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Champion Chemtech Ltd has signed an agreement to purchase Eastman Kodak Co.'s photochemical manufacturing facilities at Kodak Park in Rochester, N.Y., USA. Terms of the agreement, which is expected to close next month, are not being disclosed.
As part of the agreement, about 150 employees now working in the operation will transfer to a Champion subsidiary company, Champion Photochemistry Inc. Champion will manufacture for Kodak in the Rochester facility, which will continue to serve Kodak customers in the United States and Canada. Kodak customers will continue to receive the same Kodak photochemicals products for the processing of film, paper, and printing plates, made by the same technical and production staff, in the same facility. Kodak will continue to market and distribute the products, and ordering procedures will also remain unchanged.
"Not only do we look forward to assuming control of Kodak's high-quality manufacturing operations, but we also intend to incorporate this facility into our broader operations and expand opportunities for current and future customers of Champion specialty chemicals," said Champion Chairman Fraser Mason. "Champion will benefit from the tremendous experience and great expertise of the transferring employees."
Mason noted that the agreement builds on the success of a similar agreement reached in February of this year in which Champion acquired Kodak's photochemicals manufacturing operation in Chalon, France, and uses that facility to continue manufacturing products for Kodak customers in Europe.
Paul J. Walrath, Kodak vice president and chief operating officer of Kodak's Film & Photofinishing Systems Group, noted that the success of the previous agreement with Champion provides a high degree of confidence in assuring all Kodak customers that they will continue to receive a reliable supply of high quality Kodak-brand photochemicals.
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