Harman Technology purchased by Pemberstone ventures LTD

[Lauffray]

Press release here

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/pressroom/article.asp?n=211


I'm not speculating, I wonder what this means for consumers.

 

[Antielectrons]

This means good news as someone is willing to invest in the future of Analogue. Yipee.

 

[DanskDynamit]

strange, I see it as bad news.
Ilford, as far as I know, was not in danger, and Permberstone is just a financing company.
Ilford was owned by the company making film, now its owned by a group of bankers.
sigh...

 

[Jerevan]

Oh no.

Not a good sign at all, venture capitalists wanting to cash in on the "the resurgent Film market" ...

 

[spaceistheplace]

Ugh, I'm scared.

 

[Ronald M]

We need to know history of buyer before deciding.

If their bean counters start cutting the least profitable products year by year, soon there will be nothing left but high priced unaffordable film. Or like Kodak, they can raise the prices of bulk film to match that of packaged film.

Kodak cut and cut and cut until there was nothing left to support the rest of the product line. So it withers away .

The bean counters destroyed General Motors and they can do the same here.

 

[KM-25]

Kodak cut and cut and cut until there was nothing left to support the rest of the product line. So it withers away .

How on earth do you figure that???

Kodak offers some of the best film they have ever made. If you select "Roll Film" at B&H, it shows 33 for Ilford and 45 for Kodak, all in stock at average or even slightly below average prices too.

Given the typical piss poor attitude of the old guard, I find the following a refreshing and encouraging notion:

"Our new owners will assist us to connect more effectively to this younger generation in the future, and we will prioritise this as our main goal over the next five years"

 

[Lauffray]

Some comments seem to echo what I had in mind, I don't want to be pessimistic given I know nothing about this company, but I didn't exactly read the news with enthusiasm.

 

[mervynyan]

significant price hike will be in the cards.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

strange, I see it as bad news.
Ilford, as far as I know, was not in danger, and Permberstone is just a financing company.
Ilford was owned by the company making film, now its owned by a group of bankers.
sigh...

Ilford was owned by the management, as a buy out team.
Given the recent failure to rationalise the site they occupy, a housing development and re-location on site for Ilford, was rejected by the planning committee of the local council, there may be a requirement for a capital injection. Whilst I have every respect for the team at Ilford none of them, like us all, are getting younger, and an injection of capital and financial management expertise may allow some needed re-organisation of the production facility and access to and knowledge of capital markets.
The concern of course is that the current team have sold, no doubt at a profit, and how tight the ties are to continue with running the business remain undisclosed.

 

[oftheherd]

I have no idea what it means. But I don't trust bean counters venturing into things they don't fully understand. That is, they may not see beyond addition and subtraction tables with most profit. Not other products that contribute.

But time will tell. Who knows, maybe they will be better owners after all.

 

[Ned Bojic]

We've seen what blackstone has done to Leica: various irrelevant models, T, Q,"tip 246", "Tip this", "Tip that"... And a monstrously super quickly obsoleting cycle.

Time to pile up some films, I say. The kentmere line is the best bargain on the planet price wise.

 

[Lauffray]

We've seen what blackstone has done to Leica: various irrelevant models, T, Q,"tip 246", "Tip this", "Tip that"... And a monstroussuper quick obsoleting cycle.

Time to pile up some films, I say.

At least I can choose not to buy something I find uninteresting, I just hope they won't start cutting a la Fuji. I get so much stock from them, not just film

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have no idea what it means. But I don't trust bean counters venturing into things they don't fully understand. That is, they may not see beyond addition and subtraction tables with most profit. Not other products that contribute.

But time will tell. Who knows, maybe they will be better owners after all.

Do bean counters understand ANYTHING except counting beans?

Answer: some do. I've not talked to the Ilford venture capitalists, but Kodak's accountants before the crash were a lot better informed than the travelling salesman Kodak management. At least this lot have the benefit of Ilford management expertise, which is very significant.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

At least this lot have the benefit of Ilford management expertise, which is very significant.

Cheers,

R.

Indeed, but they are the recipients of the buy out money, they owned Harman, hopefully contracts tie them in otherwise trouble looms.

 

[shadowfox]

Wow, this thread needs a bit of balance.

Folks, a bunch of people with a lot of money SEES the potential of young people using more film.

This is a great news!

I say 'Go Ilford!' with a new wind on your sails!

 

[Lauffray]

Wow, this thread needs a bit of balance.

Folks, a bunch of people with a lot of money SEES the potential of young people using more film.

This is a great news!

I say 'Go Ilford!' with a new wind on your sails!

They're investors, they see the potential for a good return on their investment. Interest in the market or the product is optional

 

[Colin Corneau]

I'm hopeful for the best, but let's not kid ourselves about investment bankers -- they care solely about maximizing return...they have no care or expertise in reaching a 'younger generation' or new innovative ideas.

If they can be leashed enough to pay heed to Ilford's current management and their expertise, this could be good. Let's hope it's that and not what investment firms usually do.

 

[JP Owens]

It will be interesting to watch. If they decide that these "crazy kids with their lomos" are not price sensitive to film prices, they will jack up the prices to maximize profit. If they stay pretty much to the current pricing for an extended period, it's a good sign.

 

[Antielectrons]

Apple had a fair amount of private investment when it started up... worked out OK for them. Not sure what planet people are living on... we live in a capitalist society. If you need investment you either borrow from a bank (not happening in the current climate) or sell shares in your company publicly or privately... Welcome to 1980.