Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States

The document analyzes the multi-decade decline of the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, and the city's subsequent economic transition. It presents two contrasting narratives: one highlighting the successful diversification into a high-tech hub and the other emphasizing persistent poverty, urban decay, and widening inequality. The study concludes that while leveraging existing infrastructure and university partnerships can spur growth, targeted interventions are necessary to protect low-skilled workers and address environmental legacies.

• Rochester's economy became more diverse and employment levels in the metropolitan area increased following Kodak's decline, rising from 414,000 jobs in the 1980s to approximately 520,000 by 2013.
• The city successfully repurposed Kodak's industrial assets into the Eastman Business Park, which by 2013 hosted an estimated 45 companies employing at least 4,500 workers outside of Kodak.
• Higher education and research institutions were pivotal to the transition by attracting federal funding, providing a skilled workforce for new businesses, and creating industry-specific training programs.
• Economic recovery has been uneven, with new opportunities primarily benefiting high-skill workers while low-skilled citizens face high unemployment and declining wages; by 2010, Rochester's wages had fallen below both state and national averages.
• The city center has experienced significant urban decay and population loss, with 2015 US Census data ranking Rochester as the fourth poorest city in the United States.
• The transition left a legacy of environmental contamination, with a settlement for cleaning the site and Genesee River involving Kodak paying the first $49 million and the state paying up to an additional $49 million.

APA

Atteridge, A., & Strambo, C. (2021). Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/closure-of-the-kodak-plan-in-rochester.pdf

Chicago

Atteridge, Aaron, and Claudia Strambo. Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/closure-of-the-kodak-plan-in-rochester.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Atteridge |first1=Aaron |last2=Strambo |first2=Claudia |title=Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=June 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/closure-of-the-kodak-plan-in-rochester.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{atteridge2021closure, author = {Atteridge, Aaron and Strambo, Claudia}, title = {{Closure of the Kodak plant in Rochester, United States}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/closure-of-the-kodak-plan-in-rochester.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }