Kodak exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Kodak's Australasian business is better placed to capitalise on its "very strong brand name" now that the company has officially exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Managing director Steve Venn told ProPrint that the local business would now be able to realise its full potential.

"I'm very excited about the future opportunities. We've got a good team. We've got the brand behind us and the shackles of Chapter 11 behind us. You'll see a more aggressive but focused approach by Kodak in the future, and very much geared towards the printing industry," he said.

"We've had some challenges over the past 20 months of course, we've had certain competitors who have tried to put some scaremongering out in the marketplace, but by and large almost all our customers have stuck with us.

"Now that we've emerged [from Chapter 11], we've got the monkey off our back and we can go full bore ahead."

[Related: Kodak Australasia "profitable"]

Venn told ProPrint that Kodak Australasia would focus on delivering clients return on investment rather than simply selling them products.

"Instead of just talking about products, we're going to try to demonstrate to customers how they can save money and go into new areas of business they perhaps hadn't considered before."

Venn said that strategy would involve showing clients "winning applications" - real-life examples in which other companies had prospered with Kodak technology.

Kodak's global chairman and chief executive, Antonio Perez, said the company had emerged from Chapter 11 with "a strong capital structure, a healthy balance sheet, and the industry's best technology."

"We are setting a trajectory for profitable growth. We have the right technology at the right time as printing markets increasingly transition to digital," said Perez.

"Our broad portfolio of offset, hybrid and digital solutions enables customers to make the transition at their chosen pace using our breakthrough technology solutions."

[Related: More international news]