After plenty of hot/cold and off on the Hoya - Pentax merger is set to go ahead.

Hoya will pay 105 billion Yen (approx. $860 million) for all outstanding Pentax shares. The deal could go ahead as soon as this weekt.

We fully expect this deal to strengthen Pentax’s position especially considering the growing importance of the lens market.

As described below, today, HOYA CORPORATION (“HOYA”) and PENTAX Corporation (“PENTAX”) have entered into an agreement to effect their management integration (the “Management Integration”) by making PENTAX into a wholly-owned subsidiary of HOYA through a tender offer by HOYA to purchase all shares of PENTAX (the “Tender Offer”) to be followed by a share exchange or other appropriate business reorganization transaction.

As announced in the press release titled “HOYA and PENTAX Reach Basic Understanding for Management Integration” dated December 21, 2006, of HOYA and PENTAX, based on the recognition that they are “the best possible business partners”, HOYA and PENTAX entered into a Basic Agreement for Merger (the “Basic Agreement”) on that date. This shared common understanding has remained constant. Notwithstanding our announcement by press release (by PENTAX on April 10, 2007 and HOYA on April 23, 2007) of our decision to abandon the merger planned for October 1, 2007 under the Basic Agreement, we have continued discussions on alternatives to the merger in order to achieve management integration and have consequently entered into this agreement.

Details of the Tender Offer and other related matters will be announced as soon as they become finalized.

Source: DPReview

Hoya is familiar to most of us for UV filters and CPLs as that’s what we most commonly see in stores, what many people don’t know is Hoya is one of the biggest manufacturers of optical lenses, including many parts inside the proprietary lenses we purchase.

Hoya and Pentax have jointly announced their intention to merge and become Hoya Pentax HD Corporation (actually Hoya are ‘merging’ Pentax into their business). This merger is due to be completed by October 1, 2007. Once complete Fumio Urano (current PENTAX President & CEO) will become Chairman of the Board and Hiroshi Suzuki (current HOYA President and CEO) will become President & CEO. The major conclusions in this announcement are that the Pentax name will remain, that Pentax’s optical business will merge with Hoya’s but that Pentax’s current imaging systems division (that which is responsible for digital cameras) will continue.

HOYA CORPORATION (“HOYA”) and PENTAX Corporation (“PENTAX”) announced today that they have reached a basic understanding aimed at a management integration of the two companies, expected to be completed on October 1, 2007. The new company’s name will be HOYA PENTAX HD Corporation. Under a corporate center with strategic planning functions, the new company will realign the business areas of HOYA and PENTAX. HOYA and PENTAX have recognized that they are the best possible business partners to establish a solid business structure that draws on their respective strengths. Through this management integration, the planned new structure will allow the new company to swiftly allocate significant management resources to develop strategic business areas, aiming at accelerating future growth.

Source: DPReview