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 Eastman Chemical Company manufactures over 1,200 products including chemicals,
fibres and plastics for a large variety of applications. Last year Eastman launched the
Eastman TritanTM copolyester family of products. Dominic Moore, Regional Business
Director for Specialty Plastics (EMEA): “We are constantly developing new products.
Tritan has the potential to open up markets where we don’t currently supply, because
it is able to withstand higher temperatures than our current product range and offers
other advantages over competitive plastics.
Eastman’s story began more than 80
years ago. World War I had caused a
scarcity in raw materials such as
photographic paper, optical glass and
many chemicals, including methanol,
acetic acid and acetone. At the close of
the war in 1918, George Eastman was
determined to have an independent
supply of chemicals for his photographic
processes. He established Eastman
Kodak in 1920 with two major platforms
– organic chemicals and acetyls.
In the decades that followed, Eastman’s
portfolio of products expand continually.
By the late 1960s, Eastman was
manufacturing scores of products that
were fast becoming familiar features of
everyday life. Polyester fibres for
apparels and home furnishings, plastics
for the automobile industry, and a
growing number of industrial chemicals
were serving an ever increasing
customer base.
In 1994 Eastman Chemical Company
spun off from Eastman Kodak and
became an independent corporation.
Today Eastman manufactures over 1,200
products including chemicals, fibres and
plastics. The company provides key
differentiated coatings, adhesives and
specialty plastics products and is a major
supplier of cellulose acetate fibres and
PET polymers for packaging. Eastman is
a Fortune 500 company with 2007 sales
of USD 6.8 billion and approximately
10,500 employees. The company has
manufacturing sites and offices in 23
countries around the world.
Zillion spoke with Dominic Moore, who
has been with Eastman for 23 years. His
current position is Regional Business
Director for Specialty Plastics in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
“EMEA is an important market for
Eastman. 20-25% of global sales are
made here.
The majority of our products
is still sold in North America, but EMEA
is growing faster than the North
American region. The first reason for
that is that we have less penetration in
the European market, so there’s more
potential for growth. Also, the markets
in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern
Europe are growing very fast.”
The Specialty Plastics Business covers a
large range of applications, including packaging, shop displays, medical (such
as tubes for blood tests), consumer
durables (for instance tool handles,
spectacle frames, and toothbrushes).
 Eastman Specialty Plastics uses
copolyesters and cellulosics plastics.
Compared to other types of plastics, they
uniquely combine three characteristics:
toughness, clarity and durability.
The global specialty plastics market has
increased significantly these last few
years. “There are no manufacturing
facilities in this region, but the recent
expansion of our manufacturing South
Carolina plant gives us the ability to
continue to grow.” The expansion is
consistent with the company’s plans to
increase its global copolyester
manufacturing capacity by transitioning
legacy PET manufacturing assets to
large-scale copolyester assets.
Eastman SpectarTM copolyester was used
to create a revolutionary shelving
system by WHSmith Retail, Great
Britain’s highest volume retailer of print
media and Bartuf Systems, a top UK
manufacturer of display solutions. The
system design and use of SpectarTM
copolyester has improved product
visibility and dramatically increased the
sales and display volume of books,
newspapers, stationery, magazines and
confectionary products.
The goal was to focus consumer
attention on the products, not the shelves. The durability and clarity of
PETG sheet made from SpectarTM has
enabled the two companies to create
clear shelving units that accommodate
a larger volume of products without
unsightly brackets for support. This
shelving solution offers free-standing,
multi-tier racks that present more
products at consumer eye-level,
improving the overall in-store customer
experience and increasing impulse
buying decisions.
Each fixture is shaped from a single
PETG sheet using hot line bending. The
durability of SpectarTM, which allows
down-gauging, combined with the
fabrication technique, creates stronger
corners than mechanical fastening or
bonding, not only creating longer
lasting displays, but also increasing
presentation area for product.
With eight tiers per shelving unit, the
system can accommodate twice as many
products as the previous metal racks,
which had only five tiers. Bartuf was also
able to downgauge sheet made from
SpectarTM to a 4mm thickness, compared
to the 25mm thick metal shelves used
previously. These material savings translate into increased sales area and
more lightweight displays, allowing the
free-standing shelving systems to be
easily moved and arranged based on
individual store space and product
needs.
 The success story, which underscores
the importance of innovative visual
merchandising solutions, is highlighted
on Eastman’s eZone
(www.EastmaneZone.com), an interactive
web tool aimed at inspiring and
educating designers in the visual
merchandising industry. The eZone is one
of the latest additions to the awardwinning
Eastman Innovation Lab Website “We are constantly developing new
products,” says Mr. Moore. “Last year we
launched the TritanTM copolyester family
of products. Tritan has the potential to
open up markets where we don’t
currently supply, because it is able to
withstand higher temperatures. One of
the limitations of our existing portfolio
was that the materials could not be
subjected to high temperatures, such as
boiling water or high ambient
temperatures like the inside of a closed
car on a hot day.”
 Cool Gear, provider of patented, freezable
sport and water bottles and food storage
containers, has partnered with Eastman
to use TritanTM copolyester for its new EZ
Freeze Free water bottle line, in response
to the increasing popularity of the
portable beverage container. The growing
consumer demand is beginning to drive
the industry to incorporate certain
necessary attributes, including clarity,
dishwasher durability and resistance to
everyday use.
Cool Gear has been a leader in the
portable, reusable food and beverage
container industry for nearly 23 years.
Combining unique shapes, colours and
designs, Cool Gear products aim to
provide freshness and convenience for
consumers on the go. Differentiating
Cool Gear’s bottles from everyday sports
and water bottles is a unique freezable
gel stick technology found in many of
their products. The gel stick, which is
attached to the cap of the bottles, can
be frozen prior to use. Once the cap is
placed into the bottle, the frozen stick
acts as a makeshift ice cube, keeping
beverages cooler longer.
Having manufactured EZ Freeze
products from polycarbonate, growing
consumer interest in a clear, durable
material that was BPA-free created the
opportunity for Cool Gear to search out
a material alternative. Cool Gear also
required a material that was durable
and capable of being moulded into
various shapes and sizes. The search led
them to Eastman TritanTM copolyester.
The unique balance of properties offered
by TritanTM provides for enhanced
dishwasher durability. With consumers
constantly on the go, the dishwasher is
an integral part of the modern home,
and dishwasher durability is an important
differentiator for plastic products.
Products moulded with TritanTM can be
consistently washed without the fear of
crazing, cracking or hazing from continual
exposure to high heat and aggressive
cleaning detergents.
As an added advantage, TritanTM provides
the ability to be manufactured in
moulds designed for polycarbonate, so
no adaptations need to be made.
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