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W
HILE OTHER COMPANIES
tighten their proverbial belts
and hunker down to brave the rocky international economic
storm, Agfa Graphics usA has embraced change and continues
to position itself for growth.
Agfa is a multinational imaging company in the graphic arts
and healthcare industries, headquartered near the city of
Antwerp, Belgium, with revenues of $4 billion in 2010. At the
helm of Agfa Graphics usA’s financial efforts is Gunther mertens,
vice president and CFo of the company’s North American
graphics business. After joining the company in 1999, mertens
took the lead in the areas of strategic financial management
and mergers and acquisitions, and is one of the driving forces
behind the company’s move from a traditional analog graphics
arts company to one that has led the digital revolution in the
united states.
Important dates in Agfa’s history:
Agfa was established in
1867
.
In 1936
, Agfa revolutionized the world of color photography
with a film product called Agfacolor, which was ahead of the
competition and had 278 patents.
In 1971
, Agfa introduced the first european copier based on
xerographic technology.
In 1981
, as a result of speculation on the silver market, Agfa
Agfa Graphics CFO Gunther
Mertens is a driving force in the
switch from analog to digital—
and in his company’s growth.
By Bari Faye Siegel
Photos: Jolene Oldham
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