China Connection Part 3; The Hard Work

Simon was a great master of resources finding.        Although the licensing agreement was signed in Feb. 1986, the real work of helping Chinese to build their first PS plate manufacturing plant had just began.     Simon assembled talents from the entire company and some.      1) Conception/ early stage...Jen-Chi Huang, K.S., Bill Saltzman, Hank Mercaldo, Bill Rowe...  2) Negotiation & Contracts... Jen-Chi Huang and Bill  Saltzman   3) Technolgy transfer/Factory design&Build....Jen-Chi Huang, Pylemon Yamin, John Loftus, Delos.Bown and entire QC& R&D team   4) Training/Startup  Delos Bown, Pylemon Yamin, John Loftus,  Erich van Spanje, Jen-Chi Huang and  entire PC technical teams 5) Expansion Phase2 (C-line,F-line, D-line)...and Phase 3 Jumbo line ... Bill Saltzman, Roman Mryglocki, Jen-Chi Huang,  Jenneifer Lin, Sid Fowlds, Tore Harms.    In addition Mr. Tanimoto of DIC and Mr. Mori of Mori engineering were drafted.   It was becoming fashionable then to employ consultants to support setting up new plant.        But the Chinese had limited fund for the plant so that Simon had to rely on his experience and combined wisdom of the team to find best way to move the project from within.    Sinon's approach turned out to be very appropriate for the 2FF group as they were able to develop their own  internal engineering expertise rather than relying on turn key components consultants favored.       Under Simon's tutelage 2FF production line came on stream, under budget and on time.               2FF continued to expand their production line through purchasing surplus equipments from Polychrome as they became available and then designed their own high speed lines using accumulated internal expertise.         During my recent trip to 2FF I saw a truly world class high speed line incorporating numbers of good design practice such as the straight web path and the entirely separate subsystems to allow uncluttered production line.   
Early days of activity is described by Dr. Bown in the '86 Polyworld HERE.     

Mr. Halpern in late 50’？

Dr. Yuji Ooba, son of Dr. Ooba of Fuji sent me two old pictures of Mr. Halpern with Fuji Photo Film personnel.        

This appears to be at the Polychrome Yonkers plant.        Dr. Ooba is to the left of Mr. Halpern.    Mr. Gumbinner in far right.      Behind in the center is Ray Lauzon and far left is Mr. Yonezawa of Fuji.   Mr. Yonezawa and his technical group spent weeks studying technology after the signing of the licensing agreement.         Dr. Ooba probably came to inspect the progress.

Here is the rare picture of Mr. and Mrs. Halpern at a party hosted by Fuji.    Dr. and Mrs. Ooba to the left.   I do not recognize any other so this must be really old picture of perhaps at the signing ceremony in late 50'

Mr. Halpern in Osaka, Japan in 1967

Mr. Halpern could be very charming as you can see in this short clip on our way back from Osaka, Japan after completing his 1967 lecture there.        Simon, Dr. Ooba and Mr. Kanzaki of Fuji are briefly captured as well.        This was the first time Mr. Halpern rode the bullet train.       This was pre color and pre video camera day and was captured in 8mm B/W.         The clip was found hidden in my basement junk!

China Connection Part 2; The Handshake

In early 1980's China was poised for a strong future growth and the Chinese government encouraged growth by designating important technologies and products in their 5 year plan.        We learned that the     printing and printing plate were in this 5 year plan and thus the interest by the China National Chemical Construction Company.         It is clear that they have contacted and reviewed the opportunity with our competitors but in the end decided to work with us.     Thus after the initial discussion in 1984,  they have sent numbers of delegations to study our plants in US, Germany and UK as well as equipment suppliers and customer.         Simon Chu, Bill Salzman and Jenchi Huang made follow up visits  leading to the 1986 signing of licensing agreement.         Although Polychrome trailed competitors in production and sales in volume, we became #1 in regional presence and breadth of technology.      Polychrome was the only one company in the world to have presence in US, Europe, Japan and now China.      We helped our licensees in Japan and China in technology and they served as our eyes to the new business frontier.        The signing of agreement was the beginning of the long friendship to come between the Second Film Factory (2FF) and Polychrome.

Central Laboratory get together mid 1990

Gasho steakhouse in Teaneck was a favorite get together place not far from Central Research Lab. in Carlstad N.J in 1990'         This photo is probably from 1997 just before the Kodak Polychrome joint venture.

Mr. Halpern and My Nguyen

Mr. Halpern immigrated from Gdansk Poland to US seeking opportunities.     Like his contemporary Dr. Edwin Land of Polaroid, he was said to have educated himself at the public library of New York.   He started his business in mimeographic ink which was probably a small but growing niche then with good profitability.      He then expanded his business into mimeograhic (stencil) master and then to PS plate.    He was interested in various other business opportunities and in the end he had conglomerate of plate, film, chemicals, polymer, equipment and other services.          He had to part his control over Polychrome with successful bidding of DIC  which he himself initiated thinking he can retain control while gaining capital infusion.         HIs decision may have been different has he had siblings to hand over the business but alas he had none.    

My Nguyen had difficult childhood living in the second most impoverished region of Vietnam having to support his family from his early teens.      Despite the hardship he managed to enter the prestigious engineering school but after the fall of Saigon left Vietnam in overcrowded boat drifting 17 days till he was rescued by US navy.    Montreal Canada accepted him as a refugee and he worked as a dishwasher and a cook while attending graduate school.        After receiving his PhD, he was invited to work for one of the  IBM research laboratories where his contribution made computer hard drive to last very long time.         IBM was having financial difficulty and he saw world famous researchers  let go unceremoniously so he decided to find other opportunities.        He then came to Polychrome Central Laboratories in Carlstadt NJ where he quickly developed Quantum 830, a Polychrome version of popular preheat thermal plate.          He left us in 1979 as soon as we became part of the Kodak Polychrome Graphics seeing that we became too big.        He did not like the red tapes and different procedures brought into the system.         Although Polychrome was a pretty big company by then, we still maintained the small company spirit Mr. Halpern nurtured.             My then formed his own company in Montreal synthesizing small organic compound, highly profitable but very small niche.    This, however, gave him a base for various other synthetic activities such as tracing dyes, OLED material, 3D printing ink and finally thermal dye-resin complex which gave him a stable revenue.    He then moved his operation to Tra Vinh, Vietnam where he originally came from.      He has built  world class PS plate manufacturing facility to provide new plates to Vietnam and surrounding countries as well as expanding into other technologies such as packaging, inkjet, water treatment, etc.
My is following a strikingly similar path which Mr. Halpern took.         He, however, has one distinct advantage.      He has three children he carefully raised.      

My T Nguyen