Ave Kodak

© Eduardo Ruigómez

My first priority is to spend my time listening to Kodak’s employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders as part of a detailed evaluation of our operations, market opportunities and approach for success. Once that work is complete, I look forward to sharing our conclusions. (Jeff Clark)

Mythology shows us the Phoenix, a bird that dies in the fire every 500 years and avoids his end by being reborn again a partir de la médula de sus huesos. It is the tenacity of an animal that fights against time; that conquers and returns to life.

I was reminded of this myth when I read the latest news about Kodak. When we all thought it had died, the veteran and terminally ill company emerges from bankruptcy in 2013 and in 2014 chooses Jeff Clark to lead the process of renovation.

Until the recent revolution of smartphones, Kodak has continuously accompanied photographers from all around the world for many decades. The products made by the company covered practically all needs of professionals and amateurs. In the United States they got to reach a 95% market share. It is now defined as a technology company focused on image for business, serves customers with leading edge technologies and innovative solutions for packaging products, graphic communications and printing industries. It also offers leading products and services in entertainment imaging and commercial film. The latest offering from the company is a new company, Kodak Alaris, oriented to the development in the area of Personal Image (photo kiosks, photo paper, film products and others) and the area of Document Imaging (scanners, capture software, platforms for information management and other ranges professional services).

Its history spans three centuries, since 1879 when George Eastman invented a machine coating emulsion which enabled him to mass-produce photographic dry plates, to the present. Its great value is the importantly collaboration to preserve our memory. He developed the first film reel, the first scanner electronic color separation for preparing printing images, the first camera that came to the Moon, and the first digital camera. Kodak has been the first company in the world for decades in brand recognition. It has more than 7,500 patents consumables for imaging and printing. Their logo is engraved on the retina of many generations.

At present, Kodak is negotiating with major film studios celluloid survival in times of rapid progress of digital industry in the areas of production and distribution, where costs have been greatly reduced. In 2007 they deliver to Hollywood studios 3.500 million feet of film, while in 2014 the estimated production is 127 million meters. Hail to Kodak.

Links:
Kodak 1922 Kodachrome Film Test / Old Kodak Camera and Films Commercials / The History of the Kodak Brownie / The Lengthened Shadow of a Man /
Kodak: How George Eastman revolutionized photography / Kodak: From Blue Chip to Bankrupt / Kodak Building Implosion / Reportage Capital Kodak / Kodak Today