Kodak announces sale of China plant

[film_guy]

It doesn't really make sense for Kodak to sell their plant in China and move their facility to the US or UK. Isn't it much cheaper to maintain and hire help for factories outside of developed countries?

 

[AgX]

The plant in question, as I noted, was not one purchased from anyone. It was built from scratch.

Film will indeed be made in the US or England.

Dear PE,

As the Reuters article linked at in this thread referred to a Xiamen plant I thought of Fuda. Actually I do not really understand what is going on in the Chinese photographic industry in the sense what plant produces what on whose behalf… Last year I did an extensive search on the net which did not bring up a lot (that new plant even slipped trough the netting). My Lucky folders from the early nineties seem more informative…
You seem to have some insight on this. Any information is welcome.
One press article I found called the aquiring of Fuda, Kodaks entry into local production. (Which could mean take over of lokal products, but could also mean the start of producing original Kodak products locally.)

If this sale should be substantial, what about the other Chinese plants Kodak aquired? And will Lucky become selfsustained again? Or is this just about the Chinese production of film for the western market and the production for the Chinese home market will stay unaffected?

 

[Photo Engineer]

I know little of the Chinese plant. I know a friend learned Chinese in preparation to go there, but he never did. I also know that the project was worked on by two people who were managers in research.

The plant was stated as being the newest and most modern plant built in nearly 30 years (probably meant in China) to meet Kodak needs.

That is it and I got that last paragraph from the paper.

PE

 

[aldevo]

It doesn't really make sense for Kodak to sell their plant in China and move their facility to the US or UK. Isn't it much cheaper to maintain and hire help for factories outside of developed countries?

China is a nation of 1.3 billion people but much of the industrial base is concentrated in the South-Southeast and there they are facing acute labor shortages. The government has recently announced an initiative that will (they hope) result in the eventual relocation of about 300 million people to expand that labor force and expand the region in which industrial activities are conducted - but one wonders if there's really a need for additional film production facilities.

China can't really be considered an undeveloped country any more and labor costs within the country are rising rapidly.

I believe the EK facilities that PhotoEngineer mentioned in the USA/UK are existing ones. From what I understand EK did move some color film production back to the USA from China in 2005/2006.

 

[Mark Layne]

The recycling of compact flourescents is a problem that is easily solved by attaching a deposit fee to every single one...or better yet, a lower price for a dead lamp's replacement when it's returned to the merchant for recycling. The cost of such a system could be underwritten by a consortium of manufacturers and major resellers in the name of acquiring market share and public relations.

Well they could have done that with mercury batteries too, instead we are left with crappy batteries. My house is electrically heated, I don't like fluorescent light so I will stockpile bulbs. I wonder what they are going to light streets with.
Mark

 

[PHOTOTONE]

There are so many special uses for tungsten bulbs....for example..mood lighting (dimmable), Theatrical lighting, Spot lighting (such as track lights), Automobile lights (millions of units still needed), Projector lamps, Enlarger lamps.medical imaging.I could go on and on. The fact is that about the only thing the flourescent lights are good for is common room lighting. Any legislative body that can seek to eliminate tungsten filament bulbs (including quartz bulbs) is walking down a very difficult path. The technology is just not in place to completely replace the filament type bulb in all applications.

 

[firecracker]

I get Chinese-made Kodak Gold films all the time (not by a choice but I guess the Japanese market is set in such a way...) and I don't mind where it's made as long as I can get them!

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi all !
At the time Kodak closed the French plant, I heard a French union representative saying that with the decline in film sale, Kodak will close all plants; one after the other but none in the USA. USA worker will be the last to be fired.
This may be one step of this plan ? It seems that there is some truth in this statement, as all Kodak film I get now is labeled "Made In USA". Before I got film made in USA and finished in France or Great Britain.

 

[fschifano]

I wonder what they are going to light streets with.

They're using sodium vapor lamps now. Used to be mercury vapor. Before that, flourescent. Before that, incandescent.

 

[AgX]

incandescent lamps

I get the impression that many of those people uttering the proposal for such a ban have no idea of lighting technologies.
The last twenty years there was a craze about home lighting with small halogen bulbs. Besides the obvious advantage of being able to use smaller fittings and to direct the stream of light more easily, their greater electrical efficiency was put forward. Though nobody spoke about those losses in cables and (especially magnetic) transformers…
Now, nobody speaks about the need of having to exchange many, many fittings. CFLs, fittings, etc. are products the industry, even in the long run, will have higher margins on than on those standard bulbs.
I’m more or less daily confronted with some sort of urge to save energy on lighting, but the same time I encounter here a drastic! increase in landscape lighting due to small scale industries floodlighting their compounds and buildings. I drive a lot at night time and it is really hard to encounter real darkness any more. Driving into some smaller cities makes one think of entering Las Vegas. The overall consumption percentage of such a flooding may still be small but it gives wrong directives.
I don’t think that a legal regulation on incandescent lighting would necessarily be a bad thing, but I really miss a common thinking on this energy saving issue.

 

[AgX]

Kodak UK

Film will indeed be made in the US or England.

Looking at China I did not see the European aspect in that.
To my understanding Kodak has ceased coating of camera films in the UK. There are only coated graphic films at the Harrow plant at the moment.
Did you consider a future re-start of coating camera films in the UK?

 

[Brac]

I think Kodak make their colour paper at the UK plant and possibly it still has the equipment there for film manufacture. Whether they actually plan to make film there I don't know. I would have thought the labour costs (which seem to govern everything now) would be cheaper in Mexico.

As far as the Chinese film manufacturer Era is concerned, I don't think they were one of those taken over by Kodak. Era seem to be still going and have a website with their products listed which includes black & white film in 35mm & sheet sizes.

 

[JJC]

Hi all !
...Kodak will close all plants; one after the other but none in the USA. USA worker will be the last to be fired.

USA companies have no problem with closing USA plants and laying
off USA workers. Trust me on that - I have direct recent experience.

 

[AgX]

ERA

Era seem to be still going and have a website with their products listed which includes black & white film in 35mm & sheet sizes.

As indicated in this thread I once did an extensive search on the net concerning Chinese film manufacturers. No detailed information on that (late?) ERA company turned out.
If someone knows an original ERA site, please give me a hint.

 

[haris]

Now, nobody speaks about the need of having to exchange many, many fittings. CFLs, fittings, etc. are products the industry, even in the long run, will have higher margins on than on those standard bulbs...

Oh... In Europe there is plan that up to some year (2012 or 2018 or 2020, I don't know precisely), all TV broadcasting will be digital. Nobody will ask you can you afford or do you want in first place digital TV receiver. If you want TV programmes, you will have to have digital TV. Same with lighting. If you want light, change fittings for available bulbs, nobody will ask you do you want new bulbs (or new fittings for them) or not. manufacturers and governments will force you to do that.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It'll be interesting to own a condenser enlarger using incandescent bulbs.... Perhaps stockpile them? Or buy a cold light head... Or can you use fluorescent lights (with warm-up problems) successfully in an enlarger?

- Thomas

 

[gr82bart]

Is this thread about Kodak and Chinese film manufacturing plants or is it about tungsten filament light bulb bans?

Regards, Art.

 

[AgX]

Bart,

Don't be so strict; it was the starter of this thread anyway, who could not decide which way to go...

But this thread also shows that obviously no one from China is around here.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I could name several very distinguished members of the Kodak research community who may visit these pages and could dispute that comment.

I doubt if they post or would even consider posting though.

PE

 

[AgX]

Sorry for that misspelling.
(Where I'm around I come across a lot of guys called Bart but never met an Art...)

 

[AgX]

PE,

I was not referring to someone from Kodak China, but just a `plain´ Apugger from China.

 

[gr82bart]

Sorry for that misspelling.
(Where I'm around I come across a lot of guys called Bart but never met an Art...)

No worries. I've been called a lot worse!

Regards, Art.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Is this thread about Kodak and Chinese film manufacturing plants or is it about tungsten filament light bulb bans?

Regards, Art.

*2

Steve

 

[Photo Engineer]

PE,

I was not referring to someone from Kodak China, but just a `plain´ Apugger from China.

My remark was made rather in jest, but a large number of members of the Rochester Research labs are Chinese. Several members of the unit I worked in were Chinese as was the Asst. Dir. of Research.

So, apologies if it was misunderstood.

PE

 

[Chan Tran]

If Kodak intends to make only small quantity of film then they are much better off making them here in the US. While China is no longer a poor country but many of China neigbors are. And I may be wrong but people in poor countries tend to go for digital than film. I think people in Japan, Europe and US use the most film. I doubt that Japanese film shooters would prefer Kodak over Fuji.