Thruxton Loc: Indiana / California

Word is that Kodak has sold its paper and chemistry to Hong Kong based Sino Promise. This will pretty well spell their exit from the photography industry.

CWGordon

We all loved Kodak. I wish them well in any venture. However, this was billed as a loan to have the company become involved in COVID research and develop ment. It would seem they will be lightyears behind the competition in getting started. There are plenty of companies already in existence much closer to developing vaccines that could benefit from such infusions of cash. Those companies might develop a vaccine much sooner than startups would or could. Interesting how the millions of unemployed aren’t entitled to any benefits, but plenty of money is available for this outlay. Betcha a friend of the Emperor will be the big winner here. How much ya wanna bet a good portion, or even all, of this “loan” will never be repaid.
We all want Kodak - and its’ employees to do well. The problem is how fair is the process or decision-making that goes into deciding on who or what enterprise receives these “loans” and, or gifts.
I hear there are politicians who are saying we cannot afford to give subsidies to the unemployed who are likely soon to be evicted, lose their homes and automobiles. However, there is always money for the rich and wealthy and large corporations. Funny thing, that. Maybe we’d have more money if it wasn’t for that tax “cut” that was enacted to exclusively to benefit the rich 1% of the population and wealthy corporations. I am not against Kodak, just the way our tax dollars seem to be divvied up. The “qualifications” to benefit these days seem to vary day to day and more upon who your friends are than what you can provide our Country.

Old Dutch

I still buy and use Kodak Film, as I prefer the "look" to digital for most applications. Yesterday I pulled a roll of Kodak "Gold' 100 from the freezer and loaded it into my F4, and will be doing a bit of small-town look stuff with it. Fortunately, I actually live in a small town, which makes it easier. I hope Kodak thrives, as they are as iconic Americana as they come. My fellow troglodytes who still use film (as well as digital) know of what I speak.
And Of course I am glad production of pharmaceutical chemicals will be returning to America from the *&%*^ chi-coms. I hope to see much more of this, and an eventual return to more R&D in film would be wonderful. Perhaps they will, as the interest in analog images is on the increase, and as in many things, what is old becomes new again.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

As a Kodak kid, I'm happy to see something positive for the company. However, considering the source of this money, I'm a bit apprehensive. Also, there are many established pharmaceutical companies which do not need to get up to speed. Better to give money to these companies to see a quicker result.

Bob Werre

We once had a photographer's meeting one evening. A Kodak rep of some kind asked if he could stop by, so I said sure. He then gifted me with all kinds of Kodak products--like 8 X 10 Duplicating film in two versions and several bricks of Ektachrome. They were feeling the pressure from Fuji. One two occasions I traveled to San Diego and had some film processed there, the labs guys couldn't believe I was shooting one of Kodak's newer films 'cause everybody was shooting Fuji chromes.
When digital took over I bought one of the 14N models that I picked up used. It was a cheap Nikon body with Kodak sensor. It was a good step forward but needed more development. I guess I used it for about 3-4 years until Nikon's full frame proved durable.
Kodak seemed to introduce new products then seemed to give up when the rewards didn't happen right away. at least that's my take on the company.

Old Dutch

As the original post stated, this is a LOAN to establish the manufacturing capacity for ingredients for generic drugs for distribution IN the US. This is NOT a "start-up" venture for Covid vaccines. Where did this nonsensical contention come from?
The reason why "other established drug companies" are not doing this is because they have already outsourced capacity offshore, under the auspices of government globalists in previous administrations, in particular the most recent one, which is the reason for this problem to start with.
And so far as your other comments, they are more suitable for the blatting of the pathologically ignorant on Twitter, not a photography forum. It is always amusing to hear from brain-dead social justice warriors, but take it to the proper "woke" forum, please. Try to Keep this space for photography; perhaps someone can teach you which end of the lens to look through. But probably not.

splatbass Loc: Honolulu

They also had to shut down the Kodak Hula Show in Waikiki that had been running for free since 1937. That was sad.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Kodak IS NOT going after the vaccine market. They will only be producing "generic" drugs with which to manufacture prescriptions.

CWGordon

Good to hear you guys know everything. The rudeness and classless remarks are quite reassuring. I know who and what I’m dealing with.

Thank you

CWGordon

Mostly talking about you, Old Dutch.

arathorn357 Loc: Sydney, Australia

Memories of all those yellow boxes of photographic paper stacked in my dad's darkroom years ago come flooding back ...

If you want a quick lesson in how companies can, and others can't (eg Kodak, sadly) adapt to changing circumstances this video is a cracker from Tony and Chelsea -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWbe_bLqcpQ&t=4s

Fascinating how Fujifilm bet their company on a total corporate transformation and survived and prospered, while Kodak (the way bigger world wide player) guessed wrong and died.

Even more fascinating is how Fuji translated the know how and quality of their film images into their extraordinary jpeg's in their current X series cameras. Thanks for a great well researched story Chelsea and Tony!

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

god speed to Kodak in it's mission to ramp up for "generics" which are not of much merit in Europe since they have universal health care coverage... Only the US is a prime market for many of the major generics thus little incentives for there production of generic outside the US since they are a low profit commodity...

Case in point clopidogrel (generic Plavix) is rarely used in Europe since the blockbuster ticagrelor (Brilinta) is covered under Europe's universal health care policies. While ticagrelor has a slightly higher efficiency than clopidogrel in the US it cost over $6000 a year verse only several hundred for clopidogrel. So Plavix which has been the gold standard for over 23 years is still a major player here in the US owing to lack of universal health coverage in the US. If the US insists on no universal health coverage it seriously needs to support the production of generics... Off shore production could end on short notice if covid19 cripples what limited off shore production remains.

There is a concept known as strategic supply... sadly this as been ignored in the US which has fallen under the sway of plentiful and cheap pharmaceuticals for far too long... the pandemic is a brutal wakeup call...

again god speed to Kodak.... so many lives may depend on keeping the supply lines open for generics...
Until a vaccine becomes available covid19 will continue virtually unabated in areas that ignore current safety guidelines... Please stay safe, practice social distancing and wear a mask while in public... these countermeasure are effective and are the best we have until a vaccine becomes widely available...

Thank you...

HiFromSusan

Everybody here is Rochester and its surrounds are quite hopeful!

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

Something strange about the whole matter.

CWGordon

I hope it actually will benefit the local economy.