"Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. (DNP) and Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. (Konica Minolta) have reached agreement and today exchanged contracts on DNP taking over the Konica Minolta Odawara site, where Konica Minolta manufactures silver halide color photographic paper (color photographic paper). DNP will take over the land, buildings and color photographic paper manufacturing business, and from October 1, 2006 plans to operate the business as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
As a result of this agreement, DNP will make effective use of quality and production control technologies for color photographic paper in the manufacture of dye sublimation thermal transfer recording media^(*1).
In concrete terms, DNP plans to commence the production of receiver paper for dye sublimation thermal transfer recording method at the Odawara site from 2008. DNP, thereby, is aiming for dramatic improvements in performance, quality stability and productivity compared to existing receiver paper manufacturing methods. DNP also plans to position the Odawara site as the core production base for the digital photo print business via the production of receiver paper for dye sublimation thermal transfer recording method.
DNP will also take over the manufacture of color photographic paper, and will be supplying this to the clients in Japan and abroad." Read the full press release here