Seth Cross, Mr. Irie, Erica Bonime early 1980'

Erica Bonime found this photo of her with Seth Cross and Mr. Irie of DIC at a party.     Mr. Irie was sent from DIC to head the DIC America which at that time held Polychrome, Sun Chemical, Kohl & Madden, etc.    Mr. Irie was running DIC's European operation just before his arrival to NY. and was regarded as one of the most able and accomplished within DIC.       Earlier Joe Piot was appointed as the head of DIC America soon after the purchase of Polychrome by DIC but there were much discord among employees within a few years and Mr. Irie was sent in to rescue the huge investment DIC made in US.     Mr. Irie charmed everyone soon after his arrival with his sense of humor but was decisive in making his decision on future investment in Katzenstein and others.
Thank you Erica for your contribution.

Simon Chu revisit China 2FF factory

Jenchi Huang and I had chance to have lunch this week with Simon Chu and learned a bit more on his one day trip to Nanyang.         As Jenchi commented Nanyang is no longer country town with unpaved road he used to know but is transformed to an industrial town.        Since the most of the young workers there do not know the history of 2FF the management wanted to have an interview session with Simon to give them a bit of history.(see earlier post)
On the day we had lunch, there was an announcement by Kodak that its Xiamen plant is being sold to 2FF ( sorry I am too used to call them 2FF while it is now well known as HuaGuang)
Although only a speculation on my part, Kodak must have found it difficult to compete in China.     I can see from the Alibaba (equivalent of Amazon here in US) that all sort of offset plates are available on line at an unbelievable $2-3 / sqm for thermal plate along with all variety of plates.

Simon being interviewed by local press,

Mr. Wong ... old time friend acting as translator.

Simon with old and new friend at 2FF

Saying hello to old acquaintance, the production line.

Shopping? Residence? Yonkers HQ transformation

I stopped by old Yonkers HQ out of curiosity and somewhat of sentimental journey.     I knew the building was torn down and in the process of reconstruction.          Gentrification and high rise apartment along the Ashburton Ave. suggested to me that there would be a high rise apartment.    But the quick drive through seems to suggest other wise (or not?).         Three to four level structure is surrounded by wooden construction untypical of high rise.                Remember the old Yonkers plant along with the stencil coaters?        For a long time the property was boarded up but now there is a 4 level structure (parking?) and next to old HQ south side which used to be a parking place for busses and truck now is converted to 6 story high (office?) building.

Coming down Ashburton Ave.

On the right used to be PC HQ.

Close-up view

The other side

Old factory area

Simon Chu travels to China

Doug Chu, Simon's son, provided the following updates on Simon Chu's recent activity.      As the godfather of the Nanyang factory he still receives VIP reception there.        Knowing his trials and tribulation to overcome divided opinion within Polychrome regarding how we should meet agreed upon support, I am sure he enjoyed seeing the fruit of his effort in so many years.   KS

My father returned to Nanyang last month – visited new factory, new line and old original line  – he was interviewed for the newspaper over there – I am including photos and translation of the newspaper write up about him for you to use on the Polychrome Blog. 

Doug

A non-stopped “journey”

• Interview with Mr. Simon Chu, former Senior VP of Polychrome (USA)

"There are so many stories about working with 2FF (Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co., Ltd) and there are so many stories about 2FF and PS plates. My experience of coming to China, to Nanyang, to 2FF, is a wonderful 'journey', and it is also a 'journey' that does not end. Wish Huaguang (2FF) become the world's No. 1.”  Mr. Chu, former Senior Vice President of Polychrome, spoke out these words movingly when he came to visit us and was interviewed by “Huaguang Ren” – 2FF’s newspaper, expressing his deep friendship for "2FF"/ Huaguang. 

Simon Chu  has a Chinese name – 赵龙孟, though  he does not speak Chinese. He is 86 years old this year. He was personally involved in the whole work of introduction and construction of the first PS production line for 2FF, and he is the historical witness and participant. "Mr. Chu, you personally participated in the introduction and construction of Huaguang PS production line, please say something about the situation at that time." Mr. Chu understood our purpose with the help of an interpreter.

The first PS production line contract was signed on December 13, 1985. This is the first line at 2FF and also the first continuous processing line in China. It is called A line, using Polychrome (USA) technology and Durmak (UK) equipment. 

During the discussion, Mr. Chu, Senior VP, responsible for the company's external technical evaluation and establishment of joint ventures, requested a site visit. In a summer time, he and a fellow engineer set out on their first trip to Nanyang.

There are some interesting stories about Simon Chu's first trip to Nanyang.

At that time, 2FF wanted to import foreign PS plate production line, but has no foreign affairs right. So, all the foreign reception activities were handled by China National Chemical Construction Corporation (CNCCC), a unit under the Ministry of Chemical Industry. In 1980s, China's reform and opening up had just started, and everything was still so closed and backward. The traffic is inconvenient and the information is not smooth. Nanyang, located in the central plains abdomen is more isolated. Worried that Simon Chu's trip to Nanyang would bring adverse impact on the project, the receptionist of CNCCC politely persuaded them not necessary to come to Nanyang. But Mr. Chu insisted on going. Now it seems that the participant from CNCCC is overcautious.

Mr. Chu's visit to Nanyang from Beijing was an exciting journey. "The Beijing station was full of people. I stepped over them to get on the train. After more than 24 hours, I learned how to eat and sleep on the train, "Mr. Chu said tastily.

Although the road is long, twists and turns, many stop-and-goes, even to change engines to go back from time to time, Mr. Chu arrived at Nanyang, to 2FF at last. Here, he made the final decision - build the production line and license the technology to 2FF at Nanyang. "The main reason for our decision making was because of the enthusiasm and capability of the technicians and staff in 2FF," he said. Mr. Chu is also very interested in and very familiar with the legendary site selection experience of 2FF. He said that 2FF is a factory established with the consent of Premier Zhou Enlai. 2FF’s old factory site has beautiful mountains and water, superior natural conditions, and is suitable for film production. 2FF people are enterprising, eager to learn, warm, friendly.

“I came, I saw, I conquered." Mr. Chu quoted the famous saying of Julius Caesar, expressing his sense of achievement in Nanyang.

Mr. Chu remembered clearly the journey to Xi’an through Mountain Qinling by bus that summer. The road to Xi 'an spiraled the Qinling mountains and passed other dangerous sections with rocks standing overhead and deep cliff mountain valleys aside….. Because it was a foreign activity, in front of the bus, there was a jeep to open the road. The road twisted and turned and dust blotted the sun….”Now everything is changing, the environment has changed, the conditions have changed, and China has changed. There are trains and highways from Xi 'an to Nanyang. Many hill tunnels through mountains shorten the course. The roads are flat, safe and fast”.

In the harmonious and pleasant atmosphere of the interview and chat, Mr. Chu also told a story related to the content of the contract. According to the contract, American and British experts and technicians would come to 2FF for installation, commissioning for quite a long time, the two parties agreed that 2FF would establish a foreign guest house with the standard of Holliday Inn to meet the living needs of foreign experts and technicians. Huaguang Guest House thus came into being. The guest house was built in primitive conditions. A billiard table and other entertainment equipments had to be sent here for foreign technicians to relax. Now, not only did the guest house become Huaguang Hotel, 2FF has also undergone great changes, the production lines have been upgraded, the production scale has been expanding. Some of the technical personnel who studied PS plate technology at Polychrome site in early days have become senior management personnel. A large number of offset printing plate experts have come up, capable for engineering and installing by themselves with independent intellectual property rights of the production lines. "Everything is improving," says Mr. Chu heartily.

During his visit, Mr. Chu visited several production lines of the company at two sites. As he said,  to be able to see the original construction of the production lines set up by him and to revisit the old haunt are also a true aspiration and a wish to complete.

Now, the output of 2FF offset printing plate is increased from the original output of 2 million square meters annually to the current annual output of nearly 100 million square meters, from one production line to 11 production lines with technology progressing, equipment upgrading. The domestic market share is No. 1 and the overseas market is also relatively heavy. Learning all this, Mr. Chu was proud of these achievements.

Mr. Chu is very familiar with some of the old staff and the old technical personnel of PS plate division he met, he happily accepted the invitation to take pictures with them after visit.

Since the 1980s, Mr. Simon Chu has come to Nanyang many times. “The journey to Nanyang is a wonderful journey, and a journey that never ends,” he said. To say it is wonderful has two implications. One is that when China's economy was just starting up, it was great to dare to do business in China, especially to choose to export PS technology and production line to Nanyang, the hinterland of the central plains where the economy was relatively backward. Secondly, it is because this decision that created the cooperation between 2FF and Polychrome (later KPG and Kodak) for many years. Since then has laid the 2FF market position in China offset printing plate industry. The process of Huaguang’s offset printing plate business developing from nothing, from weak to strong is great.

Huaguang is growing, and the process does not end. Mr. Chu's concern and blessing for Huaguang will not end. In this sense, Mr. Chu's repeated trips to Huaguang and Nanyang are a journey without end.

RIP Carol Jankowski

Susan Miles sent in the news  that Carol Jankowski passed away.     The obituary is from the Journal News.      Although Polychrome is not mentioned in the article, Carol was in Susan's department (HR) in Yonkers.

Carol Ann Jankowski,
o

hnsburg/Elmsford - Carol Ann Jankowski, 70, of South Johnsburg Road, formerly of Elmsford, passed away peacefully, Thursday, April 18, 2019 at Glens Falls Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer.

Born March 31, 1949 in Yonkers, she was the daughter of the late Casimir and Eleanor (Safko) Jankowski.

Following many years in the corporate world, Carol found her niche in life working with dogs at Tails R Waggin Doggie Day Care in Elmsford with her companion, Ruth. The couple also had a DJ business where Carol was the master of ceremonies. She knew how to get everyone on the dance floor and was always the last to leave. She participated in softball and was an avid bowler.

Kind, caring, compassionate, and warm-hearted. These are just a few of her many qualities.

She is survived by her beloved companion, Ruth "Sis" Magner of Johnsburg; siblings, Bill Jankowski and his wife, Marilyn of Yardley, PA, Cheryl Nelson of Yonkers, Janet Juliano and her husband, Bob of Surf City, NC, and Richard Jankowski and his wife, Evelyn of Yonkers; as well as several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Friends may call on Carol's family from 2 to 7 pm, Monday, April 22, 2019 at the Beecher Flooks Funeral Home, 418 Bedford Rd., Pleasantville, NY.

Additional visitation will be held from noon to 2 pm, Tuesday, at the Alexander Funeral Home, 3809 Main St., Warrensburg. Burial will follow in Reynolds Cemetery, Thurman.

Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guest book, condolences, and directions.

Published in the The Journal News on Apr. 21, 2019

Spring greetings from Japan and Germany

It's early April and the cherry blossom time in Japan.       Greeting from Tokyo is from Mr. Michihiko Shiraishi and Mr. Keiichi Hashimoto at one of the best known cherry blossom park in Tokyo called Asukayama created by the 8th Shogun around 1700 AD.       Both Mr. Shiraishi and Mr. Hashimoto came from DIC and worked in Clark, Ft Lee and others.       

Mr. Hashimoto, Mr. Shiraishi & K. Shimazu

And here is the Easter greeting from Hal Pilcher

To all Polychromer's : I wish them all a HAPPY EASTER where ever they might be.  A minute we all will spend for to remember Mr. Gumbinner R.I.P.

Think you already in Tokio where the sun is rising  earlier, think thats why the Sun is center of the Japanese National Flag. I like the sun, we just have to wait a little longer.

All my very best to all of you,

Hal H. Pichler

PS plate sale on internet

Internet sale of presensitized plate is not found on Amazon or Ebay, but on Alibaba in China, one can find many variety of offerings on presensitized plate, digital, analog, photopolmer, etc. at an astounding pricing close to or even below aluminum base price.       Here are only a sampling of offerings.    (to lament once specially priced.... $10 or so...  high technology products now being offered so low a price reflecting a sad state of ultra competitive environment.) . 

Most Popular on Alibaba.com

in Printing Plate

Printing Plate

Recommended

Evershine positive ps plate

$1.00-$4.00

10000 Square Meters(Min Order)

1

offset printing thermal positive ctp plate

$2.40-$3.00

1000 Square Meters(Min Order)

2

High Quality A3 Plate Maker Aluminum Thermal CTP Offset Printing Plate

$1.93-$2.71

5000 Square Meters(Min Order)

3

China positive conventional offset printing ctcp plates

$2.02-$3.00

1 Square Meter(Min Order)

4

Thermal CTP Plate

$1.90-$2.70

1000 Square Meters(Min Order)

5

China supplier offset aluminium matt surface negative ps printing plate

$1.00-$3.50

3000 Square Meters(Min Order)

6

water washable photopolymer pad printing plate

$1.00-$20.00

10 Pieces(Min Order)