Jostens School photography sold to Lifetouch - PMA

[DougAxford]

PMA Newsline reports today the following:

Lifetouch to buy Jostens' school photography business

In late-breaking news last Wednesday, Jostens, Minneapolis, Minn., and Lifetouch, based in Minneapolis, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, entered into definitive purchase agreements for the sale of Jostens' United States and Canadian school photography business to Lifetouch. The transactions are expected to close on or about the end of the second quarter 2006 (June 30), at which time Lifetouch will assume the operations of Jostens' Photography businesses, including a production facility in Winnipeg and field offices throughout the United States and Canada.

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Not sure where else to post this and I'm not sure if there are any school photographers still on the forum - but this is a HUGE bombshell!!!!!!!

The two biggest players just got cut down to one!!!

Doug

[David_Buzzard]

I did Lifetouch's digital dynamics course in Vancouver last year, and it was great. I don't have much need for their lab services, but their commitment to photographic educations is top notch.

David Buzzard

[DouglasUrner]

[ QUOTE ]
I did Lifetouch's digital dynamics course in Vancouver last year, and it was great. I don't have much need for their lab services, but their commitment to photographic educations is top notch.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this the same Lifetouch that does school photography in the US?

Doug

[David_Buzzard]

The Canadian opperation is mostly a digital lab facility, and I think they are only slightly connected with the American opperation. I don't know if they do school photos here or not.

David Buzzard

[DavidRamey]

Lifetouch also bought Olan Mills school photography in 2000. So the 3 biggest companies are now one.

[David_Buzzard]

Now I feel like a total idiot. School photography, not photography school.

David Buzzard

[DougAxford]

Jostens Canada is fully US owned to the best of my knowledge. The operation is very extensive and they owned well over 50% of the school photo market in Canada until just recently when Lifetouch entered Canada. They have a huge lab in Winnipeg that used to be Winnipeg Photo and as far as I know, they were still shooting film and scanning for digital products. Years back they also bought out Sony school photo division in Canada. Hard to believe that Sony was into school photos, but I still have their sales literature.

My guess is that Lifetouch will now boost $$$ and that will be a super oportunity for smaller guys to increase market share in local areas. They are tough competitors that have no seconds thoughts on who gets the 'grease'

Doug