Tokyo Takeover Completes Ilford Imaging Settlement

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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