Life After Kodak
Has the City Moved On?
In 1880 George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY. Kodak would experience over 100 prosperous years as the leader of the photography industry. Unfortunately, a seemingly complacent atmosphere spread throughout the company, leading to its eventual demise at the start of the digital age. In the early 21st century Kodak was at the peak of a significant downsizing project – cutting nearly 15,000 employees and ridding itself of nearly one-third of its real estate in 2004. Today Kodak’s global workforce hovers around 13,000 employees, down over 120,000 from its height in 1988. As for employment in Rochester the number of workers has dropped from its peak of 60,000 to under 5,000.
Together, our team set out to investigate whether or not former employees, and the city itself, could truly find life after Kodak.