Kodak has named Spicers Canada Ltd. a Gold reseller for its portfolio of commercial imaging solutions throughout Canada.
The Vaughan, Ont.-based Spicers has been a long-standing Kodak partner in Canada specializing in unified workflow solutions that involve products such as Kodak Prinergy Workflow and CTP Systems.
By expanding the business relationship, Spicers will be able to offer a broader range of solutions including packaging solutions such as Kodak Flexcel NX products and other digital printing solutions.
John O’Grady, managing director of U.S. & Canada region for Eastman Kodak, said Spicers continues to flourish and it is now one of Kodak’s most important partners in North America. Kodak’s channel strategy in Canada is to work with partners who have a strong business alignment with Kodak, and the capability to sell workflow, prepress, flexographic and digital print solutions. Spicers will deliver value to the graphics market and our mutual customers.
As a Kodak gold partner, Spicers will have access to Kodak advanced graphics technologies featuring the Prosper S-Series imprinting systems.
Cory Turner, President of Spicers Canada said in Kodak Spicers has a respected and trusted partner with a common focus on the strength that exists within Canada’s commercial print market.
The Spicers partnership is a shot in the arm for the struggling brand who is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Company spokesperson Jonathan F. Ghent told CDN late last year that the Document Imaging division is not distancing itself from the rest of Kodak. The company is still one company, he said, and even though the process of selling document imaging is under way, Kodak has a strong relationship and a genuine interest in emergence from Chapter 11.
An example of this is Kodak’s announcement that the company has secured financing commitments of $793 million from a prominent group of lenders. The financing will enable Kodak to successfully execute on reorganization objectives and emerge from Chapter 11 in the first half of 2013.
Ghent added that for customers, channel partners and suppliers, this financing ensures Kodak will be able to facilitate a clean and successful transition of the document imaging business to a new owner.
According to Ghent, once the document imaging business is sold, the new company may license the Kodak brand. Plus there may be other opportunities for the new company to partner with the parent company.