Eastman Chemical Co. recently announced it is increasing its manufacturing capacity of Eastman 168™ non-phthalate plasticizer at its Kingsport, TN, site by approximately 6,000 tons annually. The expansion work begins less than one month after the company purchased a manufacturing facility for the production of Eastman 168 in Texas City, TX, and less than one year after completing a debottlenecking process in Kingsport in February. The additional manufacturing capacity from this expansion is scheduled to be on-line before the end of 2011.

“Eastman is committed to continual growth and reinvestment in our business,” said Heidi Barnes, business director for Oxo and Plasticizers. “We believe that Eastman 168 is the best general-purpose non-phthalate plasticizer available on the market today, and the steady growth in demand that we are experiencing is validating that belief. We are investing significant capital to ensure that we can supply product to our customers now and in the future.”

For more information, visitwww.eastman.com.