Eastman Expands Specialty Copolyester Capabilities

Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team May 10, 2007

Eastman Chemical Company announced it is extending its specialty copolyester production to its manufacturing site in Columbia, S.C.

This action, coupled with the recent expansion of CHDM capacity at its Kingsport, Tenn., site, positions the company to create the broadest, most competitive manufacturing position possible for its specialty copolyester products.

The expansion is consistent with the company's previously announced plans to increase its global copolyester manufacturing capacity by transitioning large-scale manufacturing assets to copolyester assets at its South Carolina site.

The Columbia site will become the second Eastman facility in North America producing the copolyester family of specialty plastics.

The additional copolyester production is expected to come on-line in the first half of 2008.

The CHDM capacity expansion, which came on-line earlier this year, doubles the company's CHDM capacity and provides the scale and integrated assets to enhance Eastman's global copolyester manufacturing capabilities.

CHDM is a key intermediate used in the manufacture of several of Eastman's specialty copolyesters.

"These investments support Eastman's long-term commitment to our specialty copolyester customers as we continue our move toward becoming an even stronger supplier to the global copolyester market," said Dante Rutstrom, vice president and general manager of Eastman's specialty plastics business.

"We are taking important steps to allow our customers to confidently grow their businesses with Eastman as their specialty plastics supplier".

"We believe the additional materials that will result from the expansions and the enhanced reliability from a second source of supply will go a long way towards doing that.

Known for their excellent clarity and toughness as well as their ease of primary and secondary processing, copolyesters from Eastman are used in a broad range of applications including rigid medical and electronics packaging, cosmetics and personal care packaging, medical devices, plastic cards, point of purchase displays and shrink film.