Fuji shuts two photoprocessing plants

bmattock

bmattock

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http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=NewsDesk_Internal&article_num=030308-1

Monday, March 3 2008

Fuji shuts two photoprocessing plants

230 people in Maryland and Indiana are about to become the latest victims of digital photography. Fujifilm plans to close two photoprocessing plants, in Williamsport, Maryland, and Crawfordsville, Indiana, where these people work, within the next three weeks. The plant closings come as a result in the rapid shift from film to digital photography.

The plants processed film for several mass-market retail chains processing orders will be handled by other Fujifilm labs.

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Not to be mean or trying to start something here but this is the very first thought that came to mind while reading this...

Do any of these people getting let go shoot with digital cameras...???
 
What struck me was that two plants employed 240 people. That seems like a lot for two places where they develop film, which is mostly automated, no? It suggests Fuji will save a lot of money closing the plants. Note, also, that they are redirecting business to other developing centers. How many do they still have?
 
david b said:
These are plants the process film and make Walmart prints.

This has nothing to do with film production.
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Correct. The consolidation in processing plants would tend to be expected with the slowdown in film processing at places like Walmart.
 
sooner said:
What struck me was that two plants employed 240 people. That seems like a lot for two places where they develop film, which is mostly automated, no?
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Indeed it does, but I also consider that film which has to be sent out by places like Walmart to them must not be the typical 35mm print film, but rather more unusual, such as 110, 35mm slide film, and 120. Most Walmarts still do the usual 1-hour 35mm color print film processing in-house, I think.

It suggests Fuji will save a lot of money closing the plants. Note, also, that they are redirecting business to other developing centers. How many do they still have?
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An excellent question. I do not know the answer to that.
 
nikon_sam said:
Not to be mean or trying to start something here but this is the very first thought that came to mind while reading this...

Do any of these people getting let go shoot with digital cameras...???
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Would it make a difference if they did?
 
It's an inevitable result of the decline in consumer film use, but not the end of civilisation as we know it. A shame for the people who are losing their jobs though.
 
Developing the film is only such a small part of the line. Printing is there, too, and printing business should be going up. So many new places are now online to print your digital pictures. Why did Fuji fire those people and close the facilities instead of turning them into printing shops (with an online front). This one maybe more of consolidating business than digital vs film issue.
 
We have a Fuji processing plant here in Tullahoma, TN. I have seen nothing in the local paper about changes there. A lot of people use the Wal-Mart 1-hour processing, but a lot more turn their film in through Wal-Mart to be sent to Fuji for processing and printing.

Jim N.
 
endustry said:
Am I the only one here who has never set foot inside of a Wal-Mart?
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I went to one once, somewhere in New York I think, they are a bit like Sainsburys they keep the riffraff out of Waitrose.
 
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