('''Agfa''') (, ) develops, manufactures and distributes analogue and digital products and systems for the making, processing, and reproduction of images. It is an imaging technologies company with three main divisions: Health Care, Graphic Systems and Specialty Products.
Headquartered in
Mortsel ,
Belgium , Agfa has sales organizations in 40 countries, representation in 120 countries, and 14,000 employees (full time equivalent permanent) worldwide. Agfa has manufacturing plants in 10 countries, including Belgium,
Germany ,
Italy ,
China , and the
United States . Net sales for 2004 totaled 3.8 billion
Euro s.
In the past, Agfa film and cameras were prominent consumer products. However, in 2004, the consumer imaging division was sold to a company founded via management buyout. , as the new company was called, filed for bankruptcy after just one year, although some legally separate child companies continued operating
{Link without Title} .
Following this sale, Agfa-Gevaert's business today is 100% business-to-business.
Agfa is organized into three business groups as follows.
Digital and analogue
Prepress systems,
Software and consumables.
Medical Imaging and
Information Management systems.
Consumables (
Motion Picture film,
Microfilm , film for non-destructive testing) for specific markets.
- 1894 The company was founded in Antwerp, Belgium, arising from the workshop for the manufacture of photographic paper belonging to Lieven Gevaert .
- 1897 Appearance of the ''Agfa'' trade mark.
- 1898 Introduction of X-ray plates and film products.
- 1912 Bayer builds a factory in Leverkusen , in which film chemicals and later also photographic papers are manufactured.
- 1922 Introduction of double sided medical film products.
- 1925 As part of the consolidation of the German chemical industry, the photographic activities are combined with those of Bayer, including a Camera factory in Munich .
- 1932 Introduction of low dose X-ray film products.
- 1941 American assets were seized as enemy property and became Ansco .
- 1942 Introduction of intensifying screen products.
- During the Second World War Agfa became part of IG Farben , a conglomerate of all German chemical industries. When the Allies broke up IG Farben after it was found guilty of War Crime s, Agfa reappeared as an individual business. An Agfa plant located in what was to become East Germany became the foundation of ORWO .
- 1952 Re-establishment of as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer in Leverkusen.
- 1964 Merger of and '''Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V.''' with Bayer AG and Gevaert each holding a 50% interest in the new operating company.
- 1972 Introduction of Mammography film / screen products.
- 1981 Bayer buys out Gevaert and becomes 100% owner.
- 1990
- --- Sale of Magnetic Tape business.
- --- Introduction of Computed Radiography (CR) products.
- 1994 Introduction of PACS products.
- 1996 Acquisition of printing plate and proofing business.
- 1998
- --- Acquisition of offset printing and graphic arts film business.
- --- Sale of the company's Copier Systems business to
- --- Acquisition of .
- --- Acquisition of
- 1999
- --- Acquisition of .
- --- Separation of Agfa from . Initial public offering of Agfa-Gevaert shares on June 1. Agfa listed on Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges.
- 2000
- --- Acquisition of , a producer of Ultrasonic systems for non-destructive testing.
- --- Acquisition of , a European producer of radiology information systems.
- 2001
- --- Acquisition of , an American producer of systems for prepress automation.
- --- Acquisition of , a producer of medical Voice Recognition systems.
- --- Acquisition of the German company and the American company '''Pantak''', producers of industrial X-ray equipment for non-destructive testing applications.
- --- Acquisition of a minority interest in , a developer and manufacturer of Digital Imaging systems for Ophthalmology .
- 2003
- --- Opening of new printing plate factory in Wuxi , China.
- --- Sale of non-destructive testing business to General Electric .
- --- Acquisition of , a producer of software drivers for printers, multifunction devices and digital presses.
- 2004
- --- Acquisition of , a Belgian producer of digital color printing systems for industrial applications.
- --- Acquisition of , an Italian manufacturer of plates, chemicals and equipment for the Offset Printing industry.
- --- Sale of the consumer imaging division to a company founded via management buy out, named , and held by an investment company. Agfa grants permission for AgfaPhoto to use the Agfa name in perpetuity. After one year, AgfaPhoto files for bankruptcy.
- --- Acquisition of , an Israeli developer of Browser -based digital workflow solutions for the newspaper and printing industries.
- --- Acquisition of , a French Information Technology company and developer of EPR ( Electronic Patient Record ) systems.
- --- Sale of , a provider of Fonts and font-related software technology, to Boston based private equity investor TA Associates.
- --- Acquisition of , a German developer of healthcare Information System s for Medical Records , Nursing , Business Management , and facility Administration .
- 2005
- --- Acquisition of , a U.S. developer of cardiology image and information management systems.
- --- Acquisition of an Italian developer of radiology information systems.
- --- Introduction of industrial Inkjet products.
- Agfa - the official website
- AgfaPhoto GmbH - website of the sold-off (and now bankrupt) consumer imaging division
