PRESS ROOM STORY
HARMAN TECHNOLOGY INCREASES AVAILABILITY OF KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC RANGE - USA
30th April 2009
HARMAN TECHNOLOGY INCREASES AVAILABILITY OF KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC RANGE
Leading photo-imaging company, HARMAN technology Limited announces new supply arrangement for KENTMERE products in the US
Recognizing that it can be difficult in today’s digital age for analog photographers to source good quality film and darkroom papers, HARMAN technology Limited has changed the way it distributes the KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC B&W range. To make these products more accessible than ever, they will now be supplied to dealers and resellers across USA by WYNIT - one of the continent’s leading distributors with a 20-year history and exceptional coast-to-coast coverage.
The step is a natural one for HARMAN technology. WYNIT already distributes products from the respected photo-imaging company’s two other brands – the ILFORD black and white range and the HARMAN PHOTO range of inkjet papers. It also ties to the manufacturer’s on-going commitment to protecting black and white photography in a digital world and to its original plans for the KENTMERE brand.
After acquiring KENTMERE in 2007, it was always HARMAN’s intention to use its greater size and infrastructure to benefit this new addition to its business. As such, it has already used its expertise and advanced manufacturing technology to increase batch-to-batch consistency of the KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC range. This latest development will help to boost market penetration.
Those products which will be now more readily available as a result of the new agreement include KENTMERE 100 and 400 ASA 35mm films (available in 24 exp, 36 exp and 100' bulk rolls); VC SELECT, a medium weight, variable contrast RC paper (available in gloss and lustre surfaces); FINEPRINT VC, a double weight fiber base variable contrast paper (available in 3 surfaces; gloss, finegrain and finegrain warmtone); KENTHENE a resin coated medium weight paper with a high speed graded emulsion (available in grades 2, 3 & 4), KENTONA a double weight grade 2
fiber base warmtoned chloro-bromide paper (in gloss) and also the well-established double weight fiber base gloss BROMIDE papers (available in grades 2, 3 & 4). All these products in the KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC range can be processed using ILFORD chemicals. These KENTMERE black & white products enjoy particular popularity in the photo-education market due to their consistent quality and competitive prices.
Commenting, Steven Brierley, Director of Marketing at HARMAN technology, said: “At a time when many companies are pulling out of the analog market, HARMAN remains as committed to it as ever. Our mission is to be the best and, if necessary, the last in black and white and the decision to use WYNIT to handle distribution for our KENTMERE PHOTOGRPAPHIC brand is all part of this. Their extensive network will help to make a great range of analog products more accessible to customers across the US.”
In another move, HARMAN technology has also announced that KENTMERE CENTENNIAL POP (Printing Out Paper) is to be withdrawn. While the manufacturer recognizes that this product does have a passionate following throughout the world, its production entails risks to the health and safety of employees that HARMAN finds unacceptable. Not only are extremely elevated temperatures required, but the product’s coating also involves the use of certain, potentially harmful, chemical additives.
--- ENDS ---
IMAGES & CAPTIONS:
Kentmere Range.jpg – Increased availability. HARMAN technology is making it easier for analog photographers across the US to buy the KENTMERE PHOTOGRPAHIC B&W range.
For more information on this story, please contact Wayne Mohammed at Manifest Communications on
01484 469601 or email wayne@manifestcomms.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS –
HARMAN technology Limited is a pioneering imaging specialist based in Mobberley, Cheshire. The company - which was born of the ILFORD formed by Alfred Harman in 1879 - now includes three, separate and well known brands: ILFORD PHOTO which manufactures traditional monochrome photographic products; HARMAN PHOTO which produces a range of high-end inkjet media for both colour and monochrome prints; and KENTMERE PHOTOGRAPHIC who produce a range of photography and inkjet papers, including K.Opaljet.
The ILFORD range of inkjet products, including ‘ILFORD Galerie’, is not associated with HARMAN technology in any way, and is actually manufactured and marketed by a separate business based in Switzerland.
For more information on HARMAN technology and its brands, visit:
www.harmantechnology.com // www.harman-inkjet.com // www.ilfordphoto.com // www.kentmere.co.uk