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Tetenal Europe GmbH to reportedly cease trading after 172 years


Keith (M)

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From the article:-

Word is coming in that attempts to restructure Tetenal Europe GmbH and its subsidiaries, which started in October 2018, have failed.

As reported by the online publication “imaging + foto-contact“, employees based at the company’s headquarters in Norderstedt, Germany were informed today that the company would be wound up and is expected to close doors on April 1 2019, after current production runs have been completed.

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Yah - better stock up on KODAK and ILFORD chemicals marked "Made in Germany" (almost certainly outsourced to Tetenal's factory).

Even if K. and I. find new suppliers, there may be interruptions of deliveries while they get that sorted out.

I stocked up on Kodak Rapid-Fix and Indicator Stop and HC-110 and Photo-Flo when the first signs of trouble surfaced last year.

 

Edited by adan
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Never used/ordered something from Tetenal - sorry for the loss since it is an opportunity less in the market, but aren't there other distributors to get these chemicals from? So is it really such big loss? Did they make something absolutely unique which you would only get from Tetenal? 

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3 hours ago, Martin B said:

Never used/ordered something from Tetenal - sorry for the loss since it is an opportunity less in the market, but aren't there other distributors to get these chemicals from? So is it really such big loss? Did they make something absolutely unique which you would only get from Tetenal? 

Protectan spray to stop oxidation of opened bottles of developer, I use it all the time.

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1 hour ago, Pyrogallol said:

Protectan spray to stop oxidation of opened bottles of developer, I use it all the time.

First time I hear about it - isn't the developer normally either dissolved in water for usage and stored in a canister or as concentrated solution in a plastic bin? Not saying that such spray is useless, but couldn't you just use some other sort of film or tape to wrap it around the lid? 

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4 hours ago, Martin B said:

Never used/ordered something from Tetenal - sorry for the loss since it is an opportunity less in the market, but aren't there other distributors to get these chemicals from? So is it really such big loss? Did they make something absolutely unique which you would only get from Tetenal? 

Tetenal invented the simplified 3-step E6 processing kit. It is not clear to me whether the Arista version is different, or just repackaged Tetenal.

And as I said, if you use other brand-name chemicals, check the fine print on the bottles. If they say "Made for Kodak/Ilford in Germany," they are probably made in Tetenal's factory.

Sure, some other factory can probably "build" the Kodak/Ilford chemical formulas for them - but how soon to start up a new line for a new product (and set aside the space for the tanks and valves and such)? And then run the tests to ensure accuracy, purity and quality? Do we want to trust our film to "approximately HC-110"?

Chemical plants are heavily regulated, and have to file new paperwork for every new component chemical that is introduced into their site. Environmental paperwork, job-safety paperwork - heck, they are usually required to inform the local fire authorities of all the chemicals stored on-site, in case of a fire, explosion or other emergency.

I've run a couple of "institutional darkrooms" and every year, I had to inventory every single chemical component we stored on site and inform: the EPA, OSHA and the local fire department. Not simply "D-76" or "Rapid Fix" by name, but each individual chemical they contained: Benzene-1,4-diol (hydroquinone), N-methylaminophenol hydrogen sulfate (metol), sodium tetraborate (borax), sodium sulfite, ammonium thiosulfate, sodium metabisulfite, sulphuric acid (and silver and silver halides, of course). And then document that I had informed the other employees of the nature and dangers of what they were working with or around.

It's not as simple as finding a new grocery store to buy your sugar, salt and vinegar.

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16 hours ago, adan said:

Tetenal invented the simplified 3-step E6 processing kit. It is not clear to me whether the Arista version is different, or just repackaged Tetenal.

And as I said, if you use other brand-name chemicals, check the fine print on the bottles. If they say "Made for Kodak/Ilford in Germany," they are probably made in Tetenal's factory.

Sure, some other factory can probably "build" the Kodak/Ilford chemical formulas for them - but how soon to start up a new line for a new product (and set aside the space for the tanks and valves and such)? And then run the tests to ensure accuracy, purity and quality? Do we want to trust our film to "approximately HC-110"?

Chemical plants are heavily regulated, and have to file new paperwork for every new component chemical that is introduced into their site. Environmental paperwork, job-safety paperwork - heck, they are usually required to inform the local fire authorities of all the chemicals stored on-site, in case of a fire, explosion or other emergency.

I've run a couple of "institutional darkrooms" and every year, I had to inventory every single chemical component we stored on site and inform: the EPA, OSHA and the local fire department. Not simply "D-76" or "Rapid Fix" by name, but each individual chemical they contained: Benzene-1,4-diol (hydroquinone), N-methylaminophenol hydrogen sulfate (metol), sodium tetraborate (borax), sodium sulfite, ammonium thiosulfate, sodium metabisulfite, sulphuric acid (and silver and silver halides, of course). And then document that I had informed the other employees of the nature and dangers of what they were working with or around.

It's not as simple as finding a new grocery store to buy your sugar, salt and vinegar.

All good points regarding manufacturing and regulations for chemicals (I work in the chemical industry, so I am very familiar with these things!). And yes, I have so far only used the Arista packages for C-41 and E-6 developments and was always fine with them. If the Arista stuff is repackaged Tetenal this could indeed become an issue then. I am also living in the US, so I am less concerned regarding these products made in Germany since the US market likely relies on other production sources for them. 

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4 hours ago, Martin B said:

I am also living in the US, so I am less concerned regarding these products made in Germany since the US market likely relies on other production sources for them. 

As I said, check the fine print on the chemical bottles. All the "Kodak" chems I mentioned in post #2 - bought right here in Colorado - are marked "Made for Kodak in Germany."

Kodak spun off "Eastman Chemicals" 25 years ago - I don't think Kodak actually makes their own photo chemicals any more at all, anywhere.

I just checked my "Kodak" Flexicolor C-41 concentrate bottles - marked "Made in China."

Globalized production. Although I guess that means Kodak can go to China (Lucky Film?) for their B&W formulas as well.

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1 hour ago, adan said:

As I said, check the fine print on the chemical bottles. All the "Kodak" chems I mentioned in post #2 - bought right here in Colorado - are marked "Made for Kodak in Germany."

Kodak spun off "Eastman Chemicals" 25 years ago - I don't think Kodak actually makes their own photo chemicals any more at all, anywhere.

I just checked my "Kodak" Flexicolor C-41 concentrate bottles - marked "Made in China."

Globalized production. Although I guess that means Kodak can go to China (Lucky Film?) for their B&W formulas as well.

https://myweigh.com/

http://stores.photoformulary.com/

http://www.afterness.com/kod_d76.html

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/adox-mq-borax-formula.31995/

https://www.digitaltruth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1232

https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/super-fix.141359/

Perhaps skip the latter, but there's certainly other recipes out there. I use a hardening fixer for 35mm film only, not for prints, and could give that up too if the need arose. There is the usual complaints that mix-your-own is not cheaper in the long run, but if your chosen developer disappears what's its price then? I can't speak to color processing but, as a believer in Capitalism, if a market exists then a product will appear. All that's left is price discovery.

Best,

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4 hours ago, adan said:

As I said, check the fine print on the chemical bottles. All the "Kodak" chems I mentioned in post #2 - bought right here in Colorado - are marked "Made for Kodak in Germany."

Kodak spun off "Eastman Chemicals" 25 years ago - I don't think Kodak actually makes their own photo chemicals any more at all, anywhere.

I just checked my "Kodak" Flexicolor C-41 concentrate bottles - marked "Made in China."

Globalized production. Although I guess that means Kodak can go to China (Lucky Film?) for their B&W formulas as well.

Isn't Kodak Alaris a Chinese based company anyway? 

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