Eastman to Expand Performance Films Capacity

Eastman Chemical Company today announced a planned expansion of its Performance Films manufacturing capacity in Martinsville, Virginia.

The capacity expansion is expected to be complete in late 2017 and will increase capacity for both paint protection films and window films to support the continued growth of the LLumar® and Suntek® brands.

The expansion is Eastman’s largest film expansion to date and will be a state-of-the-art facility that will produce high performance films for the automotive and architectural markets.

The expansion will provide additional high-quality jobs for the Martinsville Henry County community. This project is in addition to the $40 million investment that was announced in September of 2013.

“This expansion positions Eastman to meet the great growth in demand for window and paint protection films we’re seeing from our customers around the world,” said Travis Smith, vice president and general manager of Eastman’s Performance Films business.

“This investment further solidifies Eastman’s commitment to the window and paint protection films markets and to making our manufacturing site in Henry County a state-of-the-art facility that produces the world’s highest quality films products.”

This news follows the recent launch of Eastman’s next generation paint protection film products which provide best in industry combination of performance, aethestics, and installation ease and has resulted in tremendous adoption and acceptance by dealers and customers around the world.

Eastman continues to drive investments related to product development and innovation, manufacturing and quality excellence, and consumer marketing programs to support development and growth of the window film and protective film markets.

"We see exciting growth potential for our portfolio of films and our dealer network," said Darrell Reed, Performance Films commercial director for Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa.

“We are making these investments in product innovation, manufacturing capacity, and marketing and support services to help our customers provide high-quality products to meet the needs of consumers and ultimately to allow our customers to further differentiate and grow their business.”

Performance Films is a part of Eastman’s Advanced Materials business segment. With 60 years of experience, Eastman is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of high performance window and paint protection films that are used in automotive and architectural applications.

To learn more about Eastman window and paint protection films visit www.llumar.com and www.suntekfilms.com.