Osterode 1975

Osterode was one time a border town only a few miles from the east-west border.      One of the reason Polychrome set up a factory there was said to be the  tax incentive from German government to encourage business to be near such somewhat "undesirable" location.       When we first visited Osterode plant, the biggest attraction after work was to be taken to the fence dividing east-west and watch the East German guard watching us.          The town was not highly industrialized, then only one Panasonic factory and another small specialty factory were there.   (But two Chinese restaurants!)
This photo was from 1975 when the management organized soccer game between Osterode team and Berwick team.         The time was still "good old days" unlike the modern profit oriented businesslike era.  

Typical houses in Osterode and elsewhere in Germany    

te Brommelstrot chatting and Evangelos Karanastasis watching

mini-mini reunion luncheon

Jenchi Huang and JB Huang both originally from R&D joined us for a Japanese lunch with Simon in Ardsley NY.       This restaurant Sazan opened as Roppoingi in 1980's and was frequented by Polychrome employees.       Simon was just back from his beach house where he enjoyed his usual summer retreat with clam bakes, crabs and family get together.         Jenchi came from Columbus plant  to his Mt Kisco home and is  enjoyingstrips and cruises in his retirement days.         JB is the only one working among us and is enjoying his work-from-house arrangement getting in touch with world wide Kodak R&D staff.          Now that Kodak plate R&D is 100% from old Polychrome, Osterode and Gunma,  he is playing a key role there.  

         

from left Jenchi Huang, Simon Chu, Ken Shimazu and JB Huang

August 2015, Ardsley New York

1996 CTX presentation by Bob Hallman

In 1996 we were in the middle of CTP revolution.       Examples of CTP installations at RR Donnelley and others sparked interest in many major printers.     With many technologies still battling for the position it was difficult for them to decide which system (laser platemaker) and which plates to use.       Bob Hallman was busy visiting many major printer customers and giving his view of the industry trend in CTP.        Internet surfing was not yet popular so that the face to face presentation was a very useful means of getting information short of visiting and spending time at the graphic arts shows.       Bob at the same time brought back valuable customer inputs useful in guiding our R&D.

This Powerpoint presentation is just a glimpse of what he had been doing.        Judging from the lack of final slide usually suggesting next step, this must have been a discarded or work in progress draft but you get the flavor of what he was saying.        

Silver Speed.... the product which never met "daylight"

Bill Streeter, an outstanding marketeer was sent by Powers Chemco to Europe to run its European arm  in Holland.       He has run the company successfully expanding into offset plate production and sales along with the traditional silver halide production and sales through their own organization throughout Europe.         He was very much interested in new technology and invested heavily when the company suffered crushing currency exchange loss probably from Italian operation in early 1990's.      He had to seek a buyer to bail out the sinking ship.        He hoped the two new technology 1) silver halide catalyzed polymer system and 2) diffusion transfer printing plate similar to Silverlith by Hawthorn would attract buyers and bring necessary  rescue fund.       Unfortunately it appears no other company other than Polychrome was interested in the company.       We saw a good fit in European silver film production and  their sales network.         We have determined, however,  that the two technology was either too difficult to realize ( in case on #1) or not of high enough dot reproduction quality ( in case of #2).    After the Polychrome's purchase of the Chemco Europe, we fully utilized their silver film production facility for local production but moved their plate operation to supplement our Sofia Bulgarian plant.         As you know very well, the film production was shut down and the Bulgarian plant was merged to Osterode later on.         So this very nicely made brochure of the Silverspeed (diffusion transfer plate) given to us to study the technology remains as the sole remnant of their new product development activity at the time.