Industry Mourns

Kodak Pays Tribute to Art Diamond

Dan Burmeister, Director of Sales, Kodak Extended Materials Business

Twenty months ago I was introduced to Art by Tom McHugh at Kodak with the thought that I may be able to set aside some time to learn whatever I could about the aftermarket business. I had just started working in a new role at Kodak and I needed a mentor. Twenty months later I have lost one of my best friends.

Each month I would travel to Ojai, California to visit with Art and his wonderful wife, Diane. The first visit was four and half hours of industry enlightenment and with each trip thereafter, I would learn more about Art and his incredible journey through life. I looked forward to each meeting and felt blessed that he would volunteer his time so graciously. Art always wanted to hear about Kodak and he would tell me stories of the Kodak he had worked at forty five years ago. I kept pages of notes from each visit and as I look back on those notes today I realize that what started as a tutorial on the aftermarket became shared wisdom on life and family. Art was one of a kind, he cared deeply about people and was always positive, even as his health was failing he would always greet me with a smile and ask about my wife and boys.

I have mixed feelings today, I have the grief of losing a cherished friend, but I also have an appreciation of every second I was privileged to spend with Art. At the end of each visit Art would thank me for coming and tell me what topics we would focus on in our next visit. I will miss my visits to Ojai and I will miss my friend, but I am one of the lucky ones to have spent time with an industry legend and one of the greatest people I have ever known. RIP Art, you will be missed, I am just thankful that I am one of the many lucky people that will be missing you.

Thomas Spicker, DELACAMP Aktiengesellschaft

I just wanted to say, that I am personally very saddened by his death. I know he had a great live because he was always happy and content. He was one of the most impressive human being I have ever met in this industry. Art was professional, intelligent, kind and a true Gentleman. He will be missed.

Art Diamond Menorial Statement

Dr. Harvey R. Levenson, Professor Emeritus and former Department Head of Graphic Communication
Cal Poly State University

A man, “larger than life,” has left us, but left us a better place.

The loss of Art Diamond is not only a loss to an industry he helped to build, but also a loss to humanity. With over 60-years in the graphic communication industry, Art Diamond transformed and promoted the toner, photoreceptor, and imaging media industries through research, development and education, which he accomplished through the founding and successful growth of the Diamond Research Corp. and The Tiara Group LLC.

An expert on dry toner and reprography with 15 U.S. patents and approximately 100 published articles, Art Diamond was more of than a technical expert. He was also an intellectual, a critical thinker, an educator, and a humanist. Art Diamond was a “philosopher of imaging.” Not too long ago, his contribution to the graphic communication field was memorialized at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California through the establishment of an Art Diamond Cal Poly Endowment (contributions support education in Art’s name), and through the addition of the Art Diamond imaging library to the Cal Poly Raymond J. Prince Graphic Arts Collection, the largest library of its kind in the world.

The graphic communication industry and the world are better places because of Art Diamond.

Jackson Wong, CEO of Apex Microelectronics Co., Ltd

                                                                                                                                          
Deep lamentation for Art Diamond, who passed away in peace. We will miss him all along.

Mr. Diamond is indeed a veteran in the imaging industry. He has made great contribution to the industry. His legendary life has witnessed the imaging industry growing out of nothing, developing from weak to strong.

I was privileged to talk with him for many times, not once didn’t I feel comfortable and enlightened.

His insights on the imaging industry, his sharing and facilitation of fellows’ progress in the industry, his erudition and modesty shall be engraved in the heart of all his friends.

Respectable Mr. Diamond, may you rest in peace and all the best.

Enrique Stura, Consulting Services

I have had knows Art for well over 30 years and since we first met in Santa Barbara when the Diamond Research Corp organized conferences related to Selenium and Toner we engaged in fruitful and friendly exchanges. His knowledge about Photoreceptos and particularly Toner Chemistry was of extraordinary help in my efforts to produce the First SeTe photoreceptor in South America and the basis for establishing the production Line at Nicrodur that put our name in the map of bonafide manufacturers. Art¨s friendship was renewed every time I visited him in the States and showed me how great the man was as a scientist and particularly as a person, qualities that will be missed for ever. My condolences and comforting words goes to Carol for the loss . I will think of Art almost forever as long as I handle a cartridge and talk about toner. Rest in Peace.

John Cooper, Toner Research Services

News of Art Diamond’s passing was for me both a sad occasion as well as a time to reflect on and celebrate the life and career of a real gentleman and probably the most important person in the history of the aftermarket toner and cartridge remanufacturing industry. I first met Art in the early 80’s while I was working for Hercules. As I recall, he was assisting a company with a lawsuit and needed certain polymer molecular weight information. It was not long after that in 1982 I left Hercules to form an independent toner research laboratory, a move that might easily have led to failure had I not met Art. Art long talked about trying to bridge the interests of independent and OEM toner industries. In 1984 Art took a bold step in that direction with the inauguration of the first Diamond Research Toner Conference in Santa Barbara, Ca. That was a challenging time in the toner industry with many aggressive moves by OEM toner suppliers, and with no mechanism for aftermarket suppliers to advocate their interests. Coincidentally, 1984 was also the year Hewlett-Packard introduced the first LaserJet CX printer with its all-in-one cartridge, and within a few months the industry saw the first remanufactured cartridges. For more than 25 years those annual conferences provided the most important venue for all aspects of the toner and digital imaging industry to gather, learn industry trends, meet customers, and discuss mutual interests. Even more significant than the conference presentations were the networking receptions and opportunities for private business discussions, where countless industry deals were negotiated. For me they provided the ideal opportunity to promote my business and obtain new clients. I can easily imagine that if Art never started his conferences I would probably not have succeeded with my consulting and research business, and I also would not have gotten to know this fine man and friend. On behalf of myself and the many former industry friends of Art who are no longer here to offer their condolences I can only say Thank You and you will be missed.

Ali Orgucu, IPM

Condolences to all of us. I consider myself lucky to have known him and do business with him. It was always obvious to see joy and feelings on his face. He shared himself with all of us. If it’s of any consolation, I know he had a full life, filled with everything he wanted.

Roger Asay, Locator Magazine

I have known Art for many years. In 2004 Art contributed an article for a Cartridge Industry Report on the future of the industry. I recently republished this in a digital edition on TheRecyclersNetwork.com.

A few years ago Art introduced me to Toni Lee and David Gibbons at the ITEX show in Las Vegas. That was the beginning of a renewed friendship with Art and new friends in David and Tony. Over a period of time, I introduced Toni, David and Art to South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas and it became a location for Recycling Times’ first event in North America. Toni sent Art to Joplin to do a story about my roll in the industry, Locator Magazine and the industry related websites I own. Art wrote the story, took the photos and it became a cover story in the August 2012, issue 29 of Recycling Times.

One of the great qualities that Art had was the ability to have a really good time, have fun, and relax. We really enjoyed gambling together. You would never know that he was a brilliant industry spokesman and a dynamic leader in the industry. When it came his time to take the stage, conduct a forum, lead an event, research and develop a new products (very technical and complex in nature) and ad a dimension to our industry, he was unequalled.

I’ll always remember Art; he made a long range contribution to my business and my personal life. If it wasn’t for Art I would not have met David and Toni, two of the industry’s most dynamic leaders and my friends. I also enjoyed my time with Art and his wife Diane. He was one of my best friends.

Doris Huang, Former Head of News and Editorial, RT Media

Dearest Art, what a shock to hear that you’re gone. I’ve never seen a man like you, with so much passion for work and for life even at 80s. Those days we worked on magazines and editorials together are life time treasure for me. Thank you for mentoring us and the industry. I will miss you immensely. R.I.P.