Possible revival of Kodak? Kodak Lands $765 Million U.S. Loan in Start of Medical Supply Chain Fix

Kiritm

Kodak Lands $765 Million U.S. Loan in Start of Medical Supply Chain Fix

- WSJ

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Kodak is still alive and well in the medical diagnostic imaging business. If they still have a chemical production facility, it seems logical it can be adapted to produce medications and vaccines. The photography business per se? They would have lots of catching up to do. Their name still holds intrinsic value- what the can produce remain to be seen.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I worked with Kodak my whole career in the graphic arts industry. My teams and I visited Rochester many times over the years and their teams visited us many times as well. Watching them decline was so saddening and I hope they can find a way back. I wish them well.

repleo Loc: Boston

The Government loan is to ramp up to eventually produce up to 25% of the ingredients for generic drugs in the US, replacing imports from China. It is unlikely that any of the money will find its way to photographic products.

jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

Kodak began making drug ingredients four years ago and will now dramatically expand production at its New York and Minnesota facilities. Even so, the company estimates it will take three or four years to reach large-scale production. Kodak is not the only photography firm to shift direction into drug making. Japan's Fujifilm is working on a potential Covid-19 vaccine and plans to start human trials soon.

marvkaye

Kiritm wrote:

Kodak Lands $765 Million U.S. Loan in Start of Medical Supply Chain Fix

- WSJ

Yes, that news certainly made the market happy... I saw an article this morning that reported Kodak's stock was up 203% yesterday and is up another 60% in pre-market trading this morning. Crazy....

hcmcdole

The X-ray machines at my dentist's office are Kodak with each room having its own large screen monitor. Maybe the X-ray machine is not Kodak but the software is definitely Kodak-branded as seen on the big screen. Within a couple of seconds after taking the bite-wing x-rays, the image is on the monitor for the dentist's view where he can enlarge it many times for closeup inspection. It sure beats my last dentist with film x-rays.

AZNikon Loc: Mesa, AZ

Strodav wrote:

I worked with Kodak my whole career in the graphic arts industry. My teams and I visited Rochester many times over the years and their teams visited us many times as well. Watching them decline was so saddening and I hope they can find a way back. I wish them well.

I love the Kodak brand and it breaks my heart as well. It was really sad when they lost the naming rights to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. I can only assume that errors in management's judgement led to their downfall. I sincerely hope that this gives them a new lease on life and I wish them every success. Kodak, the name we grew up with will hopefully live on!

ELNikkor

My dad worked for Kodak for 40 years and now my brother has for 35 and counting. It is not as major a company as it used to be, and many of its buildings here in Rochester are being used by other companies. I also wish them well in their drug-making direction.

repleo Loc: Boston

Rochester went through some tough times with the demise of Kodak and set backs at Xerox, but a lot of the expertise remained and evolved. The Rochester area is now a hub for high tech printing and imaging businesses.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Well, I still use their Fixer. I migrated to Ilford after Kodak ceased making the films in the formats I use. It was sad to see them head downhill so quickly.
--Bob

Kiritm wrote:

Kodak Lands $765 Million U.S. Loan in Start of Medical Supply Chain Fix

- WSJ

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

I got into digital photography because of Kodak. At the time I shot with a Canon 35mm and the images I saw from digital cameras looked like crap. I knew I wasn't going to give up quality for convenience. Then a family member who owned a Kodak digital camera took a picture of my parents and I together, printed out the picture and gave it to my parents. I was surprised at the quality of the image and made up my mind then and there to explore digital.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Kiritm wrote:

Kodak Lands $765 Million U.S. Loan in Start of Medical Supply Chain Fix

- WSJ

It is a bit unfortunate now that they sold off Eastman Organic some years ago. They also ended their government survices division as well.

hcmcdole

JRiepe wrote:

I got into digital photography because of Kodak. At the time I shot with a Canon 35mm and the images I saw from digital cameras looked like crap. I knew I wasn't going to give up quality for convenience. Then a family member who owned a Kodak digital camera took a picture of my parents and I together, printed out the picture and gave it to my parents. I was surprised at the quality of the image and made up my mind then and there to explore digital.

The first digital camera I bought (Xmas 1999) was a Kodak 3MP, 2x Optical zoom for $800. I first thought it was a toy, a joke and the first photos imported (the card reader used a Y connector with the keyboard port and used the parallel port as well) were disappointing since the roof looked zigzag in the small viewing window when it first opened. When I went full size on the viewing window, I was amazed at how good it looked. I never shot film after that.

Kodak had a cool digital back for the Nikon film camera but it was a staggering price - $12,000 for a 4MP and $25,000 for a 6MP camera way back when.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/kodakdcs760

kpsk_sony

If you've only taken a few pictures, you've probably used a Kodak product (except if you've only done digital). Ive been digital for it seems like eons but I remember the smell of fresh film out of the can. About the only thing "Kodak" we really know about nowadays is Paul Simon's "Kodachrome"