I haven't seen this on the forum yet: Kodak Takes Next Steps toward Successful Emergence
They're selling their "Personalized Imaging" business, which seems to include all still film.
It mentions that they're going to hang on to their Commercial Film business, which I assume means the high-volume 35mm motion picture business. Oddly it seems that their lucrative photo paper business is part of what they're spinning off.
Well, thats an interesting assumption and I'm confused. I thought "Professional film" prducts was transferred to the Commercial Film Division last year or so. But on another forum a Kodak PR person says all non-motion-picture film is in this Personalized Imaging are that is being sold. Confusing.
The press release looks deliberately confusing. A blog post someone else linked included some analysis, which placed all of the film and paper products under the umbrella of Personalized Imaging ... but i can't vouch for that analysis. Seems strange that Kodak is trying to announce this without really announcing it.
If they are indeed selling the whole shebang ... who might buy?
... so as I often say, "Only time will tell."
The wording is definitely vague, but I have a hard time believing that they'll keep making Portra while selling off Kodak Gold. They come from the same machines, so it would be hard to sell one without the other.
There's a thread in the Lounge.
I wonder if the still film business is all that profitable. I'm sure there isn't a lot of profit in making LF film. 35mm color is what's propping up the consumer sales, and I'll bet that 35mm Tri-X is 2nd place.
I'm guessing that what they are selling is the "business," and not the actual Building 38 equipment. Everything is coated there, and it's not a trivial task or investment to move the coating to be done elsewhere. Kodak has a deal with the movie industry to produce film until 2015. If the movie industry's demand isn't strong enough after that, then I don't think there will be a real Kodak product. We'll see various brands, but it will be like what's happened to Polaroid.
From reading about Kodak management, it seems that they've been selling off everything that's profitable for a long time. Eastman Chemicals in TN is highly profitable, but Kodak doesn't own it anymore. Kodak has sold off a lot of very profitable digital technology. At this stage of the game, the management has basically killed Kodak, and they're just parting it out for a while.
I'm going to hoard what I can, and enjoy it while it lasts.
"It's the way to educate your eyes. Stare. Pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." - Walker Evans
From my earlier post on the same subject.
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad...log_index.html
Since there's now three threads on the same subject counting the one in the Lounge, perhaps the moderators could consolidate them.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
That would be nuts, huh. Maybe I missed a subsequent Kodak reorganization announcement!Originally Posted by Ben Syverson
Ilford?
HARMAN's owners have shown by making a success of Ilford since taking it over that they're far too smart to even think about buying the ghost of Kodak.Ilford?
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