Kodak Alaris For Sale?

Tetenal, Alaris. Uncertain times. Not doom mongering, but it does get one's attention, even if one thinks that it will all come right in the end. Always pays to keep looking over your shoulder for whomever it is that might be gaining on you.
 
Larry Cloetta said:
Tetenal, Alaris. Uncertain times. Not doom mongering, but it does get one's attention, even if one thinks that it will all come right in the end. Always pays to keep looking over your shoulder for whomever it is that might be gaining on you.
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Very uncertain times indeed. It seems clear that Alaris is not producing enough profits to satisfy the requirements of the UK Pension fund, hence the need to sell it off. Thankfully, Alaris recognized this early and are seeking an orderly sale and not a fire sale.

One wonders if Eastman Kodak might reacquire the rights to sell still film world wide again. If film is truly profitable and resurgent, returning back to Eastman seems the most logical way forward.
 
Nothing really uncertain. Here is no market for anything related to film, to support old business formula, which was full size of corporation.
This is going away and business will be restructured to niche product manufacturing.

For example, in LP market they recently came with small press allowing to bake small amounts of LPs. It was not existing during LP only time.
 
The way you view this topic really depends on which area of the internet you frequent. Here, it is much more reserved.

Look on the Facebook groups, people are already carving the headstone of Kodak.

My personal view, which is formed from my understanding of the Kodak/Kodak Alaris business is: Kodak, which makes the film, will continue to make the film. Kodak Alaris, which markets and sells the film, is in financial trouble.

Given that Kodak has just released e100 and p3200 as well as announced plans for 120 and sheet of both of those films, my personal observation is that they are seeing markets that can support those moves. Given that, I'd be inclined to agree with Ko.Fe on this. If anything there will be a restructure to make film on a smaller scale to meet market demands.

I don't see Kodak failing completely, and even if they did, I would surmise that someone would buy the film sector of their business and run just that.
 
Hogarth Ferguson said:
I don't see Kodak failing completely, and even if they did, I would surmise that someone would buy the film sector of their business and run just that.
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Well, now we know the price of Kodak Alaris' film business. In the article it stated, "The Kodak Alaris report puts a notional value of US$34 million on the paper chemistry and film business, noting that this is a conservative estimate".

That's not much money in the grand scheme of things. Why wouldn't Eastman Kodak buy the business back?

Seems like a no-brainer.
 
Hogarth Ferguson said:
The way you view this topic really depends on which area of the internet you frequent. Here, it is much more reserved.

Look on the Facebook groups, people are already carving the headstone of Kodak.

My personal view, which is formed from my understanding of the Kodak/Kodak Alaris business is: Kodak, which makes the film, will continue to make the film. Kodak Alaris, which markets and sells the film, is in financial trouble.

Given that Kodak has just released e100 and p3200 as well as announced plans for 120 and sheet of both of those films, my personal observation is that they are seeing markets that can support those moves. Given that, I'd be inclined to agree with Ko.Fe on this. If anything there will be a restructure to make film on a smaller scale to meet market demands.

I don't see Kodak failing completely, and even if they did, I would surmise that someone would buy the film sector of their business and run just that.
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Well they would. But they're hardly bastions of objective analysis and considered commentary. With a few exceptions, all they're good for is generating white noise that obstructs the distribution of accurate information. Best ignored.
 
The market is becoming more focused and niche. Things will be fine...
If the world hasn't melted by then (perhaps when I'm 70 hopefully, I will be making my own emulsions with egg whites - and frying some on a sauce pan with a bit of bread and butter.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
For example, in LP market they recently came with small press allowing to bake small amounts of LPs. It was not existing during LP only time.
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I think this is a great point Kostya. It’s relatively easy to press a vinyl, and the base technology to play it is very basic. In essence, viynl can be kept alive without any large corporate profit making business, it could survive and even flourish as a backyard pastime. Most niche pastimes/hobbies/interests are like this, even things like watches and fountain pens and coffee (that we all love) don’t need big business to flourish. Really, no other artform needs big businesses to survive.

Film on the other hand needs a lot of infrastructure, and really needs large corporate profit making businesses to survive. It’s not a small volume game, there is a minimum amount that needs to be made and sold to stay afloat.
 
teddy said:
The market is becoming more focused and niche. Things will be fine....
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So many companies as well as individuals have gone under with thinking like this. Good feelings in no way sustain things. Just saying "it's fine" offers nothing.

Kodak Alaris was set up to produce profits (for the UK Pension fund) and it isn't doing that.

Have you ever worked for a company that didn't produce enough profits? It's a dismal experience.
 
michaelwj said:
Film on the other hand needs a lot of infrastructure, and really needs large corporate profit making businesses to survive. It’s not a small volume game, there is a minimum amount that needs to be made and sold to stay afloat.
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Well noted.

I still think the best solution to the problem you describe above would have been for Fujifilm to have been the final holder of film's legacy. Unlike Kodak, Fujifilm is robustly profitable and 100% stable. If they had true commitment to film, photographers could rest much easier knowing that their film supply was stable. Of course, Fujifilm would have to have a product line that demonstrated this commitment. They'd need a full line of b & w films and more color negative films. They used to have all that.
 
Splitting of film production and film distribution at Kodak was a quite 'artificial' move. A 'third best' solution because of the problematic situation Eastman Kodak was in 2011/2012 during the Chapter 11 process.
From an economic point of view it makes most sense to have both under one roof, in one company. That would be much more efficient which less overhead costs.
Therefore the best solution would be that Eastman Kodak buying back the film and paper distribution from Kodak Alaris.
I hope that this will happen.
Let's wait and see.
The film market in general is globally increasing. The energy and confidence of all the film companies at last Photokina was impressive.
 
michaelwj said:
Film on the other hand needs a lot of infrastructure, and really needs large corporate profit making businesses to survive. It’s not a small volume game, there is a minimum amount that needs to be made and sold to stay afloat.
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Yes and no.
Yes if you look at big players like Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm.
But both seeing now increasing demand, year after year their situation will improve.
And Fujifilm has the additional advantage to have a booming mass market and mass volume product with instax film.

No if you look at the smaller manufacturers like Ilford, Foma, Adox. They are extremely flexible and can also make very small production runs.
 
Argentia1 said:
No if you look at the smaller manufacturers like Ilford, Foma, Adox. They are extremely flexible and can also make very small production runs.
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Very small production runs are still measured in km, not m, more like relatively small than very small. And still a huge investment to get the product to market in sufficient quantities and quality. I’m not saying film can’t be be small scale, just that small scale for film is still not a cottage industry.
 
Argentia1 said:
And Fujifilm has the additional advantage to have a booming mass market and mass volume product with instax film.
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Sadly, there is no evidence to suggest that INSTAX film in any way helps Fujifilm support their other films. None.

During the past 5 years, INSTAX has had a massive run up in production volume, yet Fujifilm has discontinued some of their most iconic still films. They went from having a mostly fully fleshed out still film product line to one now with huge, gaping holes.

INSTAX film has a long future ahead of it. The same cannot be said of their E6 films!
 
Whenever I see Ted's name posting about film, I know he's spreading doom.


Strangely the market somehow survives.
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
Well they would. But they're hardly bastions of objective analysis and considered commentary. With a few exceptions, all they're good for is generating white noise that obstructs the distribution of accurate information. Best ignored.
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Aside: Brett, probably the scariest statistic you will hear this day: the primary source of news and information about the world for more than 60% of Americans is social media.


White noise and tweets are what fills our heads. Fluffernutter for brains! Ignore us at your own peril.
 
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