| In the mid to late 1980's, Sylvania decided to shut down its Montoursville, Pennsylvania plant. This plant also happened to be the base for flashbulb manufacturing. Flashbulbs became unpopular as a light source with the advent of the Xenon pulse / electronic flash units. However, a certain niche market remained which could be satisfied by flashbulbs in the high speed photography, special effects and large format areas. Customers who had continuing requirements for flashbulbs were relieved when EG&G based in Wellesley, Mass., offered to take over the manufacture of flashbulbs from Sylvania to satisfy ongoing requirements. | Read the Graflex.Org test
report on Meggaflash PF200 bulbs.
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The equipment was re-commissioned by EG&G's Irish workforce working along side six ex-Sylvania technicians inside 3 months. The first production units of the PF200, PF300 and PF330 flashbulbs were shipped in late 1989. Initial teething problems were overcome and the Shannon plant was soon meeting the demands for flashbulbs into the mid 1990s.
In 1994, EG&G decided to rationalize its many world wide manufacturing operations for strategic corporate reasons. Unfortunately for Shannon, it was one of the plants which was marked for closure. John Heffernan was responsible for quality management in the Shannon facility at the time of this announcement, and made a proposal to EG&G to take over the flashbulb line to continue to service the existing customer base. The proposal was accepted. The new company called "Meggaflash Technologies Limited" was formed with 6 months to build stocks of flashbulbs for EG&G to cover down time, dismantle the plant and move it out of Shannon to the current location, 15 miles up the road in Ennis, in County Clare, Ireland. This part of our country has many attractions including the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Bunratty Castle, Durty Nellies Pub and of course Flashbulbs!
Our team reinstalled the machines and we were shipping product to customers by the end of September 1995. The flashbulbs we manufacture now are equivalent to those manufactured by Sylvania back in the 1950's and 1960's. To date, we have shipped flashbulbs to our many loyal customers in the USA, Canada, Britain, France Germany, Sweden, Australia, Japan and other faraway locations.