I have had it privately suggested to me that prior statements I have made, regarding Phase One's strong desire to find a buyer to sell the company to prior to 2006, were exaggerated or false. I'm not sure why anyone would find it objectionable that Phase One actively sought to sell the company. Leaf, Sinar and Hasselblad have all had mergers and acquisitions and there is no shame in that. In fact, it can be quite healthy for a business.
In any event, some may find this April 2005 interview interesting. The article below was translated from the original danish and given to me by an industry friend some time ago. I have provided a link for those that are fluent in danish and wish to read the original article or correct any of the translation.
Interview Article LinkInterview Article below from Computerworld DKThe Danish IT-company Phase One was at one time created in order to be sold at a later date, and that vision now is on the way to being completed.
Today several years' deficits have turned to million surpluses, nobody is bigger than Phase One in digital backs for professional photographers, and the time for a sale approaches.
“The Whole logic with developing and creating the technology in Phase One has always been with reference to a sale of the company”, Henrik Håkonsson, managing director, Phase One says.
Phase One is owned by 3i, Kirkbi, Danish-Erhvervsinvestering, Spar Bank Nord and Mikael Konnerup's investment company Dico, who is the greatest shareholder.
The turnover in Phase One rose by 28 percent last year to 203 million crowns, while the surplus was doubled. The future depends on the company's ability to maintain its market share at 50 percent.
“We have never believed that we had to develop cameras. Phase One cannot only exploit the technology that we have, but eight out of ten of the world's leading digital advertising photographers work with us or Hasselblad/Imacon, and that carries great weight”, says Henrik Håkonsson.
Swedish Hasselblad bought Danish Imacon last year for 100 million crowns, and are today the greatest competitor.
Today Phase One's software packages support to digital reflex cameras cameras from Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Kodak, Olympus and Konica Minolta.
On the software aspect Adobe is the greatest competitor.
Phase One talks and co-operates with both the European and American producers for instance Leica, Carl Zeiss and Jenoptic, but wants to not exclude the Japanese producer Canon as a possible collaborator or buyer.
“The Japanese camera industry is very national except Canon. The Japanese cameras can do everything, but they are complex, and it may be a problem for the professional photographer”, Henrik Håkonsson says.
He doesn't want to put amounts on how much Phase One can bring in, but Imacon was sold for 100 million crowns last year and Phase One has always been bigger.
“The amount depends on, who they are, what they are looking for, and what they can use us for”, the Phase One-manager says.