Eastman Chemical Company

Eastman Chemical Company stands as a global leader in specialty materials and chemicals, serving customers in more than 100 countries with innovative solutions that improve quality of life. Founded in 1920 by George Eastman as Tennessee Eastman Corporation to supply chemicals for Eastman Kodak's photographic processes, the company has evolved into an independent powerhouse in the specialty chemicals industry. Headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, Eastman operates 36 manufacturing sites worldwide and employs approximately 14,000 people, generating annual revenues of $9.38 billion in 2024.

The company's business is organized into four key operating segments: Additives & Functional Products, Advanced Materials, Chemical Intermediates, and Fibers. These divisions provide a diverse portfolio of products including specialty polymers, copolyesters, cellulosic biopolymers, films, coatings, adhesives, and acetate fibers. Eastman's products are essential components in items used every day, from automotive parts and building materials to packaging, textiles, and consumer electronics.

Eastman has positioned itself at the forefront of the circular economy revolution, investing heavily in molecular recycling technologies that transform hard-to-recycle plastic waste into first-quality materials. In 2019, the company began commercial-scale chemical recycling operations at its Kingsport facility, and in 2022 announced plans to invest up to $1 billion in building the world's largest material-to-material molecular recycling facility in France, expected to process over 200,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste annually. This commitment to sustainability, combined with the company's century-long history of innovation and operational excellence, positions Eastman as a critical player in addressing global environmental challenges while delivering high-performance specialty materials to industries worldwide.

As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EMN) since its 1994 spin-off from Eastman Kodak, the company has maintained a focus on innovation-driven growth, delivering record financial performance with $1.3 billion in operating cash flow and returning $679 million to stockholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2024. Under the leadership of CEO Mark Costa, who has led the company since 2014, Eastman continues to advance its strategy of leveraging specialty materials innovation and circular economy platforms to drive sustainable growth and value creation.