New Customers with Eastman Tritan™ Copolyester Applications Join Program
Kingsport, Tenn. — June 23, 2009 — Eastman Chemical Company today announced that its customers Key Baby, LLC and Lock&Lock have joined the company’s Ingredient Branding Program. The program, launched in August 2008, helps its customers showcase the competitive advantage of using Eastman Tritan™ copolyester in their products.
Key Baby, an infant care manufacturer, recently introduced a new product line — WeilBaby™ — that includes 5- and 9-ounce bottles and a variety of sippy cups made from Eastman Tritan™ EX401 copolyester. Additionally, Lock&Lock recently launched a new line of food storage containers and water bottles made with Tritan. Both companies chose Tritan because it is manufactured without bisphenol-A (BPA) and offers a unique balance of properties, including toughness, clarity, chemical and heat resistance, and dishwasher durability.
“Since launching Eastman Tritan™ copolyester in the reusable sports water bottle market, we have worked closely with our customers across multiple industries to help them respond to evolving consumer needs for high-performance products that are BPA-free,” said Dante Rutstrom, vice president and general manager, Specialty Plastics Business, Eastman Chemical Company. “The Tritan brand provides a great opportunity for companies to differentiate their products, and our branding program provides the tools to help maximize this potential by delivering consistent and positive messages about Tritan.”
Eastman Tritan™ copolyester has launched in the reusable sports water bottle, infant care, appliance and housewares, medical, and sign markets. The Ingredient Branding Program comprises more than 10 member companies, including Thermos, LLC, KOR Water, Hourglass Coffee, Key Baby, Lock&Lock and others.
Through the branding program, Eastman provides its clients with marketing materials and language to enhance the brand impression and brand attributes of the end product, ultimately adding to the product’s value in the marketplace. Members of the Ingredient Branding Program have access to brand management tools, including hang tags, logos, key messages, guidelines and graphics, to help communicate the benefits of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester. Additionally, a Web site from Eastman — www.tritanfromeastman.com — provides consumers with information on Tritan, showcases products made with Tritan, and offers background and links to Ingredient Branding customers.
The first program of its kind at Eastman, the Ingredient Branding Program has allowed the company to transform itself from a behind-the-scenes resin provider to a trusted strategic materials supplier.
“For years, Eastman has widely been recognized as a plastic pellet company that is invisible to the consumer, but with a product as innovative as Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, we have worked with brand owners to actively promote applications made with our materials directly to consumers,” Rutstrom said.
For more information about Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, visit www.eastman.com/tritan.
About Eastman Chemical Company
Eastman’s chemicals, fibers and plastics are key ingredients on which our customers rely to make products people use every day. Over 10,000 Eastman employees around the world blend technical expertise and innovation to deliver practical solutions. Eastman is committed to finding sustainable business opportunities within diverse markets we serve. Headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, Eastman had 2008 sales of $6.7 billion.