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Kodak history
Kodak company history timeline
In 1892 he reorganized the business as the Eastman Kodak Company.
Kodak sold a pocket camera in 1895 and the inexpensive Brownie camera appeared five years later.
Kodak also provided film for X-ray machines, which first appeared in 1896.
By 1897, the company had patented a pocketable camera.
He offered a form of profit-sharing as early as 1899, and added other benefits over the years.
By 1900, they had released the ‘Brownie’, a basic cardboard box camera with a simple meniscus lens that took 2 1/4-inch square pictures on 117 roll film – The Brownie functioned so quickly and easily that the word ‘snapshot’ was born.
By 1900, Kodak established distribution points in Italy, France, and Germany.
Eastman was committed to bringing photography to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. It also brought out the first of a complete line of Brownie cameras, an easy-to-operate model that sold for $1 and used film that sold at 15 cents per roll, in 1900.
1901: Company is reorganized and incorporated in New Jersey as Eastman Kodak Company.
In 1902 Kodak brought to market a new developing machine that allowed film processing without benefit of a darkroom.
1912: One of the first United States industrial research centers is set up in Rochester, New York.
A long legal battle over who had claim to the patent ended in 1914, when Kodak paid a $5 million settlement.
Kodak developed other new products to support the country's involvement in World War I. In 1917 the company developed aerial cameras and trained United States Signal Corps photographers in their use.
Following the war, Eastman became president of the company upon Strong's death in 1919.
1920: Tennessee Eastman Company, forerunner of Eastman Chemical, is created.
The company challenged the decision, but in 1921, Kodak agreed to sell several plants that produced paper and dry-plate technology—not its most important products.
1923: Company introduces motion picture camera, film, and projector for the consumer market.
Eastman gave away half his fortune in 1924.
By 1927 Eastman Kodak had a virtual monopoly of the photographic industry in the United States, and it has continued to be one of the largest American companies in its field.
In 1935, the company released Kodachrome which was instantly a mass-market success.
Like any successful company, Kodak invested a great deal of its profit into research and development, and it developed its famed Kodachrome film in 1935.
In 1935, Kodak invented Kodachrome, the world’s first colour film.
1935: Kodachrome film, the first commercially successful color film for amateurs, debuts.
Similar film products for 35-millimeter slides and eight-millimeter home movies were introduced in 1936.
Chandler had joined the company in 1951 and, as Fallon’s successor in the United States and Canadian photographic division, he was directly responsible for both the instant camera and the Ektaprint copier.
After expending energy and resources producing equipment and film for the United States military during World War II, Kodak brought out an inexpensive Brownie hand-held movie camera in 1951; the following year, the company offered the Brownie's projector.
1951: Low-priced Brownie eight-millimeter movie camera is introduced.
In addition, the company had already established a foothold with a similar product, the Verifax machine, which had been introduced in 1953.
1953: Eastman Chemical Products, Inc. is created as a new subsidiary.
A consent decree filed in 1954 forced Eastman Kodak to abandon this practice, but it also provided an opportunity for the company to serve a new market, independent photo finishers, with its film-developing products.
Kodak had always incorporated the price of film processing in the cost of its film, but in 1954, it was forced to give up this practice.
In 1961, the company launched it’s famous “Kodak moment” marketing campaign and people soon started associating it with taking photos and capturing special moments.
1961: Highly successful line of Kodak Carousel slide projectors is introduced.
The company had just introduced the Carousel, a popular automatic slide projector, and in 1962 it began selling the Instamatic camera.
In 1962, Kodak reached $1 billion in sales.
1965: Company introduces the super-eight format Instamatic movie camera.
In 1966, Kodak’s camera and film technology were used to capture the first-ever photo of the planet Earth taken from space.
By 1970, the company sold fifty million Instamatics.
Formed as an entrepreneurial venture in 1972 and the leader in its field at the time of the acquisition, Atex later lost ground to fast-changing computer technology as Kodak’s traditionally slow-moving product development process was unable to keep pace with the industry.
In 1975, Steve Sasson, a Kodak engineer, created the first charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor (0.1 megapixels in size) and used it to put together the world’s first digital camera from the parts lying around in Kodak’s factory.
In 1976, Kodak released the Kodamatic, an instant picture camera, as a rival to Polaroid.
In 1976 Kodak took on another well-established firm when it challenged Polaroid Corporation's 30-year lock on instant photography with a new line of instant cameras and film that developed pictures outside the camera within a few minutes.
1976: Kodak enters the market for instant cameras; Polaroid files patent-infringement suit against Kodak.
When Zornow retired in 1977, Fallón assumed the chairmanship and was succeeded as president by Colby H. Chandler.
At the end of 1978 company operations were reorganized to consolidate the United States, Canadian, and international photographic areas into one division.
The year 1980 marked the company's 100th anniversary.
Included within Kodak's Health Division was the Clinical Products Division, which originated in 1980 when Kodak introduced its Ektachem blood analyzer.
1980: Company expands its health imaging operations with the launch of the Ektachem 400 blood analyzer.
In 1981 the company purchased Atex, a major supplier of electronic text-editing systems used by publishers.
The case was settled for $6.8 million in 1981.
In 1982 it introduced a line of small cameras that used film discs instead of cartridges and was considered a replacement for the pocket Instamatic camera.
In an effort to do so, in 1982, Kodak purchased Atex, a supplier of electronic word-processing systems for newspaper publishers.
Although Kodak had paid more than $80 million for Atex in 1982, a decade later, it sold the company for a mere $5 million.
Upon Fallon's retirement in 1983, Colby Chandler took over as chairman and, in an attempt to keep up with the pace of change, pointed Kodak toward the electronics and video areas in earnest.
Although sales were strong—topping $10 billion in 1983—profits went down.
The following year, Kodak lost the title of "official film of the 1984 Summer Olympics" to Fuji, further evidence of its declining status.
In 1984, Kodak teamed up with Matsushita Electric Industrial Company of Japan to produce its first electronic product, an 8 mm camcorder.
In 1984, consumers were starting to prefer Fujifilm’s products over Kodak’s.
1984: Lines of videotapes and floppy discs are introduced.
Kodak declined an opportunity to become the official film of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics; Fuji won these sponsorship rights, which gave it a permanent foothold in the market.
Many of the products later introduced by the division, however, resulted from acquisitions or joint ventures with other companies. For example, in 1984 Kodak launched its first electronic product, a camcorder that combined an eight-millimeter video camera and recorder, in conjunction with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Japan.
Kodak underwent another major reorganization at the beginning of 1985 to capitalize more quickly on growth opportunities.
1985: Floppy disc maker Verbatim Corporation is acquired.
Also in 1984 Kodak introduced complete lines of videotape cassettes for all video formats and floppy discs for use in personal computers. It bolstered the latter area in 1985 with the purchase of Verbatim Corporation, a floppy disc manufacturer.
The financial implications of this development and the continuing struggle to boost earnings led the company to institute another workforce reduction in 1986, this time by ten percent.
In 1986, ten years after Polaroid filed its patent-infringement suit over Kodak's instant camera, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling and ordered Kodak to leave the instant camera business.
Beginning in 1986 Kodak acquired several photofinishing laboratories, including Fox Photo and American Photographic Group, to further solidify its relationships with photographic consumers and professionals.
Kodak lost its court battle in 1986, stopped selling instant cameras, and paid Polaroid almost $1 billion in damages.
1986: A federal appeals court orders Kodak's exit from the instant camera market; a line of alkaline batteries under the Supralife brand is launched; Eastman Pharmaceuticals Division is established.
In 1988 Kodak acquired Sterling Drug Inc., a manufacturer of prescription drugs and such consumer products as Bayer aspirin and Lysol cleaner, to make the company more competitive in the pharmaceutical industry.
In 1988, when drug stocks were at their peak, Kodak purchased Bayer aspirin manufacturer Sterling Drug for $5.1 billion.
In April 1990 the company admitted that it had violated New York's environmental regulations and was fined $1 million.
Kay Whitmore, who became chairman and CEO in 1990, profits of the goliath company grew steadily.
After five years of lackluster sales, Kodak sold Verbatim in 1990.
mirabile, lisa, ed. international directory of company histories, detroit: st. james press, 1990.
The year 1991 also finally saw the culmination of the Polaroid suit against Kodak, with the latter agreeing to pay the former a settlement of $925 million.
In 1991 Eastman Chemical entered the propylene business with the purchase of propylene interests as well as the urethane polyols business of ARCO Chemical Company.
Kodak’s Health Product Division achieved record profits in 1991, accounting for approximately 24 percent of the company’s sales.
One of Kodak's first digital imaging products was the Photo CD. Released in 1991, the CD stored hundreds of photos taken on roll film.
Astor, Will, “Huge Pioneer-Kodak Project Marks Progress,” Rochester Business Journal, September 25, 1992.
As part of its exploration of various new technologies, including digital photography, the division in 1992 developed a camera able to store photographic shots on a compact disc that could be displayed on a CD player.
Such advances, including Kodak's introduction in the fall of 1992 of a writable compact disc publishing system (enabling the consumer to write, store, and retrieve information on a CD), enabled Kodak to retain its position as the world leader in electronic imaging.
In 1992 Kodak launched its Photo CD, a writable compact disk with the ability to store photographs.
With earnings stagnating and no turnaround in sight, the board of directors, under pressure from outside investors, fired Whitmore in late 1993.
These businesses had together accounted for $7.4 billion in revenues in 1993 but only $46 million in pretax profit.
When CEO George Fisher took over the reins at Kodak at the end of 1993, his goal was to refocus Kodak on what it does best.
Since his arrival from Motorola in 1993, George Fisher has had a tremendous influence on the company, cutting funding for research and development and reducing the work force by another 10,000 positions.
1993: George Fisher becomes the first outsider to head the company; Eastman Chemical is spun off to shareholders.
nulty, peter. "corporate performance: kodak grabs for growth again." fortune, 16 may 1994.
1994: The company's pharmaceutical arm, Sterling Winthrop, its diagnostics products division, and several other nonimaging units are divested.
Unfortunately, the Ektachem proved unable to match competitors in terms of reliability and speed. It later sold the company in 1994.
In May 1995, Kodak filed a petition with the US Commerce Department under section 301 of the Commerce Act arguing that its poor performance in the Japanese market was a direct result of unfair practices adopted by Fuji.
Among the early developments of the new division was the 1995 relaunch of the Kodak Photo CD with a new design aimed at desktop personal computer users and the introduction that year of a full-featured digital camera priced at less than $1,000.
To resolve this dilemma Fisher created the new position of Chief Marketing Officer and in 1995 appointed Carl Gustin to fill it.
In 1995, Kodak opened a distribution center in Moscow, Kodak AO, which received Kodak products from plants in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
In February 1996 Kodak unveiled the Advantix brand, which it used for its APS film, cameras, and related equipment and services.
The television, radio, outdoor, and print campaign was funded by Kodak's $100 million marketing budget and debuted in April 1996.
Enrico, Dottie. "Kodak Campaign Clicks, Develops Tech-Savvy Image." USA Today, September 16, 1996.
In December 1996 Daniel A. Carp was named president and chief operating officer of Eastman Kodak.
The United States government took the case to the newly formed World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1996, with the European Union soon joining the Kodak side.
In 1996 Kodak released the "Take Pictures.
In 1996 Kodak was one of the first companies to introduce a range of pocket-size digital cameras.
The 1996 series was highly successful, winning a Gold Effie and a number of other awards.
Kodak's position in the conflict was strengthened in mid-1996, when an investigation by the United States trade representative confirmed the existence of trade barriers to imports of photographic film and paper in Japan.
Because Kodak failed to meet earnings targets and stock slumped dramatically in the second half of 1997, falling from $80 in mid-June to $58 in mid-December, the company cut CEO George Fisher's bonus.
In July 1997, the Pathfinder lander descended upon the Martian surface and released the Sojourner surface rover.
"carp says changes to create far more competitive kodak." business wire, 10 november 1997.
Later in 1997 Kodak acquired Wang Laboratories' software business unit, which focused on imaging and work management software.
During 1997 Fuji offered rebates of up to $15 to develop and print a roll of its Fujicolor SmartFilm when customers purchased certain Fujifilm Endeavor APS cameras.
Fuji's net sales increased 12 percent in 1997.
During 1997 Kodak saw strong growth for its other merchandise as well, in part because of the promotion of such products as Max film and Goldfilm.
By 1997 it was one of the 25 largest companies in the United States.
In 1997 Kodak spent about $60 million to advertise the Advantix brand in the United States.
The 1997 series consisted of three "60-second movies" that linked life events with Kodak products.
Officers: George M. C. Fisher, Chmn. & CEO, 56, 1997 pay $3,725,000; Daniel A. Carp, Pres., COO, & Director, 48, 1997 pay $1,167,309; Harry L. Kavetas, CFO, Exec.
In 1997 the company relaunched the product.
On January 30, 1998, the WTO announced a “sweeping rejection of Kodak’s complaints” about the film market in Japan.
"imaging expo creates kodak moments for olympic fans in nagano." business wire, 27 january 1998.
On January 30, 1998, the WTO announced a "sweeping rejection of Kodak's complaints" about the film market in Japan.
In March of 1998, by way of Eastman Software, Inc., Kodak launched a line of collaborative work management products for Microsoft Exchange, the leading business messaging platform.
"kodak expands investments to manufacture film and paper in china." business wire, 23 march 1998.
"kodak polychrome graphics announces new desktop color proofing solution." business wire, 5 april 1998.
Kodak also developed the sensors set to be used in the orbiter and lander for the December 1998 Martian mission.
Divestments in 1998 included the Fox Photo, Inc. photofinishing chain, which was sold to Wolf Camera.
Also in 1998 the company introduced the Kodak Picture Maker, a digital imaging kiosk through which consumers could manipulate, enlarge, and/or crop and then reprint an existing photograph.
These commercials ran until they were replaced by the next phase of APS promotions, which began in the summer of 1998.
The WTO ruled against Kodak later that year, but in early 1998 the United States government announced that it would hold the government of Japan to market access commitments it had made during the course of the dispute.
To further solidify its entrance into the world of digital photography, Kodak held a "trade show" for the public it called its "Imaging Expo" at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, in 1998.
Michael D. McCreary, director of operations of Eastman Kodak's Microelectronics Technology division, claimed in 1998 that the division was making the highest-resolution color image sensors available on the market.
1998: Kodak Picture Maker debuts; company acquires the DryView laser imaging system from Imation.
Although Kodak had managed to make a profit of $20 million from its digital businesses in 1999, it was far from clear whether Kodak would be a major player in the digital world of the new millennium.
Unifying its global advertisements, the company launched its first worldwide image campaign in 1999.
In 1999, Kodak teamed up with Sanyo and produced the first OLED displays.
1999: The office imaging unit is sold.
In January 2000 Fisher stepped down as CEO, remaining chairman until the end of that year; Carp was named his successor.
On February 2, 2000, exactly 100 years from the day George Eastman introduced the Brownie camera, a group of Kodak researchers, inventors and business strategists met at the company's Rochester headquarters to speculate on what the next 100 years might bring to their industry.
In 2001 film sales dropped, which was attributed by Kodak to the financial shocks caused by the September 11 attacks.
In 2001 Kodak also made a late entry into online photo development with its launch of www.Ofoto.com, a web-site onto which consumers could upload their digital images and later receive the printed images in the mail.
In 2002, the company created a new firm, Appairent Technologies, out of its R & D lab.
In September 2003 the company announced it was casting its lot with digital technology.
Revenues began to erode, declining four years in a row by 2003, and the price of Kodak stock followed suit.
Denn, Rebekah. "Digital Photo Kiosks Are Dandy, but Not All Are Created Equal." Seattle Post-Intelligence, November 30, 2004.
To promote Kodak's easy-to-use printing systems—which were available through either self-service kiosks or camera docks that connected to a personal computer—Kodak and its advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, launched a campaign in 2004 titled "The Best Part of Photography Is the Prints."
According to TNS Media Intelligence, out of the $109 million Kodak spent in 2004 on measured media (that is, TV, radio, and print), $71 million was devoted to digital cameras, home-printing solutions, and self-service kiosks.
Kodak's Schaeffer told Advertising Age that the different elements of the company's "Best Part of Photography Is the Prints" campaign "all paid off big-time." Kodak gained United States market share on Sony, improving from 15.3 to 18.3 percent in the first half of 2004.
In 2004, Kodak saw its profits dip even though its sales were at an all-time high.
By 2005, Kodak ranked No.
The film business, where Kodak enjoyed high profit margins, fell 18% in 2005.
In the hopes of reestablishing its prominent position in the shifting photography marketplace, the company in 2005 replaced the campaign with a new marketing effort promoting Kodak's cutting-edge digital cameras.
In the first quarter of 2005 Kodak generated sales of $2.83 billion, down from the $2.92 billion it had reported for the same period a year earlier.
Ogilvy & Mather's next major market effort, launched in 2005, pursued the theme "Keep it forever.
It was only in 2009, 74 years after it was first introduced, that Kodak stopped manufacturing the Kodachrome film rolls.
In 2010, Apple filed a patent-infringement claim against Kodak.
As of 2011, these new lines of inkjet printers were said to be on verge of turning a profit, although some analysts were skeptical as printouts had been replaced gradually by electronic copies on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
In 2011, Kodak reportedly explored selling off or licensing its vast portfolio of patents to stave off bankruptcy.
In February 2012, for the first time in Kodak's history, the company stated that it would cease all production of digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames and instead concentrate on the digital printing market.
However, while Kodak named home printers as a core business as late as August 2012, at the end of September declining sales forced Kodak to announce an exit from the consumer inkjet market.
Under the terms of its bankruptcy protection, Kodak had a deadline of February 15, 2013, to produce a reorganization plan.
In April 2013, Kodak showed its first Micro Four Thirds camera, to be manufactured by JK Imaging.
In April 2013, Kodak showed its first Micro Four-Thirds camera, to be manufactured by JK Imaging.
Home photograph printers, high-speed commercial inkjet presses, workflow software, and packaging were viewed as the company's new core businesses, with sales from those four businesses projected to double to nearly $2 billion in revenue in 2013 and account for 25% of all sales.
On March 12, 2014, Kodak announced that Jeffrey J. Clarke had been named the new CEO.”
On January 1, 2015, Kodak announced a new five business division structure; Print Systems, Enterprise Inkjet Systems, Micro 3D Printing and Packaging, Software and Solutions, and Consumer and Film.
"Eastman Kodak Company ." International Directory of Company Histories. . Retrieved June 21, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/eastman-kodak-company-0
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| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress | 2009 | $2.2B | 5,871 | 51 |
| IBM | 1911 | $62.8B | 270,000 | 2,371 |
| Dolby Laboratories | 1965 | $1.3B | 2,289 | 41 |
| General Electric | 1892 | $68.0B | 305,000 | 3,718 |
| Gillette | 1901 | $84.0B | 101,000 | 2 |
| Vizio | 2002 | $1.7B | 709 | 4 |
| Intel | 1968 | $53.1B | 121,100 | 625 |
| Dell | 1984 | $95.6B | 165,000 | 169 |
| Xerox | 1906 | $6.2B | 24,700 | 677 |
| Texas Instruments | 1930 | $15.6B | 29,888 | 226 |
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Kodak may also be known as or be related to EASTMAN KODAK CO, Eastman Kodak Company and Kodak.