ORLANDO, FL—Chris Payne, president, Kodak Flexographic Packaging Division, indicates that enormous interest is coming in with respect to its potential sale; yet he cautions that close of any deal should be seen as a long-term, not short-term process. Drawing a parallel for illustration, he mentions that bringing a new customer into the FLEXCEL NX fold often takes two years, with completion of any divisional sale transaction likely to take even longer.
Both strategic industry players and venture capitalists are studying the move and performing due diligence. “It’s still very early,” Payne said. “Negotiations and expressions of interest have not disrupted sales or business. We remain growth oriented and our portfolio is expanding.” Briefing a contingent of journalists and industry analysts at Kodak’s Oct. 17-18 VIP Technology Summit, he maintained, “Whatever happens, the entity will take the form of an operating division, if not its own autonomous company.”