Laboratorios Gama SAI Accredited in KODAK IMAGECARE Program

Small, 'dedicated' laboratory meets standards of worldwide Kodak program

(Rochester, USA, September 17, 2009)  Kodak today announced that Laboratorios Gama SAI in Santiago Chile has successfully completed all requirements for KODAK IMAGECARE Program certification.  Now in its fortieth year, this small but highly successful laboratory joins a Kodak program active in 27 countries worldwide.

 "A major Hollywood production, shooting in Chile, wanted to work with us but decided to develop their film back in the US because we were not a certified lab," said Maria Mayor, Gama's chief of laboratory operations.  "That made the value of the KODAK IMAGECARE program very clear to us and we took the steps necessary to begin the very demanding process of certification."

Laboratorios Gama is a respected member of the Chilean production market, with a long history of well-established relationships.  With only eleven staff members, the lab has a major share of that country's market for color negative film processing.
 
"Their employees are well-trained and very competent, their management is dedicated and highly knowledgeable, they have a long legacy with Kodak," said Diane Carroll-Yacoby, worldwide manager of the KODAK IMAGECARE Program.  "Their customers have come to rely on them for superior quality and service; our goal is to help them to adopt and standardize 'best practices' and to build their business as a result."

Acceptance into the Kodak Program is a challenging and time-consuming process that requires a laboratory-wide commitment.  For Gama, the process took almost a full year because they wanted to make the necessary changes smoothly, to make fundamental changes in the way they worked for their customers.

"The Kodak program enables everyone in our lab to be sure they are doing what needs to be done, in the way it needs to be done, and to be fully aware of all parts of the process," said Mayor.  "We have already improved our consistency, so we know the program is improving our service.  Our goal is to keep making improvements, so customers will know this is the way we work, every day."

Laboratories in countries where the KODAK IMAGECARE Program is offered can become members through an assessment process. A Kodak technician assists and certifies lab personnel in standardizing and documenting procedures, monitoring and controlling processes, and in demonstrating an ability to follow quality-control checklists.

Even after certification, labs are independently audited on a yearly basis, with other assessments by local Kodak representatives on an on-going basis.  Kodak also provides training for lab personnel with the aim of achieving optimum and consistent performance.

"Certification in the KODAK IMAGECARE program proves that Gama complies with standards of quality even the most demanding filmmakers can rely on," said Carroll-Yacoby.  "Their membership signifies that they deliver the best of what film can offer, so customers can trust that when they work with Gama, they are working without compromise."