Mass Merchandisers Committee

Pictured from left to right are: Frank Tent, London Drugs Ltd., Richmond, British Columbia, Canada; Robert Friend, District Photo Inc., Beltsville, Md.;   Jason Schultz, Target Corp., Minneapolis, Minn.; Mona Kelly, Walgreen Co., Deerfield, Ill.; Robert Comeau, Princess Cruises, Santa Clarita, Calif.; Larry Nitz, Woodmans Food Market, Janesville, Wis.; Joe Miller, Giant Eagle Markets Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.; Brad Ufer, Coborn's Inc., Saint Cloud, Minn.; Jonas Merrill, CVS/Pharmacy, Woonsocket, R.I.; and Rob Winkel, Wal-Mart Photo Centers, Bentonville, Ark.

  Not pictured: Allen Brown, Rite Aid Corp., Camp Hill, Pa.; Glen Hutchinson, Costco Wholesale, Issaquah, Wash.; Dave Kielly, Best Buy Corp., Minneapolis, Minn.; Jim O'Neil, Sears Holding Corp., Hoffman Estates, Ill.; Judy Russell, Safeway Inc., Pleasanton, Calif.; David Tantillo, Wegmans, Rochester, N.Y.; and Terri Thomas, Fruth Pharmacy, Point Pleasant, W.V.

Online Imaging Committee

Pictured from left to right are: John Raftrey, Kodak Gallery, Emeryville, Calif.; Neil Cohen, District Photo Inc., Beltsville, Md.; Chris Klingbiel, Snapfish, San Francisco, Calif.; Ole Bjorn Knudsen, FotoKnudsen, Bergen, Norway; Heath Bunch, Full Color Inc., Dallas, Texas; Wendy Bergh, Walmart.com, Brisbane, Calif.; Doug Galen, Shutterfly, Redwood City, Calif.; Stef De Corte, Spector Photo Group; Reiner Fageth, CeWe Color AG & Co., Oldenburg, Germany; Richard Tranchida, Ritz Camera Centers, Beltsville, Md.; Glenn Paul, Dotphoto.com, West Trenton, N.J.; Michel Labadie, Les Pros De La Photo, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

  Not pictured: Roman Sobieri, Fujicolor Processing Inc., Valhalla, N.Y.

Photo Retailers & On-Site Lab/National Markets Committee

Pictured from left to right are: Russ Bricker, Black Photo Corp., Markham, Ontario, Canada; Brent Bowyer, Independent Photo Imagers, Henderson, Nev.; Richard Robertson, Ted's Camera Stores (Vic) Pty, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Harry D. Loyle, MOTO Franchise Corp., Dayton, Ohio; Wolfgang Abendroth, CeWe Color AG & Co., Oldenburg, Germany; Rainer Th Schorcht, Foto Schorcht GmbH, Gutersloh, Germany.

  Not pictured: Steve Cordle, Cord Camera Centers Inc., Columbus, Ohio; John Crewson, Foto Source Canada Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada; Harry Reiter, Town & Country Photo Dealers, North Wales, Pa.; Andrew Stein, Henry's, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Stephen Weiss, Creve Coeur Camera, Saint Louis, Mo.; and Michael L. Worswick, Wolfe Camera & Video, Topeka, Kan.

PMAS Board

Pictured left to right are: Thomas Wentling, Wentling's Camera Shops, Concord, Calif.; John T. Peterson, AAA Imaging & Supplies Inc., Auroro, Colo., and Ronald Koch, Seminole, Fla.

  Not pictured: Edward Ritz, Ritz Camera Centers, Beltsville, Md.; Donald W. Becker, PMA Life Member, San Antonio, Texas; Thurston Hower, Accent Laminating LLC, Homosassa, Fla.; Tony Perez, Hialeah Photo Service Inc., Hialeah, Fla.; and John Segall, Lifetouch Inc., West Palm Beach, Fla.

6Sight book covering 2007 conference available for free download

Future Image Inc., the Association of Imaging Executives (AIE), and PMA, the organizers of the 6Sight Future of Imaging Conference , announce the "Three Days at 6Sight" book, a record of the 2007 6Sight event, is available for free download. Hardcover copies of the book, produced by PhotoWorks, were recently sent to all attendees. Those interested in reviewing the 2007 6Sight conference can view the complete book online at www.PhotoWorks.com/members/6Sight.

  Rick Smolan, who edited the book, is a former Time, Life, and National Geographic photographer, best known as the creator of the "Day in the Life" and "America 24/7" book series. He is currently director of the "America at Home" and "U.K. at Home" projects.

Nikon reports increase in sales and income for year-ended in March

Nikon Corp., Tokyo, Japan, reported financial results for the year-ended March 31. Net sales for the year-ended were ¥955.8 billion (US$9.184 billion), up from the ¥822.8 billion (US$7.913 billion) reported for the year-ended March 31, 2007. Net income for the year-ended in 2008 was ¥75.5 billion (US$725.9 million), up from ¥54.8 billion (US$526.9 million)reported in the year prior.
  For the Imaging Products segment of Nikon net sales were ¥588 billion, up from the ¥449 billion for the year-ended March 31, 2007. The Imaging Products segment includes digital cameras, film cameras, interchangeable lenses, and other devices. Last term Nikon concentrated on expanding its Imagign Products line-up for DSLR cameras, but this term Nikon says it will be concentrating more on building its brand and the sale of middle- to high-end products. In consideration of the effect of a sluggish economy on consumer spending, the company anticipates growth in shipments will fall slightly under that of the general market.

  Net sales of Nikon products were strongest in Japan, accounting for ¥816 billion of sales, up from the ¥685 billion reported in 2007.  Nikon expects next year's worldwide sales for the year ending March 31, 2009, to be around   ¥980 billion, a 2 percent increase from this year. 

Olympus reports fiscal-year net profit up 21 percent

Olympus Corp., Tokyo, Japan, reported its consolidated operating profit for fiscal year 2007/2008 ended in March grew 14 percent year-on-year to ¥112.6 billion (US$1.07 billion). Fiscal year net profit rose 21 percent to ¥57.9 billion (US$551 million) on sales of ¥1.13 trillion (US$10.74 billion). All figures are record high for Olympus, reports JPEA International PEN News Weekly.

  Operating profit of the imaging business unit handling digital cameras jumped 21.6 percent to ¥33 billion (US$314 million) on 8.9 percent increased sales of ¥320 billion (US$3.05 billion). Sales of digital cameras rose 8.9 percent to ¥293 billion (US$2.79 million). Sales of DSLRs including E-410 and E-510, were brisk while compact digital cameras including Myu-1020 and Camedia SP-series of cameras sold well, reports PEN News Weekly. Shipments of digital cameras surpassed 11.3 million units with a market share of 11 percent.

  Operating profit of the main business unit, the medical equipment division, grew 12 percent to ¥98.4 billion (US$937 million) on sales of ¥353 billion (US$3.36 billion), up 13.3 percent. The information/communications equipment business unit's operating profit rose 10.5 percent to ¥3 billion (US$28.6 million) on sales of ¥254 billion (US$2.42 billion), down 5 percent.

  Olympus also announced it will combine marketing operations for surgical equipment with Gyrus Group PLC, a United Kingdom-based surgical equipment firm it acquired in February. The two firms will sell each other's products in North America this summer, followed by sales moves in Europe, reports PEN News Weekly. Olympus expects the integration of marketing operations will boost sales by around ¥30 billion (US$285 million), or about 8.5 percent of the total sales of the medical equipment business division for the past fiscal year.

Fujifilm launches Frontier inkjet solution at Ritz Camera Centers

Fujifilm U.S.A. Inc., Valhalla, N.Y., announced Ritz Camera Centers, the largest specialty camera chain in the United States with approximately 1,000 locations, will be using Fujifilm's Frontier Dry Minilab 400 Inkjet Printers in a number of its centers. The Frontier Dry Minilab 400 is the latest Frontier inkjet printing system that delivers Frontier-quality prints with the combination of Fujifilm's High Quality Dry Photo Paper, inks, and Fujifilm's Image Intelligence technology.

  The Frontier Dry Minilab 400 integrates into the existing Frontier system, and incorporates Fujifilm's new Frontier Workflow Management Software "MS" featuring its proprietary Image Intelligence technology to optimize images for excellent prints from any Frontier solution, says the company. The Frontier Dry Minilab 400 employs a four cartridge dye ink system generating up to 650 4-by-6 prints per hour, and up to 250 8-by-10 prints per hour. In addition, the Frontier Dry Minilab 400 is scalable by allowing multiple printers to be stacked for increased output without increasing the footprint

In memoriam: Millie Thomas

Millie Thomas, co-founder of Camera Corner in Burlington, N.C, passed away at the age of 79 on May 18 at Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C. Thomas was born on June 20, 1928 in Catawba County, N.C. to Robert Andrew Sigmon and Ruth Bost Sigmon. She attended public schools and graduated from Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. with a major in music.
  Thomas worked as a church organist as well as a school teacher and principal. After marrying Richard Thomas, the couple worked together in the business at Camera Corner. Camera Corner later became CAMCOR as well as the Camera World companies at one time, with locations in Greensboro, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C. Thomas and her husband bought a home in Beaufort, N.C. in 1979 and moved there upon retirement. Thomas was retired and living in Beaufort, N.C., at the time of her death.

  Thomas is survived by husband Richard Thomas; sisters Mary Sue Barnette and Sally Cline; and eight nieces and nephews and their families. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Elizabeth "Lib" Yount, and brother-in-law, Charles B. Yount, Jr., of Vale, N.C.
  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The American Heart Association, Memorial Processing Center, P. O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058-5216 or The American Lung Association of North Carolina, P. O. Box 27985, Raleigh, NC 27611. Individuals may access her obituary and Internet condolences online.

In memoriam: Murray Graham

Murray Graham, founder of The Photo Center, Miami, Fla., died May 17 at the age of 88. Graham founded The Photo Center in 1950 and sold his chain of camera stores in 1985 to Wolf Camera , according to his obituary. During World War II, he served for 4 years as an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps .   
  He was past president of the 163rd Street Shopping Center Merchants Association, past president of the Florida Division of PMA, president of the Nor-Isle Optimist Club in 1976, president of Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) in 1992 and 1993, member of the Golden Glades Masonic Lodge #334 and Temple Beth Shalom. He was involved in many charities and served on the board of directors of the American Cancer Society and was an active supporter of the A.C.S. Miami Hope Lodge Center.

  Graham is survived by his wife Helene Graham, son Alan Graham, and grandchildren Amber and Aran. He was preceded in death by his daughter Sheri. Condolences may be offered through an online guestbook.

People on the move

·    Tamron USA Inc., Commack, N.Y., promoted Bert Krank to vice president of Tamron USA. Krank will also hold the position of general manager of the Photo Business and will serve as acting Western Regional sales manager. Krank's sales management experience over the last 30 years includes positions with manufacturers and rep firms serving various aspects of the photo imaging world, including a territory sales representative position at Satter from 1980 to 1996. He joined Tamron USA Inc. in 1999 as Western Regional sales manager covering 24 states and managing a rep force of 15. Tamron is a manufacturer of lenses and optical components for photographic, industrial, laboratory, video, digital, and scientific applications.

For global industry news, visit Newsline International on the Web

For comprehensive international news, add a Newsline International bookmark to your "Favorites," and remember to check each day. If you miss a day you can look at previous day's news, and there's also a weekly news link that includes worldwide imaging news. You can also sign up to receive an e-mail notification each day through the Newsline-Notifier function.

  Here are some things you may have missed:

·    Nokia XpressPrint mobile photo printing service provided by CeWe Color goes live in Europe (May 27)

·    Japanese digital camera makers to ship 100 million cameras this year (May 27)

·    Noritsu Koki informally appoints new president; founding family challenges decision (May 26)

·    Taiwan's Ability expects record digital camera shipments, says paper (May 26)

·    Data Watch: More females purchasing digital cameras (May 26)

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