Starting a Petition - Page 2

jeffkrol · 05-22-2007, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Jonson PL

Hello and thank you for your inquiry.

It is still too early to talk about what will happen after TOB, but I would like to let you know what we think about Pentax and our merger. Here are some comments that our CEO made in the past few months.

Pentax is one of Japan's best-known camera makers with worldwide brand recognition and a nealy 90-year history, which HOYA respects very much. We appreciate excellent technology and engineers Pentax has.
Which we can use to our own ends
We believe that both companies are the best partners and that's the reason we are offering tender offer.

Hoya is a manufacuturer, not investors. We do M&A in order to strengthen our business, not to chop them up and sell. We've never commented that we are going to sell the camera division.
Yet you really didn't state you are going to keep it either
We see profit on investment, not profit vs. sales.

The business strategy for camera division may need some tunings so that they don't have to compete directly with big companies.
Excuse me, how do you do this? Sell Dental cameras? I
assume Canon and Nikon and Sony and Samsung are considered big companies?
HOYA believes that we can differenciate the products and make it more profitable.
Back to endoscope and dental and medical cameras again

As you know, HOYA's core business is B to B,
We don't do retail, except for our glass nic nacs, which are losing money and will also likely go the way of the dodo bird. We are clueless at retail.
but we care very much about our customers, both business and individual. We listen to what our customers say and that's how we have grown. We appreciate your support, and look forward to more opinions and comments.
All there missing here is "have a nice day"

Akiko Maeyama | Corporate Communications | HOYA Corporation
2-7-5 Naka-Ochiai, SHinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8525 JAPAN
TEL 03-3952-1166 $B!J (Jdirect $B!K (J | Fax 03-3952-0726

------

I must say that ’m very impressed. I contact one of the key persons in Corporate Communications, instead of going via PR or customer service, and I get an in-depth answer the next day.
And I must say that they’re spot on, in many of the aspects. Pentax could really benefit from having a good ally. The current success of Pentax is almost more than they can handle. Their factories are running 24 hours a day. They’ve postponed the 645D and the K5, just to put all the juice into getting the sought after lenses out to the consumers. And the homerun with the K100 and K10 was made possible via cooperation with a big player in Samsung.
And what makes you think Hoya will change their factories for camera production, or lenses for that matter? Would take a large commitment on their part. They are already expanding their own facilities for eyeglass blanks .
I like the idea of a smaller more individual company, and think it fun to go treasure hunting; scoping for the right lenses. But many find it a pain that they can’t just get what they want right away. And this is a valid point.
If Pentax can enjoy management integrity, and do what they do best in the camera department, but Hoya can stabilize and give the benefit of a big player, we could have the best of both worlds. If it is the same good quality, but just with the HoyaPentax name written on top, I can live with that.

All in all, good that some of Benjii’s thoughts of not being overly impressed with going high up in the hierarchy, taking chances and being cocky can yield positive results. I really hadn’t expected to hear anything.

(Let's keep the answer here, and not transfer it to DPr. This is the better site after all).
Was hard not to cross post your return mail at dpreview. Would add a bit to the discussion.
Actually I'll believe Hoya may keep Pentax "as is" for a while when I see the lenses coming out of the factories. Ther really has been a ton of PR damage here, (blame the gloom and doomers, but lets be realistic here) but without Hoya "SUPPORTING" the camera division Pentax will probably not sell well in Japan after all this. Wouldn't doubt if sales already tanked. M and A's never please everyone, at least if your a customer. Thanks for your work

Sorry can't resist a bit of gloom and doom here

. Wish it weren't so but I find enjoyment at trying to read between the lines. Have no problems being wrong either BTW.

rprii · 05-22-2007, 10:31 AM

Ben:
Just found this string. I do not normally read this forum. Here is a copy of my response from another forum . . .

I, for one, would be willing to join any effort to insure the continuance of Pentax photographic equipment. I have been a Pentaxian since the mid-60's when I got my Honeywell-Pentax Spotmatic . . . still have it and it still works.

One of my disappointments was that Pentax was slow to catch on with DSLRs. I tried other brands prior to the production of the *istDS. Now that I have a *istDS and the remarkable K10D, I do not want anything less.

While I am probably not the one to pen the note, I am certainly willing to read, critique, suggest and agree.

Thanks for the great idea!!!!

Paul

rprii · 05-22-2007, 10:32 AM

Sorry, meant to mention I have not had a chance to read this whole string . . . will do this evening . . . should be very interesting . . . lots of responses.
Paul

Gio645 · 05-22-2007, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jonson PL

Hello and thank you for your inquiry.

It is still too early to talk about what will happen after TOB, but I would like to let you know what we think about Pentax and our merger. Here are some comments that our CEO made in the past few months.

Pentax is one of Japan's best-known camera makers with worldwide brand recognition and a nealy 90-year history, which HOYA respects very much. We appreciate excellent technology and engineers Pentax has. We believe that both companies are the best partners and that's the reason we are offering tender offer.

Hoya is a manufacuturer, not investors. We do M&A in order to strengthen our business, not to chop them up and sell. We've never commented that we are going to sell the camera division. We see profit on investment, not profit vs. sales.

The business strategy for camera division may need some tunings so that they don't have to compete directly with big companies. HOYA believes that we can differenciate the products and make it more profitable.

As you know, HOYA's core business is B to B, but we care very much about our customers, both business and individual. We listen to what our customers say and that's how we have grown. We appreciate your support, and look forward to more opinions and comments.

Akiko Maeyama | Corporate Communications | HOYA Corporation
2-7-5 Naka-Ochiai, SHinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8525 JAPAN
TEL 03-3952-1166 $B!J (Jdirect $B!K (J | Fax 03-3952-0726

------

(Let's keep the answer here, and not transfer it to DPr. This is the better site after all).

Thanks for the feedback Sune.
I think Hoya must make an official statement in order to put at rest the discomposure in the Pentax user’s world. All these rumors lately, are hurting the name of the company and weaken its position in the market.

*Lance B* · 05-22-2007, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jonson PL

Hello and thank you for your inquiry.

It is still too early to talk about what will happen after TOB, but I would like to let you know what we think about Pentax and our merger. Here are some comments that our CEO made in the past few months.

Pentax is one of Japan's best-known camera makers with worldwide brand recognition and a nealy 90-year history, which HOYA respects very much. We appreciate excellent technology and engineers Pentax has. We believe that both companies are the best partners and that's the reason we are offering tender offer.

Hoya is a manufacuturer, not investors. We do M&A in order to strengthen our business, not to chop them up and sell. We've never commented that we are going to sell the camera division. We see profit on investment, not profit vs. sales.

The business strategy for camera division may need some tunings so that they don't have to compete directly with big companies. HOYA believes that we can differenciate the products and make it more profitable.

As you know, HOYA's core business is B to B, but we care very much about our customers, both business and individual. We listen to what our customers say and that's how we have grown. We appreciate your support, and look forward to more opinions and comments.

Akiko Maeyama | Corporate Communications | HOYA Corporation
2-7-5 Naka-Ochiai, SHinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8525 JAPAN
TEL 03-3952-1166 $B!J (Jdirect $B!K (J | Fax 03-3952-0726

------

I must say that ’m very impressed. I contact one of the key persons in Corporate Communications, instead of going via PR or customer service, and I get an in-depth answer the next day.
And I must say that they’re spot on, in many of the aspects. Pentax could really benefit from having a good ally. The current success of Pentax is almost more than they can handle. Their factories are running 24 hours a day. They’ve postponed the 645D and the K5, just to put all the juice into getting the sought after lenses out to the consumers. And the homerun with the K100 and K10 was made possible via cooperation with a big player in Samsung.
I like the idea of a smaller more individual company, and think it fun to go treasure hunting; scoping for the right lenses. But many find it a pain that they can’t just get what they want right away. And this is a valid point.
If Pentax can enjoy management integrity, and do what they do best in the camera department, but Hoya can stabilize and give the benefit of a big player, we could have the best of both worlds. If it is the same good quality, but just with the HoyaPentax name written on top, I can live with that.

All in all, good that some of Benjii’s thoughts of not being overly impressed with going high up in the hierarchy, taking chances and being cocky can yield positive results. I really hadn’t expected to hear anything.

(Let's keep the answer here, and not transfer it to DPr. This is the better site after all).

Thank you for doing this on our behalf, Sune.

This reply looks promising for we Pentax users and I sincerely hope that it is indeed their intention to not break up Pentax and sell it off. I believe a Hoya/Pentax team up can do wonders for Pentax and for Hoya as well.

*Lance B* · 05-22-2007, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by jeffkrol

Sorry can't resist a bit of gloom and doom here . Wish it weren't so but I find enjoyment at trying to read between the lines. Have no problems being wrong either BTW.

Originally Posted by Jonson PL
Hello and thank you for your inquiry.

It is still too early to talk about what will happen after TOB, but I would like to let you know what we think about Pentax and our merger. Here are some comments that our CEO made in the past few months.

Pentax is one of Japan's best-known camera makers with worldwide brand recognition and a nealy 90-year history, which HOYA respects very much. We appreciate excellent technology and engineers Pentax has.
Which we can use to our own ends
We believe that both companies are the best partners and that's the reason we are offering tender offer.

Hoya is a manufacuturer, not investors. We do M&A in order to strengthen our business, not to chop them up and sell. We've never commented that we are going to sell the camera division.
Yet you really didn't state you are going to keep it either
We see profit on investment, not profit vs. sales.

The business strategy for camera division may need some tunings so that they don't have to compete directly with big companies.
Excuse me, how do you do this? Sell Dental cameras? I
assume Canon and Nikon and Sony and Samsung are considered big companies?
HOYA believes that we can differenciate the products and make it more profitable.
Back to endoscope and dental and medical cameras again

As you know, HOYA's core business is B to B,
We don't do retail, except for our glass nic nacs, which are losing money and will also likely go the way of the dodo bird. We are clueless at retail.
but we care very much about our customers, both business and individual. We listen to what our customers say and that's how we have grown. We appreciate your support, and look forward to more opinions and comments.
All there missing here is "have a nice day"

Akiko Maeyama | Corporate Communications | HOYA Corporation
2-7-5 Naka-Ochiai, SHinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8525 JAPAN
TEL 03-3952-1166 $B!J (Jdirect $B!K (J | Fax 03-3952-0726

------

I must say that ’m very impressed. I contact one of the key persons in Corporate Communications, instead of going via PR or customer service, and I get an in-depth answer the next day.
And I must say that they’re spot on, in many of the aspects. Pentax could really benefit from having a good ally. The current success of Pentax is almost more than they can handle. Their factories are running 24 hours a day. They’ve postponed the 645D and the K5, just to put all the juice into getting the sought after lenses out to the consumers. And the homerun with the K100 and K10 was made possible via cooperation with a big player in Samsung.

And what makes you think Hoya will change their factories for camera production, or lenses for that matter? Would take a large commitment on their part. They are already expanding their own facilities for eyeglass blanks .

Hoya can use the existing Pentax plants for camera production.

I like the idea of a smaller more individual company, and think it fun to go treasure hunting; scoping for the right lenses. But many find it a pain that they can’t just get what they want right away. And this is a valid point.
If Pentax can enjoy management integrity, and do what they do best in the camera department, but Hoya can stabilize and give the benefit of a big player, we could have the best of both worlds. If it is the same good quality, but just with the HoyaPentax name written on top, I can live with that.

All in all, good that some of Benjii’s thoughts of not being overly impressed with going high up in the hierarchy, taking chances and being cocky can yield positive results. I really hadn’t expected to hear anything.

(Let's keep the answer here, and not transfer it to DPr. This is the better site after all).
Was hard not to cross post your return mail at dpreview. Would add a bit to the discussion.
Actually I'll believe Hoya may keep Pentax "as is" for a while when I see the lenses coming out of the factories. Ther really has been a ton of PR damage here, (blame the gloom and doomers, but lets be realistic here) but without Hoya "SUPPORTING" the camera division Pentax will probably not sell well in Japan after all this. Wouldn't doubt if sales already tanked. M and A's never please everyone, at least if your a customer. Thanks for your work

Dana G · 05-23-2007, 11:22 AM

Instead of endlessly speculating, how about we all go out and make some photographs?

*Jonson PL* · 05-24-2007, 01:45 AM

I’ve been thinking about the quote as well. About differentiating the Pentax products, and tuning them somewhat.

One way to look at it, is that Pentax should not attempt on going head to head with C&N. Like the Z-1P with the extraordinary craftsmanship of the FA* lenses didn’t really hit it home in the Pro market, with a few noticeable exceptions, it was an expensive move.
Pentax should not try and directly compete with C&N in the high end spectra, but make good all-round packages. A top model in the D2Xs & 1D Mark II class only within the next years; when C&N have moved on and come out with the next generation top models.
Going for 645D, in a segment where C&N is not present, and where Pentax already has a well-established name.
Not offering a wide variety of digicams and P&S like C&N, but just a few that are well representatives; like W30 and whatever Optio A, M or T that is doing well.
I remember in the film days that many held the Pentax P&S cams very high. Does the current simple digital cams have the same nice appeal in actual use ?

Anyway, it seems Hoya will give the camera division around two years without interfering. So it is up to the Pentax crew to continue down the well chosen K-DSLR road, and keep bringing out good products. It is good to have some pressure on, to keep being hungry for success. Pentax have always been doing best, when they had to fight to get up to the right pace again. Otherwise they just stayed and had fun in the R&D room, somewhat forgetting their costumers.

The Minolta mount never disappeared thought it wasn’t profitable. I do not fear for the K mount either, and it is yielding a good return. And with the great Pentax glass already present, I feel that there will be plenty of good photo opportunities open for me in the years to come.