Editor's Note: We received the following from the Ilford team and report
their release verbatim:
The news that the remaining aspect of the Ilford Imaging Group, the UK arm of
which went into administration in 2004, has been settled with the takeover of
Ilford Imaging Switzerland by Oji Paper of Tokyo, a leading paper manufacturer
in Japan for over 130 years, has been welcomed by ILFORD Photo and HARMAN technology.
Although HARMAN technology, the parent of ILFORD Photo, is a totally independent
company with no corporate ties to the old group, as a gesture of goodwill given
the history of the group, the UK company's directors have been assisting the
Swiss company and the administrators, Grant Thornton, to keep its operation
in a viable state.
The result is that the takeover has been successfully completed for an undisclosed
sum, and that Ilford Imaging Switzerland GmbH will operate as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Oji Paper Company under the continued direction of managing director
David Jones.
Other Ilford Group member companies around the world which also went down have
already been individually sold or replaced, resulting in a global network of
independent companies now distributing ILFORD Photo products.
"Judging by some calls we have received, some confusion has arisen due
to the similarity of company names," says ILFORD Photo's marketing director
Howard Hopwood.
"However, the situation is quite clear: it was the old group headed by
Ilford Imaging UK Limited which went into administration in August 2004. Following
this, the UK operation was bought out by the former management team which established
HARMAN technology Ltd as the holding company trading as ILFORD Photo.
"The Swiss company, which was the old group's inkjet paper manufacturing
arm, remained under the control of Grant Thornton until this acquisition by
Oji Paper. It can therefore be seen that this activity has no connection with,
or impact on, ourselves."
For full detail of ILFORD Photo products and services, visit www.ilfordphoto.com.
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Shutterbug Staff
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