01 October, 2011 — Observer’s fear loss-making Kodak may be running out of cash, heading for insolvency, and could file for bankruptcy soon. The corporation says bankruptcy isn’t in its plans. The fears were sparked by Kodak leaning on its revolving credit facilities for cash recently, and belief that it is in talks with insolvency practitioners and potential buyers. Kodak says its plan is to stick to its post-digital strategy of exploiting its patent heritage. (Although, today, this mostly involves selling, rather than licensing, its patents.)
Fujifilm have set up a company in the Ukraine. It will open its office in Kiev on October 1, 2011. The consumer market in that country is expanding rapidly, and Fujifilm Ukraine LLC will support the marketing of Fujifilm digital cameras.
27SEP11 — Venture Photography, which operated a portrait studio franchise business with branches in Britain and Ireland, has been bought out of administration. The capital for the buy-out was put together by an entrepreneur in London. Venture had been in administration since December. The deal should see Venture operated as a going-concern under new management.
Photography magazine “Turning Pro” has been axed by UK publisher Archant, who also own “Professional Photographer” and “Photography Monthly” magazines.
Cosmopolitan Bride magazine, which published six times a year in the UK, is being closed down by the publisher, Hearst Magazines UK. The last issue (October/November) will publish on August 25, 2011. The closure is attributed to “fierce competition in the sector”.
CAMERABOX CEASES TRADING: Camerabox.co.uk, a family-run online camera warehouse based in Thame, Oxfordshire — which employs more than 30 people — is sending an auto-response email to customers saying it has ceased trading, “temporarily”, following “the loss of key members of staff”. The email states it has cancelled all unfulfilled orders, and advises customers to seek refunds for them, or instruct their credit card issuers to dispute them. The company is not answering its phones or responding to emails personally.
Hasselblad are taking over UK distribution of Broncolor lighting from J.P. Distribution, from July 1, 2011.
Onsite printing software DARKROOM went to version 9.1 this month, its first release under new ownership: http://bit.ly/lox522. DARKROOM will be sold and supported in the UK by event photography solutions specialist, System Insight
According to BBC’s The One Show broadcast on Thursday, Mel Bouzad’s Hampshire and Dorset Weddings Ltd. still hasn’t paid any of the nearly £14,000 awarded against it in respect of eight County Court Judgments (some in favour of dissatisfied clients). It has ceased trading, but Bouzad now operates as H&D Wedding Photography. The show says his wedding photography businesses have clocked up a record forty complaints — made against them to Trading Standards.
Kodak is to implement dynamic pricing on its traditional silver-based photo film and paper products. The new, regularly adjusted, variable prices will track key commodities like silver — which has soared to record costs this year — and oil.
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