Bowens Shutting Down!!!

[russellsnr]

http://www.diyphotography.net/anothe...g-liquidation/

Russ

[rpcrowe]

The local "brick and mortar" Calumet store closed down several years ago. There was no warning to customers or employees. The employees showed up one Monday morning to find that the store had been closed by corporate office.They received no warning or even their pay up to date. Customers who had orders pending or who had submitted gear for repair were equally "up the creek without a paddle"

The Internet is killing brick and mortar stores while China is doing a job on every Western business.

The Chinese Government is subsidizing their mail order companies with low postal rates. I recently purchased a pair of cold shoes which were mailed from China. The purchase price plus mailing cost (FROM CHINA) was cheaper than I could mail these cold shoes to another address within my own city!

[russellsnr]

The local "brick and mortar" Calumet store closed down several years ago. There was no warning to customers or employees. The employees showed up one Monday morning to find that the store had been closed by corporate office.They received no warning or even their pay up to date. Customers who had orders pending or who had submitted gear for repair were equally "up the creek without a paddle"

The Internet is killing brick and mortar stores while China is doing a job on every Western business.

The Chinese Government is subsidizing their mail order companies with low postal rates. I recently purchased a pair of cold shoes which were mailed from China. The purchase price plus mailing cost (FROM CHINA) was cheaper than I could mail these cold shoes to another address within my own city!

Hi, Cannot argue with the Chinese route as I buy a lot from there also although can take two/three weeks to arrive the saving far out weighs the waiting. Postal costs from the UK and the USA to Greece are really OTT especially when the item costs for example $20 and the shipping is $30 something wrong somewhere!!!
Russ

[Manfred M]

China is doing a job on every Western business.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, around the time I just got into the working world after finishing my studies, I heard very much the same them, except back then one would substitute the word "Japan", where we use the word "China" today.

The world adapted and with some limited exceptions, the Western world seemed to adapt and while some industries and jobs were lost forever, others grew. The ones that remained and prospered were more innovative and productive than the Japanese ones. Japan is facing the same issues that the West did when they burst onto the market; two areas where they were world leaders; steel making and ship building have moved to countries like China and India.

China is running into labour cost issues too (and let's not even talk about Chinese quality). Foxconn, who build phones and tablets for Apple and others in China are looking at replacing workers with robots.

The problem with companies like Bowens is that rather than being a leader; they became a "me too" company making products that were good, but not leading the class. Their competition was not China, but rather Sweden (Profoto), Switzerland (Elinchrom), Germany (Hensel), etc. None of these countries are known as low cost producers nor do these companies face any real competition from the Chinese manufacturers.

Bowens appears to have lost out because it could not keep up...

[shreds]

Liquidating gets rid of a lot of debt in a company and investment companies are well known for driving and extracting value however they can. (See the film: Pretty Woman!)

Certainly the drive down on prices is extreme in the UK and the traditional photographic market is strongly affected by grey importers.

I had some concern a few years ago with some personnel changes at Bowens and their non appearance and support of the Photo Show in the UK was a possible prelude to difficulties becoming too great.

But lets not forget we have not yet had an official announcement from Bowens even if 'insiders' are commenting.

The Photo Show is all about marketing and publicity rather than actual £s in the bank quickly, to improve cashflow.

They have unsurprisingly been left behind but now the investment company has obtained the expertise and brand names they can sell on or reuse in a limited way, in conjunction with their other acquired brands to benefit their investment and extract the value.

(Calumet UK survived the US meltdown so the very recent past of the two should not be confused.

Firms heading for liquidation in the UK never tell the employees until the administrators are called in, who are supposed to consider how best to satisfy the creditors.

Not good generally for the employees livelihoods....rather unfair, but it is the HMRC, the shareholders and the debenture holders of the company followed by the creditors who come first).

[loosecanon]

Bowens latest models are competitive in price and performance with the best. The Gemini range, though older design are proven good value workhorses, with accurate modeling lights; modeling lights sufficiently powerful to see when a light is on a lower power setting.

Most of the cheap Chinese units are low power flash with non proportional modeling lights. They may be half the price of Bowens but are not half as good when it comes to usability, yet alone build quality. Indeed some more expensive units are not as versatile. I for one see no need for the camera to control studio lights other than triggering. Surely in a studio it is part of the photographers art to adjust lighting to obtain the desired result.

[shreds]

Bowens latest models are competitive in price and performance with the best. The Gemini range, though older design are proven good value workhorses, with accurate modeling lights; modeling lights sufficiently powerful to see when a light is on a lower power setting.

Most of the cheap Chinese units are low power flash with non proportional modeling lights. They may be half the price of Bowens but are not half as good when it comes to usability, yet alone build quality. Indeed some more expensive units are not as versatile. I for one see no need for the camera to control studio lights other than triggering. Surely in a studio it is part of the photographers art to adjust lighting to obtain the desired result.

I agree. I genuinely hope the rumours are just that and prove to be groundless or overly pessimistic. I have used Bowens studio lights for the past decade and have no complaints.

The Bowens website is still up and running, but with these things you never quite know until it all comes out in the wash. I hope Bowens survive in some format, even as a part of the Calumet/WEX setup.

We can but wait and see.

[pnodrog]

Another factor could be the improved ISO performance and dynamic range of the newer sensors. I know several photographers doing real estate work that now seldom use anything other than available lighting (including built in artificial). A few years ago they would nearly always use multiple flash units.