COLUMBUS, Ga. - Kodak has been awarded Economic Development Project of the Year by the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes Kodak’s more than $10 million investment in adding a new line to its facility in Columbus, Ga., to produce its KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates.

Kodak announced the expansion of the Columbus high-speed manufacturing facility in April. The move is part of the company’s regional sourcing strategy for the popular KODAK SONORA Plates, which enable printers to skip the plate processing step without sacrificing quality or productivity.  Eliminating the plate processing step lets printers reduce their water and energy usage and remove all processing chemicals and chemical waste from plate making, allowing them to reduce environmental impact and save money.  The Columbus facility will produce SONORA Plates for the entire Americas region amid growing demand worldwide.

By adding the new SONORA Plate manufacturing line to the Columbus facility, Kodak expects to not only retain existing jobs but also add workers to operate the new facility. The collaboration between Kodak and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce was essential in making this important expansion.

“We viewed the Chamber of Commerce as an essential resource as we set out to expand our facility in Columbus,” said Brian Burr, Kodak’s Director of Americas Plate Operations. Their support and guidance has been crucial to realizing this expansion and bringing new jobs to the area.”

“We’re pleased to support Kodak in its growth objectives and look forward to the company continuing to play a crucial role in the Columbus regional economy,” said Mike Gaymon, President and CEO, Greater Columbus Chamber. “This award recognizes the importance of this facility expansion to Kodak and its commitment to Columbus region.”

“Wherever we operate we strive to have a positive impact on the community. Columbus has been a great partner in helping us expand our operations to meet customer demand for our products.  Adding the SONORA Plates manufacturing line to Columbus goes beyond jobs.  It supports our strategic objective of enabling sustainable, process-free printing for Kodak’s customers throughout the Americas,” Brian Burr added.

Kodak representatives will accept the award at the Chamber’s 2014 State of Economic Development event on Oct. 30 at the Cunningham Center at Columbus State University. Kodak currently employs more than 225 people in the Columbus area.

More than 1,000 customers worldwide currently use SONORA Plates, and many more are waiting to make the switch to this revolutionary product. Columbus joins Osterode, Germany; Xiamen, China, and Leeds, U.K., as manufacturing sites for KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates.