On the Road to the Kodak Meeting

Though upstate's economy is pushing hard to recreate itself, we believe that interest remains high in our best-known company: Eastman Kodak Co. We also happen to believe that no matter what happens with the company, the events at 343 State St. over the past decade are destined for the business textbooks.

Which, in part, is why I'll be in New York City the next two days. Company executives are meeting with money managers and analysts to talk about fourth-quarter and year-end earnings and what's ahead for 2006. Earnings will be out early Monday morning; the meeting convenes at 1 p.m. in the Equitable Center, just steps from Times Square.

It's hard to say what the announcements will reveal with full clarity about Kodak's ultimate destiny. The company's finances have become incredibly complex, with lots of moving parts; it is possible to interpret the results in many different ways. And even if that weren't the case, Kodak is playing in markets that are fiercely competitive and changing with the speed of light.

It's raining both here and in New York as I write this. Check back with a more thorough forecast of the company's financial future -- I'll be updating as I can.