‘Chinese whispers’ dog Noritsu

January 20, 2011: Noritsu Koki Japan has re-affirmed its commitment to the imaging business following ‘simply untrue and unfounded’ rumours of its demise.

Source of an original, correct story reporting the closing down of Noritsu UK was photo industry website Pixel, but in classic ‘Chinese Whispers’ style, reports based on this original story posted by other sources omitted the fact that the change (in which a third-party distributor has assumed sales and service responsibilities) was restricted to the UK market.

A letter issued January 18 from Shigeaki Dol, deputy general manager of Noritsu’s Imaging Business Unit, asks Noritsu customers worldwide to ‘ignore the rumour and continue supporting Noritsu products.’

Mr Shigeaki goes on to guarantee after-sales service and supply of parts, consumables and labour (under warranty and service contracts) for up to seven years from discontinuation of production of equipment – so for instance just-discontinued models in the QSS and D (dry lab) range are covered until 2017 – 2018, with current models covered for at least seven years after production ceases.

‘Noritsu will continue to contribute to the growth in the photo business by providing new solutions and improve the quality of products and services to meet the needs of our customers.

‘Noritsu will continue the commitment to the Imaging Business and maintain and advance photo imaging products,’ Mr Shigeaki concludes.

Noritsu Australia also re-affirmed its commitment to the local market.

‘We are not going anywhere!’ said Noritsu Australia general manager, David Small. ‘We are committed to out products and our local customers.

‘We just felt we had to respond, as someone has misconstrued the story in the UK to make it worldwide.

‘Nothing has changed here,’ he said.

He added that there were new models in the development pipeline, with a substantially upgraded duplex dry lab to be launched in Australia before the middle of the year.

Noritsu Australia was currently seeking a replacement for long-time national service manager, Steve Rae, who left just prior to Christmas to take up an executive position with Coca-Cola, following completion of an MBA.