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Rangefinder Magazine
December 2003

Industry News

Bellamax Expands Executive Team
Bellamax, Inc., a leading online digital photo retouching service (www.bellamax.
com), announced that Thomas Kudrycki and Valorie Cook Carpenter have joined the company as vice president of Technology & Operations and chief marketing officer, respectively. The company recently closed $6.3 million in financing and is expanding its technology, operations and marketing staff to implement initiatives that further address the needs of the rapidly growing digital photo market that produces billions of photos annually.

Kudrycki brings over 17 years of professional experience in technology development and team management. His experience ranges from managing small start-ups and rapidly growing new business concepts to large corporate structures. Most recently, he was the president and CEO of Metacat Inc., a product catalog information management and services company, where he raised seed money and led a core team that created Metacat’s enterprise software product and service.

Carpenter brings over 28 years of marketing and operations experience in the personal computer and consumer packaged goods industries to her current role as chief marketing officer for Bellamax. Most recently, she was senior vice president of Marketing for Caere Corporation, where she introduced OmniPage Pro 10, the latest version of this best-selling winner of 90 awards, which resulted in the highest quarterly software revenue in Caere’s 24-year history.

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., Formed on October 1, 2003
Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., a new company that combines the strengths of Konica Photo Imaging, Inc. and Minolta Corporation, announced the official start of business operations in the United States, effective October 1, 2003. Minolta veteran Henry Okamura was named president of the newly formed business unit, headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey.

Simultaneously, Konica executive Yasuo Matsumoto, was selected to lead a separate business operation focused on office copiers and other business-related technologies known as Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.

“ This merger is more than a business transaction—it is a marriage of two of the world’s most highly respected imaging companies and a blend of the most talented people in our industry,” said Henry Okamura, president of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. “Clearly the new company is well positioned to take advantage of the many opportunities ahead and offer more to our dealers and consumers as a complete imaging company from input through output.”

For more information visit the web site at www.konicaminolta.net.

• Kodak Confirms Plans to Stop Making Slide Projectors
Eastman Kodak Company announced its intent to stop making and selling slide projectors by June 2004. “The Kodak slide projector has been a hallmark for quality and ubiquity, used for decades to produce the best in audio visual shows throughout the world,” the company said. “However, in recent years, slide projectors have declined in usage, replaced by alternative projection technologies.” The company will continue to provide service and support for slide projectors through June 2011. Kodak has no plans to discontinue any color slide films at this time.