Eastman Chemical Company

Eastman Chemical Company
Company type	Public
Industry	Specialty materials, Chemicals, Fibers, Plastics
Founded	1920; 106 years ago
Founder	George Eastman
Headquarters	Kingsport, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Mark J. Costa (CEO)
Products	Chemicals, fibers, plastics, coatings, adhesives, specialty plastics, cellulose acetate fibers
Number of employees	14,000 (2024)
Website	www.eastman.com

Eastman Chemical Company is a U.S.-based specialty materials firm established in 1920 by George Eastman, with its main office located in Kingsport, Tennessee. Initially part of Kodak, the company gained independence following a 1994 separation from Eastman Kodak. Presently, Eastman manages 36 production facilities worldwide and employs around 14,000 individuals. Under the leadership of CEO Mark J. Costa, the company achieved revenues of $9.38 billion in 2024, demonstrating robust financial results.

Business segments

Eastman’s diverse product range includes chemicals, fibers, and plastics, catering to various sectors with offerings such as coatings, adhesives, specialty plastics, and cellulose acetate fibers. The company’s operations are divided into four main segments:

Additives & Functional Products

This division manufactures chemical compounds and adhesive resins primarily used in coatings and tire applications across industries like transportation, construction, durable goods, healthcare, and consumer products. A notable innovation from Eastman is the development of cyanoacrylates ("super-glues"), patented in 1956.

Advanced Materials

This segment produces specialty copolyesters, cellulose esters, interlayers, and aftermarket window films utilized in transportation, construction, electronics, and consumer goods sectors.

Chemical Intermediates

Centered on vertical integration of acetyls, olefins, and alkylamines, this unit supplies specialty fluids and a wide array of chemical products for industrial processing, energy production, agriculture, as well as internal Eastman consumption.

Fibers

Focused on acetate tow and plasticizers for cigarette filter production, this segment also delivers solution-dyed acetate yarns for apparel, home textiles, industrial fabrics, and raw fiber materials supplied to other manufacturers.

Early years

After World War I, George Eastman of Eastman Kodak aimed to secure independent sources for essential chemicals such as methanol and acetone. This initiative led to founding Tennessee Eastman in 1920. The company concentrated on manufacturing organic chemicals and acetyl compounds including calcium acetate, sodium acetate, acetic acid, and acetic anhydride.

During World War II, Tennessee Eastman produced RDX explosives at Holston Ordnance Works under contract with the U.S. government, reaching daily outputs of up to 1.5 million pounds. Additionally, it operated the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from 1943 to 1947 to produce enriched uranium for the Manhattan Project.

In 1960, a fatal explosion occurred within Eastman’s Kingsport plant during Aniline production causing 16 deaths and numerous injuries.

Since the 1980s

In 1983, Eastman inaugurated the first commercial coal gasification plant in the United States at Kingsport to manufacture chemicals from syngas as an alternative to petroleum-based feedstocks. This facility was recognized as a National Historic Chemical Landmark in 1995.

Following its spin-off from Eastman Kodak in 1994, Eastman became an independent entity. In 2005, it began constructing a large-scale manufacturing plant employing IntegRex technology designed to optimize PET resin production; this technology is currently owned by DAK Americas.

Since the year 2000, Eastman and its affiliates have incurred EPA penalties exceeding $82 million.

In July 2012, Eastman expanded by acquiring Solutia Inc., a producer of specialty chemicals and performance materials, for $4.8 billion. This was followed by the December 2014 acquisition of Taminco Corporation for $2.8 billion which broadened Eastman’s product offerings and market reach.

Explosion in October 2017

On October 4, 2017, an explosion took place at Eastman’s Kingsport facility near the coal gasification area. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation later determined in April 2018 that the incident was triggered by a valve blockage caused by slurry or debris infiltration.

Circular economy initiatives

In 2019, Eastman introduced commercial-scale chemical recycling aimed at diverting waste plastics that would otherwise be sent to landfills or incinerators. Its Advanced Circular Recycling technologies are capable of processing a diverse array of plastics—including polyesters, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene—sourced from single-use items, textiles, and discarded carpets.

Eastman’s carbon renewal and polyester renewal technologies facilitate endless recycling cycles, underpinning a circular business framework. The company commenced operation of carbon renewal technology at its Kingsport plant in October 2019 and targeted recycling millions of pounds of polyester carpet by 2020.

In January 2021, Eastman revealed plans for a $250 million investment to establish a methanolysis facility designed to convert polyester waste into long-lasting specialty plastics. This plant, slated for completion by the end of 2022, will handle over 100,000 metric tons of plastic waste deemed unsuitable for mechanical recycling.

Further expanding its global footprint, Eastman committed up to $1 billion in January 2022 to develop a molecular recycling facility in France utilizing polyester renewal technology. Expected to begin operations by 2025, this plant will process up to 160,000 tons of plastic waste annually, reinforcing Eastman’s position as a leader in sustainable product innovation and service delivery.

Controversy over Mexican pine sourcing

In April 2017, The Daily Beast reported that Eastman Chemical’s Uruapan plant in Michoacán sourced pine rosin from Unored, a supplier associated with the Knights Templar cartel. Despite being aware of the supplier’s criminal affiliations, Eastman continued procurement, benefiting from reduced prices imposed on resin collectors through cartel coercion.

Manufacturing facilities

As of December 2023, Eastman Chemical maintains operations at 36 manufacturing sites spanning 12 countries:

United States

Alvin, Texas
Anniston, Alabama
Axton, Virginia
Chestertown, Maryland
Columbia, South Carolina
Fieldale, Virginia
Kingsport, Tennessee
Linden, New Jersey
Longview, Texas
Martinsville, Virginia
Pace, Florida
Springfield, Massachusetts
St. Gabriel, Louisiana
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Texas City, Texas
Watertown, New York

Latin America

Mauá, Brazil
Santo Toribio, Mexico

Europe

Antwerp and Ghent, Belgium
Kohtla-Järve, Estonia
Oulu, Finland
Dresden, Leuna, and Marl (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany
Ávila, Spain
Newport, United Kingdom

Asia Pacific

Dalian, Nanjing, Suzhou (Jiangsu), Wuhan, Zibo City, Hefei, Shenzhen (China)
Ulsan, South Korea
Kuantan, Malaysia

Corporate social responsibility

For more than 25 years Eastman has actively participated in Responsible Care initiatives and was honored with the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Company of the Year award in 2013. Additionally, the company earned the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in 2009 for its achievements in sustainable chemical design and production.

In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency designated an area within a three-kilometer radius around Eastman’s Kingsport plant as non-attainment for sulfur dioxide (SO2) standards. Ongoing monitoring of SO2 emissions continues in Tennessee.

By 2015, Eastman had achieved an approximate 8% reduction in energy intensity compared to its 2008 baseline and set a target to improve by 20% by 2020. Between 2014 and 2016, two boilers at Kingsport were converted from coal to natural gas with plans for three additional conversions by 2018. This initiative significantly diversified Kingsport’s energy consumption from predominantly coal-based (90%) toward an equal balance with natural gas. In addition, a boiler at the Springfield facility was converted to natural gas in 2015.

As of 2019, Eastman had received eight consecutive EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year awards and was recognized by Glassdoor as a Best Place to Work. Furthermore, Ethisphere named Eastman among the World’s Most Ethical Companies for three years running.

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