AGFA news

[tim atherton]

From another list:

"Agfa is splitting its photographic film and paper division off from the mothercompany, due to a 19% drop in revenues in this division last year. Rumours go that this is to prepare the selling of this division."

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040531/tech_agfagevaert_3.html

"Belgian image technology group Agfa-Gevaert has hired U.S. bank Goldman Sachs to help decide what to do with its troubled film unit, hit by the declining consumer use of photo film, it announced on Monday....

The home film-and-paper business is now the smallest and worst performing of the group's three divisions and its traditional market continues to shrink.... "more at above link

[John Kasaian]

Interesting. The thought of going head to head with Fuji and Kodak in the digi pix machine at the Walmart market seems rather quaint from a company that dosen't know if it wants to be Dutch, German, or (now this is the first I've heard of it) Belgium? Got to hand it to them though, since they aren't "into" thier role as major players in photography anymore, spinning off the traditional photo line to (hopefully) someone who can do a decent job and keep us all in Rodinal for another 100 years or so(maybe Brovira too?) seems like common sense---something Belgium Bureaucrats aren't noted for these days.

Kodak should take notice!

[Brian C. Miller]

Part of Agfa's problem is that they have the marketing accumen of Marvel Comics.

Both Marvel and Agfa decided to drop their normal distributors. Both tried to distribute their products through alternate channels. Both screwed themselves royally. Marvel went back to their old distributor, which charged them a premium. I don't remember what Agfa decided to do.

[Jonathan Borden]

Of course it is always concerning to see a film company go away but I for one have never or only very rarely used Agfa's film products -- I'm not sure why, perhaps it is a failure on marketing on their part. The only Agfa product I've used with regularity is Sistan, and it would be a shame to see that go.

Now on the other hand if Ilford or Berrger or Efke were to go out of business then we would be in real trouble. And if Fuji were to stop making slide film ...

[Ron Bose]

In mid-2002 the Bayer group sold it's 30% stake in Agfa to Goldman Sachs as part of their rationalisation effort.

So Agfa's woes may not be 'all' to do with the changes in the film market, but corporate issues as well.

[Huib]

John,

Agfa was never Dutch, Agfa-Gevaert was Belgian from day 1. Film/Paper plant is currently located in Germany, Leverkusen (near Cologne). Historians on this list probably can detail much more about Agfa.

a dutchie.

Huib www.huibsmeets.com

[John Kasaian]

Huib,

Thanks for the info! All these years I've been loosing sleep over the Agfa Question ever since in my innocent youth someone told me that Agfa was a dutch company and everytime I bought film the box says "made in Germany" (now I'll be up half the night wondering if Anthony Fokker was from Belgium!)