Field of Dream Luncheon Briar's in Briarcliff Manor, NY on Sept 29, 2012

Ken Watterson, Bill Palafox,  Nick Rella

Mario Rufino, Ralph Maschio, Jay Patel, Jenchi Huang

Simon Chu, Maria Sibio

Phile Yamin, Pauline Barootjan

Bob Hallman, Jack Wiethoff, Nick Godano

Hui Zhu, Thi Do, Richard Goodman, Tore Harms

Tore Harms, Marge McGill, Sydney Fowlds

Erica Bonime, Jiwan Ghandi, Peggi Otis

Marge McGill, Sydney Fowlds, JB Huang

Elizabeth Zielinsky,Victor Lopez

Len Bacharach, Bill Parafox,、Nick Rella, Victor Lopez

Pauline Barootjyan, Jeniffer Lin, Maria Sibio, Bob Hallman

Sentimental Journey to Yonkers-on-Hudson

Seen on Sept. 29, 2012.         The building is vacant and locked.

Field of Dream dinner Sept. 28, 2012

Front Row   Simon Chu, Bob Hallman, Thomas Bittner

Back Row   Ken Shimazu, Victor Lopez, Paul Reily, Jack Wiethoff

Polychrome Personnel Directory 1971, 1973, 1978, 1979,1984 and 1990

Only the covers are shown but of course all the personnel list, address and telephone number of the period  are inside.

Annual Report 1966

I was happy to find a copy of the 1966 annual report while cleaning my garage.      In 1996 Mr. Ibert Mellan retired and Dr. Delos Bown came in to direct the R&D group.      The 1966 annual report shows the pictures of 4 R&D chemists; Sidney Augartin, Gene Golda, Al Taudien and me (Ken Shimazu)

1977 Annual Report supplied by JB Huang, Thanks JB

You can read the contents by clicking HERE

DIC offer to purchase Polychrome

Approximately 40% of Polychrome shares were owned by Rhone Poulenc of France in 1978 and they wanted to increase the holding to become the majority shareholder and possibly to replace the management for a better return on their investment.      Mr. Halpern resisted the offer and looked for a "white knight" and found one in DIC.      DIC's president Shigekuni Kawamura was interested in expanding DIC's business overseas and this was his first major attempt.    Their offer of $25 per share was met by counter proposal by Rhone-Poulanc and eventually settled at $28.         Mr. Haplern wanted DIC to invest in Polychrome as a minority share holder, but due to the escalation of bidding war the entire shares except for what Mr. Halpern held were tendered. Mr. Halpern soon started to worry that his shares may be illiquid, and demanded DIC to buy his share out.          Had he not done so, he may have been able to continue his influence in Polychrome management, but he was disillusioned after a new management was brought in and his influence waned.     He soon after left the company with Bob Gumbinner and Willie Boshardt to form United High Technology company in Dobbs Ferry.

For Mr. Haplern, Polychrome was his child.     One can blame this management change on the financial squeeze caused by his gamble or his dream to become a film manufacturer against all the insider's opposition.           But he may have the last laugh as having the film division was very important in later joint venture formation with Kodak as the JV (or rather Kodak) was able to realize an immediate return by closing Polychrome's US and European factory to fill existing Kodak factory.       Had there be no JV, Polychrome would have certainly been the subject of take over by others with considerably different outcome.       Despite of the many hardship of ex Polychrome employees, the remain of the Polychrome became a core business of ailing Kodak. which still maintain strong presence in the worldwide graphic arts field.

Here is the 1979 tender offer by DIC to buy Polychrome