RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Latest Interview with the CEO of Pentax Ricoh

Friday, May 18, 2012

Latest Interview with the CEO of Pentax Ricoh

(Noboru Akabane, President/CEO of Pentax Ricoh Imaging; Photo Credit: Fuji Sankei Business Eye)

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120516-00000008-fsi-bus_all
(in Japanese)

The Key Points:-

1. Company is studying on how to explore new emerging markets like Russia and India;

2. The brand of "Pentax" and "Ricoh" will co-exist and the "GR" series will continue (So, AP's "insider source" was wrong);

3. Plan to expand the sales of the whole camera business to 700 billion* Japanese Yens and double the total sales in 2011 by 100% by 2013;

4. Will continue to put more focus in Asia markets in particular Thailand and Malaysia. It is believed that the markets in developed countries like North America and Europe are well established before the merge;

5. Pentax' net total sales in the fiscal year of 2011 is about 300 billion* Japanese Yens whilst Ricoh's net sales was in tens of billions. However, the exact figure for Ricoh's sales was not disclosed.

*N.B. One Billion means 100 Millions, i.e., 100,000,000, in Japanese, for direct translation of the original news article.

Comments (16)

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-2 Vote up Vote down

Pentax revenge · 669 weeks ago

He forgot one "Continue to increase lens prices"
Saturated market? What happened to all the big talk about genuine alternative to Canon and Nikon?
Lame duck CEO

4 replies · active 668 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Alex · 669 weeks ago

Have you read the actual interview? "Saturated market" seems to be RiceHigh's words, so you just called him a "lame duck".
I would also like to know how on Earth have you made a connection between western markets being "saturated" and Pentax not being/becoming a "genuine alternative to Canon and Nikon".

Lame duck Pentax-hater :p (whatever that means)

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Pentax revenge · 669 weeks ago

I did read it translated of course
Talks about expanding the business and emerging markets india far east etc etc
He is lame because anyone that can let a chair designer (Marc Newson) have a go at a camera is a newbie and too dumb to even know anything about the market.
Hoya had little interest in Pentax, Ricoh's first move was to ramp up lens prices yet again. They also gave us the Q as in yawn again (toy lenses? Yes how lame) K-01 aside from looking dumb is another camera most will ignore en masse
So much for expansion of the brand most people will simply not even look at them.

3-5 years ago sure put some serious effort into the brand, now it's just a no.4 placed brand in a 4 horse race.
Talk is cheap what happens in the real world counts more. Pentax are ramping prices up again and that's enough to squander any hope of making even a slight impact on the other players.

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Alex · 669 weeks ago

Of course, you're much smarter and more capable than Mr. Noboru Akabane, and I'm sure you look innovative, too! ;) With so much potential, it's truly unfortunate you're so busy with uninformed whining.

Pentax "expansion" is happening right now, even if you chose to ignore it.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Pentax revenge · 668 weeks ago

Anyone is smarter than this so called CEO
Expansion yeah right that's why they jacked up the lens prices lately going to work wonders for that strategy isn't it.
You can't even find a Pentax DSLR in most shops let alone a half respectable range of products ie lenses and flashes well let's not go there on the flashes ancient guns that need updating

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capelson · 669 weeks ago

Please remove Nubi's comment, who probably didn't fully realize the impact that his comment could have on the reputation of this blog.

1 reply · active 669 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 669 weeks ago

Agreed. Btw, Nubi, sorry for that, you're welcome to post again about the topic as long as you wish, but please be human.

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Leschi · 669 weeks ago

Sounds like they want to offer low budget stuff for everyone :-/
This man doesn't look innovative in my eyes...sorry.

2 replies · active 669 weeks ago

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VladimieYo · 669 weeks ago

Looks of K-01 innovative in my eyes...sorry.

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Alex · 669 weeks ago

If you can't see anything innovative, try opening your eyes - it really helps.
Again, making up stuff instead of reading the interview to see what's actually being said.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Bug Shutter · 669 weeks ago

What is innovative then? An ugly no VF EVF K mount body nobody really cared about anyway, or a muscle camera DSLR?

1 reply · active 669 weeks ago

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Alex · 669 weeks ago

Where should I begin? With the first Japanese SLR? With the instant return mirror?
Recent times, you say? How about all those things mare possible by the SR - first with rotational adjustment, AstroTracer, composition adjustment? Weather sealing at prices way lower than the competition? (yes, canikon had to catch up) Compact high quality SLR lenses?

By the way, Leschi claimed the CEO of Pentax Ricoh Imaging itself was not looking innovative, not the Pentax products. Maybe a newly born would indeed look innovative, but I rather have an experienced adult for this job :p