In an interview with "Globes", Kodak Israel general manager Hezi Rotman said that Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: EK) has taken a strategic decision to concentrate additional activities in Israel. "The company has undertaken internal restructuring measures worldwide, and these measures sometime work in favor of the center in Israel," he said.
Rotman added, "A decision has been taken at two key company divisions that future software development for preprinting and digital imaging systems will be carried out in Israel. Kodak already carries out preprinting activity in Israel."
The transfer of these activities to Israel means that Kodak Israel will be hiring. The hiring is a change in the mass layoffs of 250 employees carried out in the past two years, after Kodak transferred manufacturing operations overseas.
Rotman said, "We've set the goal of turning the Israeli center into a development center, in contrast to its activity until now, which was production oriented. We will therefore hire scores of employees for software development."
Kodak initiated large-scale activity in Israel when it acquired Canadian preprinter manufacturer Creo for $980 million. Creo acquired its Israeli operations when it acquired Scitex Digital Printing Ltd. in 2000. Kodak transferred the manufacturing side of its Israeli operations to China in 2008, and later closed its digital professional photography components development unit. Rotman does not think that the manufacturing activity will return to Israel.
Kodak Israel is part of Kodak's Graphic Communications Group (GCG), which develops printing solutions.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 1, 2009
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