Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/08/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yes of course he has the right to do what he wants. What the article explained that according to German law, once he had over 95% of the shares, he could squeeze out the remaining 5% (i.e. force them to sell their shares to him). That is what the little girl was pleading for him not to do. Apparently he intended to do that in the past because some of the minority shareholders interfered with his running of the company. Certain decisions have to be put to a shareholder vote etc., so I can certainly understand his wish to take the company private. Despite what he said to the girl (that he has no current plans to do so) I have no doubt that at some point he will conclude that the bureaucracy associated with being a listed company is not worth the benefits (easier to get financing if needed). My last employer before becoming an EU civil servant was in a privately held company, and the one before was in a listed company. Both had roughly the same turnover, in the 120-140M Euro range. For a company that size being listed is a significant burden. Cheers, Nathan Nathan Wajsman Alicante, Spain http://www.frozenlight.eu http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.nathanfoto.com PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ YNWA On Aug 17, 2011, at 9:21 AM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: > And why not, since he put millions INTO the company??? > But the reference in that report was that the minor shareholders > (represented by an 11 yr old girl at the meeting) requested that they not > be > bought out and he has evidently agreed. The amount held by those others is > probably immaterial to the company's fortunes but taking the company > private > presumably would have meant that the world could not see his financials. > Fair enough. In any event that is business or rather his business. I care > about the products. I have no clue what the dividends are nor looked. > I thought that I would just pass on those lens production figures for the > folks that are interested. I would guess that somebody like Canon or Nikon > would make those kinds of numbers in their morning tea breaks! > > Cheers > Geoff > > *Izzy for Prime Minister!* > *Model superstar* > ** > > > > On 17 August 2011 15:06, Nathan Wajsman <photo at frozenlight.eu> wrote: > >> There are not many Leica shareowners, since Kaufmann owns more than 97% of >> the company. In that light, the dividend announcement simply means that he >> has decided to take around 5 million out of the company. >> >> Cheers, >> Nathan >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> Alicante, Spain >> http://www.frozenlight.eu >> http://www.greatpix.eu >> http://www.nathanfoto.com >> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws >> Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ >> >> >> YNWA >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Aug 17, 2011, at 1:18 AM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: >> >>> A member of the German part of the L Camera Forum posted this link to an >>> article from a local Wetzlar journal >>> < >>> >> http://www.mittelhessen.de/lokales/topnews_aus_mittelhessen/543458_11-Jaehrige_fordert_Leica-Chef.html >>>> >>> >>> I just used Google to translate the general meaning and content for >> myself. >>> If you are a shareholder you got some good news I guess. >>> >>> One rather startling bit of information is that Leica Camera were >> completing >>> all of 63 lenses a day, now ramped up to 120 with plans to increase that >> to >>> 240 lenses. >>> That would be M and S together >>> These are tiny tiny numbers. I knew about and have seen the production >>> methods of course but seeing the actual numbers goes a long way to >>> explaining why the queues to get anything new at all are so slow >> following >>> the success of the M9. >>> >>> >>> >>> Cheers >>> Geoff >>> >>> *Izzy for Prime Minister!* >>> *Model superstar* >>> ** >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >