Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: changes at Kinoton

This is topic changes at Kinoton in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=001854

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 03-31-2014, 05:51 AM:

http://www.kinoton.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dateien/News/Pressemitteilungen/kinoton-pr_Liquidation_EN.pdf

'Press Release
www.kinoton.com
Kinoton GmbH
Industriestraße 20a
82110 Germering
Germany
March 31, 2014

We, the shareholders of Kinoton GmbH, have decided to dissolve the company and end its business operations with effect on March 31, 2014.
The decision was not an easy one for us. For more than 65 years, Kinoton GmbH and its employees have stood for excellence in developing innovative cinema equipment and providing first-class, speedy service to our customers and business partners.
The progressive digitization of the film and cinema industry has radically changed the market, however. Kinoton GmbH’s existing business model, as an innovative developer of first-class products and vertically highly integrated manufacturer, especially where mechanical production is concerned, isn’t appropriate to the new market conditions. The coming challenges of the digital age call for new concepts and ideas that focus on software and services.
With Kinoton Cine Perfect and the Kinoton Remote Service, we have built a good foundation for a new, forward-looking model.
The Kinoton brand will live on in a new form and as a new company. We are very happy to know that highly experienced staff of Kinoton GmbH will continue to work in product sales, consultancy, and maintenance and service under the banner of the new company, “Kinoton Digital Solutions GmbH”. They will seamlessly ensure continued professional support for our customers and the good, universally available service for products supplied by Kinoton GmbH that they have come to appreciate. You’ll find more information on Kinoton Digital Solutions GmbH at www.kinoton.eu.
Kinoton GmbH will of course fully meet all of its obligations to employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners.'

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 03-31-2014, 07:31 AM:

So whos left making/selling 35mm projectors?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-31-2014, 08:58 AM:

Cinemecanicca and Tokiwa are the only ones still making film equipment although it only appears that Kinoton has changed their name. They will most likely continue to supply parts for film projectors.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-31-2014, 09:15 AM:

They will indeed continue to supply parts for film projectors. I posted about their discontinuation of film projectors in the FHF...today is the last day to place an order for any film based equipment except the FVT-600 (Film viewing table). I have no idea as to the impact on the digital projectors going forward. It has the feel of the Ballantyne/Strong thing...where they are transitioning from a manufacturer to a service entity. But it is all speculation now. The only thing I have confirmed is that we will be able to still obtain film parts from them going forward.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 03-31-2014, 09:54 AM:

That's more than you can get from Strong. They are only digital service except what few parts remain on the shelf. At least you will be able to continue to get parts for Kinoton machines for the forseeable futre.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-31-2014, 12:37 PM:

Mark - do you have any link or other actual knowledge that Tokiwa still have a production line operating? The only thing I can find from Googling is this which is a third party info site, and (as far as I can tell) nothing to do with the company themselves.

As for Cinemeccanica, the Vic 5 was certainly still in production in January, when an arthouse venue I know bought a new pair.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-31-2014, 04:33 PM:

I do Leo, A FB friend works for Cinemecanicca, and another FB friend is good buddies with the owner of Tokiwa. Tokiwa is still selling some equipment to the Asian market and supplying a lot of parts. Many aren't aware but even George Lucas had a pair of Tokiwa's for a while in the early ILM days.

Ken, You can still buy most major parts for Century - Simplex and some Christie straight from LaVezzi... until that stock runs out. Although they would most certainly make you anything you might need on special order.

Mark

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-01-2014, 01:11 AM:

Good to hear that Tokiwa are still in business, though I'm a little surprised that they don't appear to have any web presence. Googling "Tokiwa manufactuting co" returns various companies (I get the impression that Tokiwa is quite a common Japanese surname) making everything from pharmaceuticals to agricultural equipment, but no projectors in the first 5 pages of results. Googling "Tokiwa projectors" brings up the fan site I mentioned above, but nothing else.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-01-2014, 09:18 AM:

While the previous Kinoton company will continue operation for another year, the major operational intention is to properly liquidate the company. That will mean, you will get parts, etc., but they will not continue production. As major mechanical parts of Kinoton digital projectors are also manufactured in house, I assume that there will also be no more Kinoton digital projectors. Which, in my opinion is not a big deal, as the core of these machines incl. all major replacement parts is Barco. What's not so nice is that all local offices of Kinoton will be closed and current staff has received their termination papers. Formally, they are not just changing the name, but close one company and liquidate all assets, while building a new service company. The former executives of Kinoton will not be part of the new company.

- Carsten

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-01-2014, 10:51 AM:

I am curious to know if they have made arrangements to continue manufacturing (at another facility) key wearable parts for their existing equipment. One would presume that the non-wearing parts (PCBs and such) that existing stock will probably last indefinitely as consumption will approach zero. But things like skates, dousers and such will wear out (some parts faster than others, naturally).

Most places that have Kinoton FP30/38E projectors that we deal with did NOT pull them for digital...quite the contrary, those are continuing to run film for the foreseeable future.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-01-2014, 12:04 PM:

Even in germany with a lot of direct relations to Kinoton, this step came as a surprise, and there is little known about the way the 'old' Kinoton will finish it's business.

There is a large german cinema fair next week with Kinoton being present, I guess we will learn more there. Germany has only a handful of integrators, and one can imagine that this has quite an impact.

- Carsten

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-01-2014, 06:11 PM:

According to Chapin Cutler at Boston Light & Sound:

quote:
At the time, we had a huge inventory of parts to support our operations. We have continued to have that inventory to this very day. We had a larger inventory than Kinoton America with a great deal of depth for the AA II / DP 70/ Todd A-O projector as well as the "E" line of machines.

Last summer, Kinoton GMBH decided to close their American operation. We acquired their entire inventory of parts when that happened.

Over the years, we have periodically manufactured parts for the AA II, including gears, shafts, and the like, and continue to do so. Others have done likewise.

So, the moral of my tail is that we continue to stock parts, some in great depth. We know which parts to a degree are available from OEM vendors and can still acquire those items. Where it makes sense, we will probably go into the limited manufacture of wear items. We have picked up used gear and some equipment for parts.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-03-2014, 12:33 AM:

Thanks guys.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-03-2014, 09:21 PM:

I have confirmed that Tokiwa is still in business but that they have moved into new smaller facilities comprising two buildings. They have not shipped any new film equipment in some time but could still do it on order.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-03-2014, 09:36 PM:

So what are they making to keep these people employed?