Agfa-Gevaert N.V. (Agfa) (Euronext: AGFB, FWB: AGE) is a European multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, and distributes analogue and digital products and systems for the making, processing, and reproduction of images. It is an imaging technologies company with three main divisions: healthcare, graphics, and materials.
In the past, Agfa film and cameras were prominent consumer products. However, in 2004, the consumer imaging division was sold to a company founded via management buyout. AgfaPhoto GmbH, as the new company was called, filed for bankruptcy after just one year.[1] The brands are now licensed to other companies by AgfaPhoto Holding GmbH, a holding firm. Following this sale, Agfa-Gevaert's commerce today is 100% business-to-business.
In February 2007, Agfa-Gevaert announced its intention to split into three independent publicly traded companies (reflecting the activities of their remaining three divisions: healthcare, graphics, and materials) to be listed on Euronext by the end of the year.[2][3]
However, at the end of April 2008, the company announced that the split as originally planned was no longer a realistic scenario. The Board of Directors is examining a number of alternative options to reinforce the market position of the business groups and create shareholder value.
Company Structure
Headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium, Agfa has sales organizations in 40 countries, representation in 120 countries, and 13,565 employees (full time equivalent permanent, as of Dec. 2007) worldwide. Agfa has manufacturing plants in ten countries, including Belgium, England, Germany, France, Italy, China, and the United States. Net sales for 2007 totaled 3.3 billion euros.
Agfa is organized into three business groups as follows:
Agfa Graphics
Digital and analogue prepress systems, software, and consumables.
Agfa HealthCare
Medical Imaging and Information Management systems.
Specialty Products
Consumables (motion picture sound recording and print film, microfilm, film for nondestructive testing) for specific markets.
History
- 1894 The company L. Gevaert & Cie was founded in Antwerp, Belgium, arising from the workshop for the manufacture of photographic paper belonging to Lieven Gevaert.
- 1897 Appearance of the Agfa trade mark.
- 1898 Introduction of X-ray plates and film products.
- 1912 Bayer builds a factory in Leverkusen, in which film chemicals and later also photographic papers are manufactured.
- 1922 Introduction of double sided medical film products.
- 1925 As part of the consolidation of the German chemical industry, Agfa became part of IG Farben.[4]The photographic activities are combined with those of Bayer, including a camera factory in Munich.
- 1932 Introduction of low dose X-ray film products.
- 1937 Introduction of Agfacolor-Neu reversal color film.
- 1940 Agfacolor negative-positive color material is used for the first time for a feature film "Frauen sind doch bessere Diplomaten" (Women are the better diplomats) by the German UFA production company.
- 1941 American assets were seized as enemy property and became Ansco.
- 1942 Introduction of intensifying screen products.
- 1945 When the Allies broke up IG Farben, Agfa reappeared as an individual business. An Agfa plant located in what was to become East Germany became the foundation of ORWO.
- 1952 Re-establishment of Agfa AG as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer in Leverkusen.
- 1964 Merger of Agfa AG and Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V. with Bayer AG and Gevaert each holding a 50% interest in the new operating company.
- 1972 Introduction of mammography film / screen products.
- 1981 Bayer buys out Gevaert and becomes 100% owner.
- 1990
- Sale of magnetic tape business.
- Introduction of Computed Radiography (CR) products.
- 1994 Introduction of PACS products.
- 1996 Acquisition of Hoechst's printing plate and proofing business.
- 1997 Sale of the company's film recorder division to German CCG Digital Image Technology.[5]
- 1998
- Acquisition of Dupont's offset printing and graphic arts film business.
- Sale of the company's Copier Systems business to Lanier Worldwide Inc.
- Acquisition of CEA AB.
- Acquisition of Monotype Typography Inc.
- 1999
- Acquisition of Sterling Diagnostic Imaging.
- Separation of Agfa from Bayer. Initial public offering of Agfa-Gevaert shares on June 1. Agfa listed on Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges.
- 2000
- Acquisition of Krautkramer, a producer of ultrasonic systems for non-destructive testing.
- Acquisition of Quadrat, a Ghent based European producer of radiology information systems.
- 2001
- Acquisition of Autologic, an American producer of systems for prepress automation.
- Acquisition of Talk Technology, a producer of medical voice recognition systems.
- Acquisition of the German company Seifert and the American company Pantak, producers of industrial X-ray equipment for non-destructive testing applications.
- Acquisition of a minority interest in MediVision, a developer and manufacturer of digital imaging systems for ophthalmology.
- Agfa stopped its desktop scanners and digital camera business in September 2001. Agfa does not provide any further support.
- 2003
- Opening of new printing plate factory in Wuxi, China.
- Sale of non-destructive testing business to General Electric.
- Acquisition of Granite Systems, a producer of software drivers for printers, multifunction devices and digital presses.
- 2004
- Acquisition of Dotrix, a Belgian producer of digital color printing systems for industrial applications.
- Acquisition of Lastra, an Italian manufacturer of plates, chemicals and equipment for the offset printing industry.
- Sale of the consumer imaging division to a company founded via management buy out, named AgfaPhoto, and held by an investment company. Agfa grants permission for AgfaPhoto to use the Agfa name in perpetuity. After one year, AgfaPhoto files for bankruptcy.
- Acquisition of ProImage, an Israeli developer of browser-based digital workflow solutions for the newspaper and printing industries.
- Acquisition of Symphonie On Line, a French information technology company and developer of EPR (electronic patient record) systems.
- Sale of Agfa Monotype Corporation, a provider of fonts and font-related software technology, to Boston based private equity investor TA Associates.
- Acquisition of GWI, a German developer of healthcare information systems for medical records, nursing, business management, and facility administration.
- 2005
- Acquisition of Heartlab, Inc., a U.S. developer of cardiology image and information management systems.
- Acquisition of Med2Rad an Italian developer of radiology information systems.
- Introduction of industrial inkjet products.
- 2006
- Agfa announced a worldwide restructuring, by 2008 2000 jobs will be lost.
- Belgium bank KBC yields its 27% shares in Agfa [6].
- 2007
- In February, Agfa-Gevaert announced its intention to split into three independent publicly-traded companies, effective May 1st. Now the companies are Agfa Graphics for all press and pre-press market, Agfa HCES for healthcare IT, and Agfa Materials for the factories.
- Split up postponed to mid-summer 2008
- 2008
- End of April, Agfa-Gevaert announced that the split into three independent companies, as originally planned, no longer is a realistic scenario. The Board of Directors is examining a number of alternative options to reinforce the market position of the business groups and create shareholder value.
- 2009
- In June, Agfa closes its Hartland, Wisconsin office, which developed a Cardiology Information System, message-based Broker, speech recognition-enabled radiology reporting system, and patient information auditing system.
Agfa photographic products
Agfa Cameras
Agfa Agfamatic 300 Sensor
Various Agfa Movex
8mm home movie cameras
Agfa produced a range of cameras which included:
Agfa Consumer and Professional Films
Black & White films :
- Agfapan AP 100
- Agfapan AP 400
- Agfapan APX 25
- Agfapan APX 100
- Agfapan APX 400
- Isopan ISS (Super Special)
- Isopan F - Portrait film
- Isopan F
- Isopan Ultra
- Isopan Super Special
- Isopan Fine Grain
- Isopan Record
- Agfa Vario-XL (C-41 process chromogenic film)
- Dia-Direct (reversal film)
- Scala (reversal film)
Colour Reversal (slide) films :
- Agfacolor Neue
- Agfa CT18
- Agfachrome 50 S / 50 L
- RSX series
- Precisa
Colour Negative films :
- Agfacolor Negative
- Agfacolor CN17
- Agfa CNS
- Agfacolor Pcket Special
- Agfa Optima
- Agfa Portrait
- Agfa Ultra
Agfa Papers
Agfa photographic papers were of very high quality and included brands such as:
- Brovira
- Portiga Rapid
- Lupex
References
- ^ AgfaPhoto files for insolvency, dpreview.com. Article dated 2005-05-27, retrieved 2007-03-04.
- ^ Agfa-Gevaert Splits Into Three Companies, Associated Press via Forbes.com. Article dated 2007-02-28, retrieved 2007-03-04.
- ^ "Agfa-Gevaert to split into three independent, publicly traded companies", Agfa-Gevaert press release. Article dated 2007-02-28, retrieved 2007-03-04.
- ^ Ernst Bäumler: "100 Jahre Chemie", 1963, issued on the 100th anniversary of the Farbwerke Hoechst AG
- ^ About CCG Digital Image Technology, definity35mm.com, retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ^ Cercle Finance (in French) march 10th 2006 12:23AM
See also
External links
