Eastman Tritan Product Development and Launch

Abstract

In 2007, Eastman Chemical (Eastman), a global specialty chemicals company based in Kingsport, Tennessee, was set to launch Tritan, Eastman's latest specialty plastic. The development team was excited about Tritan because it demonstrated heat resistance and durability properties that might allow Eastman to compete in the lucrative polycarbonate plastics market. But the decision had not been made regarding which applications Eastman should target first with Tritan. Excerpt UVA-OM-1540 Rev. Aug. 11, 2017 Eastman Tritan: Product Development and Launch In the summer of 2007, Eastman Chemical (Eastman), a global specialty chemicals company based in Kingsport, Tennessee, was set to launch Tritan, Eastman's latest specialty plastic. The development team was excited about Tritan because it demonstrated heat resistance and durability properties that might allow Eastman to compete in the lucrative polycarbonate plastics market; however, the decision had not been made regarding which applications Eastman should target first with Tritan. Given their stage of development, Eastman knew it was critical to be selective when deciding on the initial markets to enter with Tritan. Eastman and the Chemical Industry Eastman was founded in 1920 as an internal division of the Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak). The division grew so rapidly that in little more than a decade, its sales to outside customers exceeded the value of the materials it supplied to Kodak. By 1993, Eastman's internal sales to Kodak accounted for only 8% of its revenue. Although Eastman was thriving, Kodak suffered from low profit and high debt. In January 1994, Kodak restructured, and Eastman became its own publicly traded company. Eastman's growth continued; by 2005 revenue was $ 7.1 billion. . . .