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Hollywood Fotofix acquires Milford Heirloom

Hollywood Fotofix Inc., a provider of photo restoration and photo gifting services, acquired Milford Heirloom LLC, a Connecticut-based provider of photo gifts. The acquisition expands the depth of Hollywood Fotofix’s gifting items. It also expands the company’s footprint in offering gifts to photo retailers, as well as offerings to kiosk and online providers.

“With Milford Heirloom, our gift production and product selection expands, while introducing additional retailers to the photo restoration and other digital photo services we offer,” says Mark Long, president of Hollywood Fotofix.

Milford Heirloom CEO Rich Salerno says: “The acquisition by Hollywood Fotofix represents a natural extension to Hollywood’s business model and more importantly, the consolidation of two excellent product mixes. This relationship will simplify customers’ decisions on where to source product from, and allow Hollywood to continue to offer flexible digital connectivity and leading edge personalized products.”

Founded in 1993, and offices located in Lehi, Utah, Hollywood Fotofix says it leads the photo restoration market with current training, a “quote at the counter” estimate system, high quality, and high capacity.

Milford Heirloom, based in Milford, Conn., has been providing unique and high quality photo gift items to the photo industry for more than 25 years. The company has also worked with several online and chain retail partners.

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PhotoChannel signs contract with Wal-Mart Canada to provide online photo services

PhotoChannel Networks Inc. , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a provider of online digital media solutions for retailers, signed a new contract with Wal-Mart Canada to provide and operate the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club online photo services. The Wal-Mart Canada Online PhotoCentre is located at www.walmartphotocentre.ca and the Sam’s Club Canada Online PhotoCentre is located at www.samsclubphotocentre.ca. Wal-Mart Canada and PhotoChannel first launched the company’s online service together in 2003.

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Fujifilm closing film plants in Maryland and Indiana

Fujifilm Holdings Corp., Tokyo, Japan, claims the shift to digital photography is forcing it to close film processing plants in Maryland and Indiana that employ a total of 230 people, reports The Associated Press. The Fujicolor Processing plant in Williamsport, Md., will close March 12, idling 125 workers. The plant in Crawfordsville, Ind., with 105 workers, will close March 19.

Fujicolor customer service director, Darla Camman, said the plants process film for Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and other retail stores. She said the work will be moved to other Fujicolor labs. Camman said the plant closings will better position the company for the rapidly increasing shift from film to digital photography.

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HP seeks new retail markets for inkjet technology

HP Co., Palo Alto, Calif., is seeking new markets for its printers and ink, including retail chains and drugstores where Americans are printing their digital photos, reports The Associated Press. Printer supplies like ink, paper, and photo books provide 60 percent of the revenue at HP’s printing division, according to analysts. That division delivers almost half the company’s profits, which totaled $7.26 billion last year, says the AP.

With home-based photo printing on the decline, HP is now marketing its inkjet technology to retailers like Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp. HP is urging the retailers to trade in chemical-based photo printing and go with dry lab inkjet machines that produce 1,500 prints an hour, says the article.

Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP’s printing division, is targeting the publishing market — books, magazines, newspapers – where HP grabs only a 1.8 percent share of total pages printed, says the AP. Joshi sees HP growing its printing business 4 percent to 6 percent per year, with a 14 percent to 15 percent operating margin, by converting some of the traditional analog printing market to digital printing with inkjet technology. And he’s counting on continuing to replace silver halide for printing photos, says the article.

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Photo industry entrepreneur appointed to U.S. envoy to Organization of the Islamic Conference

President George W. Bush announced that Texas technology entrepreneur Sada Cumber will be the first U.S. special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. There has been eight month lapse in the appointment of this historic special envoy since President Bush announced the initiative in June of last year, according to a “The Grieboski Report” blog entry.

“The core of his mission is to explain to the Islamic world that America is a friend,” Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with Cumber. “This is an important job. There’s a lot of misperceptions about America and Sada’s going to be a part of our effort to explain the truth.”

Cumber is a successful and well-known Austin entrepreneur who has founded six companies in the past 25 years. Cumber brings extensive experience in governance issues and leadership in imaging, lending, and technology-based industries. He has a business background in senior management, marketing and an applied expertise in driving internal and external forces that change the enterprise, technologies, and product usage.

Prior to founding Texas Global, Cumber founded SozoTek, a wireless imaging company. In 1995, he co-founded Applied Science Fiction, a company specializing in a digital dry film process whose technologies were recently acquired by Eastman Kodak Co. Cumber previously owned Triumph Flexo Industries which was acquired by American Greetings in 1994. Additionally, Cumber has also served on the board of trustees for PMA and Digital Imaging Marketing Association, a PMA member association.

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People on the move

· Digital Railroad, New York, N.Y., provider of Web-based application services for the professional photography industry, appointed Thomas A. Grina as chief financial officer. Grina has more than 20 years’ experience leading financial organizations in the telecom and software industries. He will oversee Digital Railroad’s finance organization, account management, and business and operating strategy. Grina was previously CFO at Digeo Inc., a company specializing in home entertainment software and technology.

· Syntax-Brillian Corp., Tempe, Ariz., manufacturer and marketer of LCD HDTVs, digital cameras, and consumer electronics products, appointed Michael Garnreiter to the board of directors as an independent, nonexecutive director. Garnreiter will also serve as the audit committee chairman.

· Best Buy Co. Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., promoted Michael A. Vitelli to executive vice president, Customer Operating Groups. In his new role, Vitelli will lead Best Buy’s PC mobility, home solutions, and entertainment operating groups and also will have oversight for enterprise merchandising and the company’s private label business. David Morrish was promoted to the newly-created position of executive vice president, Connected Digital Solutions. In this role, Morrish will be responsible for working across Best Buy operating groups and brands to develop a business strategy and model that would allow Best Buy to further profit from new connectivity technologies. Morrish and his team also will work to build integrated solutions that would allow customers to subscribe to certain Best Buy products and services. In addition, Morrish will oversee Best Buy for Business and other new growth categories as they evolve. Barry Judge was appointed chief marketing officer of Best Buy. As CMO, Judge provides overall vision and leadership to all areas of marketing for the enterprise, including brand management, customer research and development, trend, promotions, advertising, marketing communications as well as internal communications and public affairs. David Berg was promoted from senior vice president to executive vice president, International Strategy and Ccorporate Development. Berg is responsible for the enterprise’s mergers and acquisition activities as well as the identification and evaluation of opportunities in new geographic markets. He continues to have overall responsibility for the company’s commercial office. In addition, he continues to be responsible for purchasing all of the company’s goods not for resale.

· AAA Imaging Solutions Inc. announces the appointment of Greg Hitchler to the position of E-Commerce Manager for the Santa Ana, Calif.-based company. He will be posting and monitoring sales through various Internet services and assisting customers with questions regarding the large variety of equipment posted. Hitchler brings with him more than 26 years of experience in the minilab business, including more than 24 years with Noritsu America Corp.

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Industry notes

· What makes a retailer successful in the capital city of Wellington, New Zealand, can make a retailer successful anywhere in the world. It’s having a common understanding between the boss and the team of what’s expected. Chris Wilkinson of Photo Plus owns two photo labs, plus a heavy equipment rental company and does some real estate development. He’s able to do all this because his team understands what the rules of the game are. He has good-looking stores with sharp people, and customers who value the efficiency and quality he offers. In this week’s DIMAcast, Wilkinson shares his thoughts with Bill McCurry. If your team isn’t doing exactly what you wish they would, this DIMAcast has ideas for you. A PDF transcript with illustrations is also available.

· Primary Color announces its 50-year anniversary of being in business. Ralph Plaideau and Henry Harmison began Primary Color in 1958. Over time Primary Color, which was located in downtown New Orleans, La., has gone through four location changes. The last was the relocation to Kenner, La. Over the years, Primary Color has seen its operation change from doing all processing and printing by hand to the workflow being done by computers in the digital age.

· PMA, Jackson, Mich., launched the Digital Photography for Busy Women Workshop in a Box program. The program is available through the PMA Business Resource Store and is included in an exclusive bundled promotion with the PMA Long Term Photo Care program. Photo industry journalist and author Laura Oles created a complete workshop in a box program to help photo retailers offer fun and educational events geared toward helping consumers get more from their digital cameras. The workshop program is based upon Oles’ book “Digital Photography for Busy Women.” The Digital Photography Workshop in a Box program includes: a PowerPoint presentation, a handout/mini reference guide for attendees, a “Top Ten Photo Tips” sheet for attendees, a press release template for retailers to use to promote the workshop, and a marketing tip sheet for marketing and promoting Digital Photography for Busy Women workshops.

· PMA, Jackson, Mich., released the Monthly Printing and Camera Trends Report covering highlights and overviews through December 2007. According to the report, the volume of prints made from all sizes of digital still cameras increased 27 percent in 2007. The retail channel accounted for 49.5 percent of prints made in 2007. Overall demand for still cameras — film and digital — was down 4.5 percent in December 2007. Nine out of 10 digital camera units sold in December were 6 megapixels or more. The megapixel entry level has shifted to above 7 megapixels. Access the full monthly report online in the PMA Marketing Research area.

· The Professional Scrapbook Retailers Organization (PSRO), a member association of PMA, announces the 2007 National Scrapbookers Trend Report. Sales growth in the scrapbooking industry appears to show a downward trend but with potential for renewed growth. Penetration is low with only 1.7 percent of Americans, or 4.5 percent of women between 16 and 64, participating in scrapbooking as a hobby. More than 80 percent of scrapbookers are between 30 and 59 years of age, and 40 to 49 year olds make up 31 percent of the market, according to the report. This more than 200-page report is the second in a series of reports from Scrapbooking.com Magazine, The SMART Group, and PMA, and complements other consumer research conducted by the PMA Marketing Research. The report is constructed from data collected during a 4-year period via surveys taken by readers of Scrapbooking.com Magazine and/or the Scrapbooking.com weekly consumer newsletters. It is the continuation of substantiating and understanding trend changes in the scrapbooking industry based on opinions and purchasing habits of consumers. The full 2007 National Scrapbookers Trend Report is available free to PSRO members and for $149 to non-members.

· PhotoChannel Networks Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a provider of online digital media solutions for retailers, signed a new contract with Wal-Mart Canada to provide and operate the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club online photo services. The Wal-Mart Canada Online PhotoCentre is located at www.walmartphotocentre.ca and the Sam’s Club Canada Online PhotoCentre is located at www.samsclubphotocentre.ca . Wal-Mart Canada and PhotoChannel first launched the company’s online service together in 2003.

· Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., announced its intent to acquire Design2Launch Inc., developer of a collaborative end-to-end digital workflow solution for marketing and creative teams in the pharmaceutical, food & beverage, automotive, and consumer package marketplaces. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Design2Launch System is a suite of integrated modules created to save time and money at every step of the graphics creation process, from project initiation, collaboration and revision, through to approval, and into production. Design2Launch, a privately held company formed in 2000, is based in Stamford, Conn., and is led by the brother and sister team of Alison Malloy, president and chief executive officer, and Ron Malloy, chief strategy officer. The transaction is subject to acceptance by minority shareholders of Design2Launch and customary conditions to closing. The parties anticipate the transaction will be consummated within 30 days.

· Imation Corp., Oakdale, Minn., announced the expanded availability of its Memorex brand of consumer electronics through U.S. commercial distributors and online resellers. The Memorex brand is currently sold to consumers at large mass retailers in the United States. Beginning in March, Imation’s Memorex-branded consumer electronics — including digital picture frames — will be available for the first time through commercial distribution channels.

· Pentax Imaging Co. , Golden, Colo., launched the Pentax Sail Away program to introduce consumers to select models of binoculars. From now until May 31, any customer who participates in a Pentax binocular demonstration will qualify to enter the Pentax Sail Away Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Cruise West cruise for two from Costa Rica through the Panama Canal or Pentax products. A binocular demonstration consists of visiting a participating retailer and asking for a hands-on demonstration of one of the binocular models or viewing a binocular product video available online. Consumers may enter at Sail Away Sweepstakes. No purchase is necessary, but entries can only be submitted by U.S. residents, one entry per person.

· Eastman Kodak Co. , Rochester, N.Y., and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville, Ark., launched a national program to recycle used materials from in-store photo kiosks. The program is underway at about 4,100 Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Club stores in the United States that operate Kodak Picture Kiosks. The program is expected to annually recycle 2 million pounds of kiosk materials, claim the companies. Included in the recycling program are three components used in the kiosk: printer ribbon, plastic spools, and cartridges. These components are primarily made of polyethylene terphthalate (PETE) and polystyrene, which are recyclable plastics. The materials will be collected in each store and sent regularly to Wal-Mart Return Centers. From there, Wal-Mart recyclers, with Kodak’s assistance, will separate the materials and process them for re-use. In a related effort to further reduce waste and impact to the environment, Kodak has introduced a change in the way these thermal materials are packaged by removing the bubble wrap around the donor spool, which decreases the overall package size and weight.

· The Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography , Turners Falls, Mass., announces “Perfect Intimacy,” a photography exhibit by Lili Almog, opening March 20. The New York City-based photographer explores the worlds of three female Carmelite monasteries in Maryland, United States; Haifa, Israel; and Bethlehem, Palestine. The exhibit continues through June 15, at Hallmark Museum of Contemporary Photography Gallery 52.

The color photographs of “Perfect Intimacy” offer a candid view of women who have chosen monastic lives. The exhibit was created during a 2-year period, in which the Israeli-born Almog immersed herself in a lifestyle choice that is often not understood by the secular world.

· Photomation, Anaheim, Calif., recently received a unique request from ad agency DGWB. The agency, responsible for creating graphics for a charity sports event, requested that four columns at the event location be wrapped with material that resembled a cast. Photomation created and applied the material, allowing people attending the game to write get well wishes to the children at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). The event went well and the “casts” created by Photomation were easily removed and transported to the CHOC.

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