportunities in this field in the future, as the boom in digital
photography also leads to high demand for systems to make "real
photos" from digital shots.

AgfaPhoto´s wide-ranging know-how in image editing software,
high-precision coating technologies, the production of specialist
chemicals etc. as well as the company name, which is new but with the
element "Agfa" nevertheless well-known, furthermore enable the company
to expand its product range in various directions.

"Out of a corporate division has emerged AgfaPhoto, with global
operations and the character of a medium size company. This means
greater freedom of action, more flexibility and shorter
decision-making processes. We have a committed, highly-qualified
workforce and a broad know-how which includes software and hardware as
well as the complete spectrum of photo-chemistry. With AgfaPhoto we
are therefore well equipped to master the challenges that lie ahead of
us. And that means above all: we intend to exploit all the
opportunities open to us and improve the profitability of AgfaPhoto",
commented Eddy Rottie, chairman of the management board of AgfaPhoto
GmbH.

Dr. Hartmut Emans, managing director of the main shareholder Nanno
Beteiligungsholding GmbH added: "AgfaPhoto has an excellent starting
position and possesses very high potential to develop further. I
therefore see the Nanno shareholding as a long-term investment."

Contact:

AgfaPhoto GmbH
Corporate Communication
Dr. Hartmut Hilden
Tel.: +49 (0)221-98544-3671




********** I think we should ask for the return of APX 25
***************

On 7 Nov 2004 15:19:25 -0800, (davidb) wrote:

I think we should ask for the return of APX 25

I think the "new" management is going to have enough trouble figuring
out what current products to keep before taking any forward steps.
IMHO they're already missteps by entering the "online printing" and
"digital film" markets -- two commodity markets where they have little
or no competitive edge.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $419. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

On 7 Nov 2004 15:19:25 -0800, (davidb) wrote:

I think we should ask for the return of APX 25

I think the "new" management is going to have enough trouble figuring
out what current products to keep before taking any forward steps.
IMHO they're already missteps by entering the "online printing" and
"digital film" markets -- two commodity markets where they have little
or no competitive edge.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $419. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

On 7 Nov 2004 15:19:25 -0800, (davidb) wrote:

I think we should ask for the return of APX 25

I think the "new" management is going to have enough trouble figuring
out what current products to keep before taking any forward steps.
IMHO they're already missteps by entering the "online printing" and
"digital film" markets -- two commodity markets where they have little
or no competitive edge.

--
Michael Benveniste --
Spam and UCE professionally evaluated for $419. Use this email
address only to submit mail for evaluation.

davidb wrote:



********** I think we should ask for the return of APX 25
***************

It was the ONLY product in their B&W line that stood out from anything
offered elsewhere.

--

Stacey

davidb wrote:



********** I think we should ask for the return of APX 25
***************

It was the ONLY product in their B&W line that stood out from anything
offered elsewhere.

--

Stacey

davidb wrote:



********** I think we should ask for the return of APX 25
***************

It was the ONLY product in their B&W line that stood out from anything
offered elsewhere.

--

Stacey

Perhaps Agfa and some of the other companies that are having
less-than-spectacular times can still manage to meet demand if they follow the
model that Konica has regarding the production of its Infra-Red film. It's my
understanding that Konica runs the infra-red emulsion for only a couple of
weeks once a year and that's it...they calculate a years worth of demand and
the supply is limited to that.
Maybe Agfa can apply the same logic to the production of APX25...for all I
know, they already may be following some similar kind of production model now
but they really should be apprised of the demand for specific products to
encourage them to put them in the works.
Better we should find their "snail-mail" address and back up any e-mail
campaign with some paper communication to underscore the seriousness of the
request.
Where do we find Agfa's new address?


best,

argon

What they would need to do is advertise their film to get market share. Not that long
ago I went to my local Calumet (goose island in Chicago) to buy a couple of boxes of
Tmax-100 readyloads as had become the norm Calumet and every other place I tired was
out of Tmax-100 readyloads. While there I talked to the midwest region sales manager
of Calumet and he told me that Kodak underestimated the demand for Tmax in general
and the readyloads in eneral and couldn't make it fast enough to keep up with demand!!

During the convesation I was told that sales of LF cameras, accessories and film was
increasing. Although the pros are moving from film to digital at an increasing rate.
There was a large number of "amerature" going to LF from 35mm.

What Agfa is going to have to do is convince me and others is to move from the film
I know and have come to like to switch to their film.


Argon3 wrote:
: Perhaps Agfa and some of the other companies that are having
: less-than-spectacular times can still manage to meet demand if they follow the
: model that Konica has regarding the production of its Infra-Red film. It's my
: understanding that Konica runs the infra-red emulsion for only a couple of
: weeks once a year and that's it...they calculate a years worth of demand and
: the supply is limited to that.
: Maybe Agfa can apply the same logic to the production of APX25...for all I
: know, they already may be following some similar kind of production model now
: but they really should be apprised of the demand for specific products to
: encourage them to put them in the works.
: Better we should find their "snail-mail" address and back up any e-mail
: campaign with some paper communication to underscore the seriousness of the
: request.
: Where do we find Agfa's new address?


: best,

: argon

--




Keep working millions on welfare depend on you
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