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Kodak to lay off 66 by April 19

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 2:49 PM Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Eastman Kodak Co. will lay off 66 employees by April 19, the company has told Ohio government.

A letter dated Monday sent to Ohio’s Department of Job & Family Services outlines what will be permanent layoffs, with more to come.

“Over the next few weeks, smaller layoffs are expected from other departments in Dayton, and we will keep you updated as they occur,” Marva Cosby, Kodak human resources director for digital printing solutions, said in the letter.

The layoffs will affect five manufacturing technicians, four mechanical engineers, three engineering designers and other positions.

Last month, the Rochester, N.Y.-based company — once one of the most respected names in American business — began the process of seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. The company and industry observers have said commercial inkjet operations at Kettering’s Miami Valley Research Park are crucial to the firm’s future.

Employees and contractors in Kettering develop and build commercial inkjet printers, large systems capable of producing 4,000 digital-format, photo-quality pages a minute at a cost of less than one cent a page, Kodak has said. About 500 people work at the Kettering site.

Earlier this month, in response to questions from the Dayton Daily News, a Kodak spokesman acknowledged that 80 or more of the company’s approximately 500 Kettering employees will be laid off. The layoffs represent about 16 percent of Kodak’s local work force and were the first local job cuts Kodak confirmed since it filed for reorganization.

Asked about the company’s plans, Christopher Veronda, a Kodak spokesman, said recently there are no plans to shift manufacturing away from Kettering.

“We have been investing significantly in our commercial inkjet (facility), and we plan to continue investing in the business,” Veronda said. “Most of that investment is focused on Dayton, since it’s home to the business.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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