Kodak's European operations have awarded a contract to Intertek Group to provide analytical testing support services.
Kodak's European operations have awarded a contract to Intertek Group to provide analytical testing support services.
The laboratory services contract provides analytical testing support services to manufacturing facilities in Harrow, UK, in Chalon sur Saone, France, and the primary European research centre in Cambridge, UK.
The Intertek Caleb Brett division will acquire laboratory assets and accept the transfer of Kodak employees currently performing these services.
Intertek Caleb Brett will be the sole provider of these services.
Intertek will provide testing services from a laboratory located within the Kodak manufacturing site at Chalon, France.
The Intertek Sunbury Laboratory will provide support to Kodak UK operations, and 14 Kodak employees are expected to transfer to Intertek in France and five employees are expected to transfer in the UK.
The transfer of experienced staff from Kodak to Intertek ensures continuation of the laboratory expertise and support provided to Kodak.
Intertek is expected to achieve efficiency gains through access to the extensive range of services available from the Intertek global laboratory network.
Acquisition of the laboratory assets and staff enable Intertek to further expand the range of analytical services available to its growing international customer base.
Mark Loughead, Intertek Caleb Brett chief executive officer commented: "We are delighted that Kodak has chosen Intertek to provide the essential analytical support for its European operations".
"The new skills and expertise that this contract brings into Intertek will significantly extend the scope of services which Intertek can offer to its international customer base".
"The Intertek laboratory in Chalon, in particular, will provide us with a facility which considerably enhances our capabilities in France and the ability to respond to market opportunities across Europe".
The chairman of Kodak Industrie, Jean-Pierre Martel, said: "Intertek has an outstanding reputation as a leader in this field, so we are very pleased that they will be setting up a laboratory at our site to provide services to Kodak and other customers".
"This is another important step in the redevelopment of the Chalon site as an industrial park".
Dr Sam Weller, Kodak's director of European research added: "Intertek's support will allow us to assure our customers that they can continue to expect the same high-quality products and services they have come to expect from Kodak".
"Similarly, our employees in these labs will benefit by having expanded career opportunities made possible by joining a company that is a specialist in their field of expertise".
