Kodak - Nottingham (UK) factory closing!

[TPPhotog]

Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news. Breaking news on the BBC is that Kodak have announced they are closing a factory in Nottingham UK with the loss of 600 jobs.

No more details at present about Nottingham but have found this Press Release on the Kodak site

Tony

[TPPhotog]

Looks like this one and here's what Kodak say on their site before the announcement -

"The Annesley factory lies in the heart of the East Midlands, just north of Nottingham. Here Kodak is involved in precision component manufacture and assembly, for the spooling and packaging of 35mm, APS and Roll Film products for the photographic industry in the UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Russia.

This facility is the second largest Kodak film finishing factory in the world, and in 2004 will celebrate its 25th anniversary"

Here's BBC News Link with some more details.

[Fintan]

*sigh*

[Mark Layne]

It's not a bad idea to keep a good stock of film and rotate your inventory.
Had I not frozen a few hundred rolls of VP 127 I wouldn't have it today

[Max Power]

This is, in fact, bad news, especially for the employees of the plant who will be let go.
I must say, however, that all of these plant closures and the tightening up of the manufacturing processes of the major film manufacturers makes 'business' sense.
With the way manufacturing processes and logistics have been developing over the past decade or so, I can't say that I'm surprised...Truthfully, if it's not already the case, within a few years, we will probably see all manufacturing of film done in Asia. When you balance off the costs of doing 'local' manufacturing (in smaller plants across the globe) and then shipping locally against manufacturing in a single massive plant and shipping globally to regional distribution centres, well, the latter is much more rational (from a business sense).

I don't have a crystal ball, but I would submit that it all means the continuation of the manufacture of our favourite films and chemistry...It's all a huge shake-down.

Kent

[sparx]

I don't have a crystal ball, but I would submit that it all means the continuation of the manufacture of our favourite films and chemistry...It's all a huge shake-down.

Kent

I think you're spot on. I can't see film disappearing but the demand is no longer at the same level it used to be so restructuring is essential for the long term. It doesn't offer any consolation to the 600 newly unemployed though and that is always sad.

[bwfans]

Up to now Fujifilm stays out of trouble.

The trends are: the film factories and the production lines will be closed down one by one; the film choices will be less; Some favorite films will disappear; the film price will be up; shooting films will be a luxary sports comparing with digital.

Yes used film equipment, including film cameras, darkroom stuff, etc., will be cheap, very cheap, and very very cheap in a few years, if you know the price of those old Polaroid cameras in the fleamarket or garage sale.

[jandc]

Up to now Fujifilm stays out of trouble.

The trends are: the film factories and the production lines will be closed down one by one; the film choices will be less; Some favorite films will disappear; the film price will be up; shooting films will be a luxary sports comparing with digital.

Yes used film equipment, including film cameras, darkroom stuff, etc., will be cheap, very cheap, and very very cheap in a few years, if you know the price of those old Polaroid cameras in the fleamarket or garage sale.

Keep stocking up. 10 years from now you'll have lots of expired film and I'll be selling fresh stuff in every flavor anyone could want.

[jovo]

Keep stocking up. 10 years from now you'll have lots of expired film and I'll be selling fresh stuff in every flavor anyone could want.

This is the kind of statement that keeps the blues away. I'm trying valiantly to hold on to such assertions and relax. The future will be different, but there will be a future!

[papagene]

jandc,
Thank you. I can't wait to be gainfully employed again so I can place an order with you.
Keep up the good work, it's good to have people and companies like you around.

gene