Move to new building brings Kodak full circle

Kodak returns to Abbotsford, the suburb where it began in Australia.

This week, Kodak relocated to 436 Johnston Street, Abbotsford in Melbourne, only 500 metres from where the original operations started.  It was here that chemist, Thomas Baker, began manufacturing photographic dry plates, later merging with Eastman Kodak Company in 1908.

Kodak’s current managing director, Steve Venn, who will next year be replaced by Adrian Fleming told Print21 that Abbotsford seemed like the perfect location.

"When the five-year lease on the Collingwood office came up for renewal, we saw a benefit in the long-term to move our head office to a more modern premise that was energy and cost efficient, and more central in location," he said.  "And in looking for options, we wanted to acknowledge where it all started 126 years ago and move back to Abbotsford."

The new building (pictured below) sees Kodak in greener pastures: it has a four-star Green Star office design v2 rating and is designed to achieve a five-star NABERS energy rating.

“For more than a century, Kodak innovations have helped consumers to capture and share their memories, allowed filmmakers to bring their stories to life and enabled businesses to grow through commercial print innovation,” said Venn.

“As we move into the next 126 years, Kodak looks forward to revolutionising the consumer, entertainment imaging and commercial printing markets from a new modern head office in Melbourne.”