Kodak Alaris

Kodak Alaris Holdings Limited
Kodak Alaris Inc.
TypeLimited
IndustryPhotography, digital imaging
Founded30 May 2013[1]
HeadquartersHemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Key people
Paul Wells, CEO[2]
Productsfilm, digital imaging software and hardware
RevenueIncrease US$496 million (2023)
OwnerKingswood Capital Management
Websitewww.kodakalaris.com Edit this at Wikidata

Kodak Alaris is a British company headquartered in Hemel Hempstead focusing on hardware and software for digital imaging and information management.[3][4] It was formed in 2013 after the American Eastman Kodak Company (usually known as simply Kodak) spun-off its Document Imaging and Personal Imaging divisions as part of bankruptcy proceedings.[5][6] Kodak Alaris was involved in sales and marketing of consumer photographic film as well as retail photo kiosks (Kodak Moments) until 2026, evolving into a business-to-business operation.

For more than a decade, Kodak Alaris were the exclusive worldwide wholesale distributor of Kodak film stock developed and manufactured by Kodak in America, handling all logistics and marketing after the film rolled off the assembly line in Rochester, New York.[7] Kodak Alaris was run during this time by the British Kodak Pension Plan. After facing a deficit, it was rescued and taken over by the British state's Pension Protection Fund in 2020.[8]

In 2024, the British government sold Kodak Alaris to an American private equity firm.[9] Kodak took back control to directly distribute and sell its manufactured film stock in 2025 and bypassing Kodak Alaris entirely.[10] In 2026, Kodak Alaris also sold its Kodak Moments retail photo printing kiosks business to German company Cewe Group to focus on enterprise scanners and software.[11] The company continues to use the Kodak name and brand under license with the appended "Alaris".[12]

Company history

In 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy after a years-long decline in the company's core film photography business.[13] As part of the bankruptcy, Kodak faced a $2.8 billion claim by the UK Kodak Pension Plan (KPP). The claim was resolved and Kodak Alaris was formed when KPP paid $325 million for Kodak's personalized imaging and document imaging businesses.[14][15][16][17][4]

In 2014, the company appointed Ralf Gerbershagen as CEO.[18] Also in 2014, Mark Elliott was named chairman of the Board of Kodak Alaris.[19]

In 2015, the company created AI Foundry, which provides business process automation solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI) and imaging science to automate data capture workflows.[20]

In 2016, the company launched Kodak Moments, a visual storytelling app, at the South by Southwest festival.[21] The company closed its only colour paper factory in Harrow, UK, and outsourced all RA-4 paper production to Carestream Health, US, formerly the Eastman Kodak health group, with production at a facility in Windsor, Colorado.[22]

In 2017, the company appointed Marc Jourlait as CEO, completed a balance sheet restructuring, renewed a rotating credit facility, and completed the sale of its manufacturing facility, Kodak Works in Harrow.[12]

In 2018, the company's Information Management division announced that it would begin to operate under the name Alaris.[23]

In 2020, the Paper, Photochemicals, Display, and Software business was sold to Sino Promise, China, which was also a major distributor for Kodak Alaris. This includes Kodak color negative paper, photochemicals (Color process photochemicals for photolabs and B&W retail photo processing chemicals), display substrates (Duratrans, etc.) and printing software businesses. Sino Promise had previously purchased some of the manufacturing assets of Kodak Alaris (formerly Kodak China) and so was already the manufacturer of the color process chemicals and undertook paper finishing.[24] The AI foundry business was also sold to US mortgage company Guaranteed Rate.[25]

On 18 November 2020, Kodak Alaris was formally transferred from KPP to the Board of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). Thus the ownership of the company came directly under the control of the UK pension protection authority.[1] On 1 April 2022 Paul Wells succeeded Mark Alflatt as CEO.[26] It had revenues of $196m in 2022 and directly employed 700 staff.[1]

On 1 August 2024 Kodak Alaris was sold by the UK PPF to Kingswood Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm.[27]

Former operations

Photographic film

Kodak Alaris held the rights to the sale, marketing and distribution of Kodak-branded still film products. Film was produced in 35mm, 120, and sheet film formats. Interest in film photography increased in the 2020s, causing a shortage of film worldwide.[28] Manufacturer Eastman Kodak's main business continued to be the production of motion picture and industrial films, where it retained control over the sales and distribution. Additionally, due to shortage of still films, Eastman Kodak motion picture films have also been repackaged for use by still film consumers by third parties such as Flic Film[29] and Cinestill.

While Kodak Alaris were more recently contracted until 2028 to distribute the films,[30] the company's sale to a private equity led to a re-negotiation between Eastman Kodak and the new owners to terminate it early. In September 2025 Eastman Kodak began to distribute consumer films directly in US and Canada, coinciding with the launch of revived Kodacolor 100/200 branded films, professional films following in January 2026 leading to some films being renamed in those markets.[31][32] On 24 March 2026,[33] Eastman Kodak began directly distributing films in other regions as well, putting an end after 12 years of exclusive operations by Kodak Alaris.[34]

As a result, since 2026 new stock of the Porta and TMAX brands of film (which are trademarks of Kodak Alaris, not Eastman Kodak) are now renamed to Ektacolor and Ektapan respectively and the packaging redesigned to a classic K design, partly to not infringe Kodak Alaris's intellectual property.[35][36]

Black-and-white negative film

  • Kodak Tri-X 320 & 400
  • Kodak TMAX 100, 400, & P3200 (Eastman Kodak versions sold as Ektapan)

Color negative film

Kodak Ultramax 400 film boxes showing before and after a 2023 package redesign
  • Consumer
    • Kodak ProImage 100
    • Kodak ColorPlus 200
    • Kodak Gold 200
    • Kodak Ultramax 400
    • Kodak Ultramax 800 (only sold in single-use cameras)
  • Professional
    • Kodak Ektar 100
    • Kodak Portra 160, 400 & 800 (Eastman Kodak version sold as Ektacolor)

Color reversal (slide) film

Kodak Moments

The Kodak Moments business supplies retail self service print kiosks, which enable consumers to make prints of digital images and photo products such as printed mugs, and undertakes the sales and marketing of Kodak still films produced by Eastman Kodak. The kiosk machines are sourced from original manufacturers and assembled for Kodak Alaris by third party integrators located in US and Germany. Machine consumables are manufactured by a Kodak Alaris facility in the US and a third party supplier in Germany. It had revenues of $314m in 2022 and directly employed 480 staff.[1] In August 2026, Kodak Alaris sold the Kodak Moments business to Cewe Group.[11]

PPDS

PPDS; Paper, and Processing chemicals, Display and Software[39] sold in 2020 to Sino Promise, China. Sino Promise had previously acquired the Kodak Alaris paper slitting plant in Xiamen, China, in 2015 and the Kodak Alaris photochemical plant in Wuxi, China, in 2012, which produces Flexicolor products for RA-4 and C-41 processes. Paper production had already been outsourced to Carestream Health, US and Kodak B&W chemicals to Tetenal, Germany. Therefore, the sale principally concerned the licensing rights to the Kodak name on these products rather than any production facilities. However, in early 2023, Sino Promise decided to exit the business; this enabled the U.S.-based Photo Systems Inc., who had been a manufacturer of some of the products for Kodak Alaris, to acquire the brand rights directly from Eastman Kodak in September 2023, with the intent to re-introduce the full range of black & white, and C-41, RA-4 and E6 color photochemistry.[40]

Others

AI Foundry was sold in 2020 to US mortgage company Guaranteed Rate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "KODAK ALARIS HOLDINGS LIMITED overview – Find and update company information – GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Leadership | Kodak Alaris". www.kodakalaris.com. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "About Us". www.kodakalaris.com. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  4. 1 2 Mesterharm, James; Roof, Becky (October 2014). "The Restructuring of Kodak: Bringing Two Well-Positioned Companies into Focus". ABF Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Change at the Top for Kodak Alaris – Info-source.com". Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Rushe, Dominic (29 April 2013). "Kodak to sell two of its businesses to UK pensioners in $2.8bn deal". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Koebler ·, Jason (1 October 2025). "Kodak Is Selling Its Own Film Again for the First Time in a Decade". 404 Media. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Kodak bailout puts £600m hole in pension lifeboat". The Telegraph.
  9. ↑ Gray, Jack (8 May 2024). "PPF concludes sale of Kodak Alaris to Kingswood". Pensions Age Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Ferguson, Abby (7 November 2025). "Eastman Kodak has resumed direct sales of consumer film after more than a decade". DPReview. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 Stoker, Gavin (6 August 2026). "European photo printing giant CEWE is buying Kodak Moments. Here's why you should care". Amateur Photographer. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 Feltner, Kerry (14 August 2017). "Kodak Alaris CEO has a strong focus". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  13. ↑ Dickinson, Mike (22 September 2017). "No clear path to success for Kodak". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  14. ↑ Szustek, Anne (23 December 2013). "U.K. Kodak Pension Plan Revitalizes Kodak's U.S. Imaging Businesses". Institutional Investor. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  15. ↑ Brown, Nick; Agrawal, Tanya (3 September 2013). "Kodak emerges from bankruptcy with focus on commercial printing". Reuters. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  16. ↑ Daneman, Matthew (3 September 2013). "Kodak bankruptcy officially ends". USA TODAY. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  17. ↑ Cade, DL (26 September 2013). "Kodak Alaris Will Keep the Kodak Legacy Alive, Has 'No Plans' to Stop Selling Film". PetaPixel. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  18. ↑ Lahman, Sean (3 May 2016). "Kodak Alaris CEO steps down". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  19. ↑ Dickinson, Mike (9 April 2014). "Kodak Alaris appoints former IBM exec as chairman". Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  20. ↑ Nicastro, Dom (9 November 2015). "Next Up in Artificial Intelligence: Kodak Alaris". CMS Wire. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  21. ↑ Monllos, Kristina (11 March 2016). "Kodak Alaris' Immersive 'Memory Observatory' at SXSW Launches Its New Photo-Sharing App". Ad Week. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  22. ↑ "Kodak outsources colour paper manufacture". www.insideimaging.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Spicer, Velvet (25 April 2018). "Kodak Alaris rebrands division". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  24. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Kodak paper business to China". www.insideimaging.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "Guaranteed Rate Launches AI-Powered Mortgage Startup Gateless". www.builtinchicago.org. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  26. ↑ "Leadership | Kodak Alaris". www.kodakalaris.com. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "Kodak Alaris Announces Acquisition by Kingswood Capital Management". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Growcoot, Matt (12 October 2022). "Kodak is Hiring Film Technicians: 'We Cannot Keep Up with Demand'". PetaPixel. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  29. ↑ "New Fresh Kodak Vision3 and ECN-2 Chemistry from FlicFilm". www.35mmc.com. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  30. ↑ Schneider, Jaron (14 August 2023). "Kodak Says It's Committed to Making Film 'As Long As There Is Demand'". PetaPixel. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Gray, Jeremy (1 October 2025). "The First Look at Kodak's New Kodacolor 100 and 200 35mm Color Negative Films". PetaPixel. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  32. ↑ "Ektar and Tri-X Are Now Being Distributed Directly By Kodak". petapixel.com. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  33. ↑ "Eastman Kodak reveals new Ektacolor Pro and Ektapan film ranges". Kosmo Foto. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Cooke, Alex (31 March 2026). "The Biggest Photography Stories of March 2026 | Fstoppers". fstoppers.com. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  35. ↑ know, James Artaius So… Kodak just rebranded its camera film Here's what you need to (27 May 2026). "Kodak's camera films have just changed names – and they come from a different Kodak. Confused?". Digital Camera World. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "A New Chapter for Kodak Film". Analogue Wonderland. 26 August 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  37. ↑ Greenwood, Marcia. "Kodak: Ektachrome is back". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  38. ↑ Mike (10 December 2019). "Kodak Alaris Announces EKTACHROME E100 in 120 and 4x5 Formats". FilterGrade. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  39. ↑ "Paper, Display, Chemicals and Software". www.kodak.sinopromise.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  40. ↑ "Photo Systems Inc brings Kodak Professional-branded development chemicals back into production". Kosmophoto.com. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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