Eastman Chemical Reviews

Pros

Eastman in Longview, TX has some of the highest pay rates in our area. The training and job education is extensive and on-going; you will re train annually and updates to training documents are issued regularly. Safety is a high priority and any issues that arise are reviewed and discussed in depth on all levels, so you feel like you have an input and are made aware of every hazard possible. Commitment to safety and sharing of information with employees at all levels is something the company does very well.

Cons

Your time at Eastman initially will be learning your work site and getting accustom to the schedule. There will be tons of computer based training about the company and safety practices to be completed within a designated time, in addition to learning job responsibilities and mentoring at your department level. After about 3 months, you will be scheduled to attend Eastman Learning Center, an onsite training facility with faculty that will guide you through in depth self paced learning and labs. This is all great for creating a skilled workforce and giving you confidence in your co-workers, but it becomes overwhelming. Much of the work at the learning center is done on your own time with books and disc to be studied at home. When working a 12 hour rotating shift and trying to balance sleep and family time, it is way too much to be expected. I have never felt so incapable and slow to learn on a new job as I did at Eastman. My time at the job was stressed and needing to add additional time onsite and at home without pay- to meet the requirements for the school was nerve wracking; driving in on my days off to attend the school felt invasive to my family time. You often work with same crew on days and night for years, so you better like each other

Advice to Senior Management

I think there is way too much too soon. Management needs to monitor and re- evaluate the amount of information and training to be sure it is learned and remembered, if they want good workers.

Pros

Reasonable cost of living, no traffic, generally good people to work with, competent employees.

Cons

System of choosing leadership is a serious issue - bad managers arent removed and can cause tremendous disruption. There are too many directors and too many bad directors.

Advice to Senior Management

Please, please, please take more time and care in selecting directors and evaluating their performance. These individuals are chosen early in their careers and many dont receive adequate vetting. And no, any director cant automatically do any other director-level job.

Pros

Stable company with lots of capital

Cons

Management could turn on you in a heart beat.

Advice to Senior Management

Not deserving

Pros

competitive pay, benefits are a little below competition

Cons

no job security especially for older workers. Management prone to follow the lead of the bigger chemical companies even when it makes no sense to follow.

Pros

Flexible work schedule allows employees to work four 9 hour days and have a half day off every Friday.

Direct technical supervision is really good to work for.

Cons

Although the direct supervision is competent, their hands are typically tied by the other 6 levels of management above them. The pyramid of management at Eastman is ridiculous and the amount of overhead that they require to run a company is overkill. These various layers of management are completely disconnected from the rest of the plant, yet make many of the decisions that directly affect day-to-day activity. These people seem to be put into their positions, not because they are qualified, but because of who they are related to through marriage or who they went to high school with. Eastman, being in a small town, is overrun by nepotism.

Do not expect any reward for your personal accomplishments. Eastman rewards based on the fact that "Your hard work will not go unnoticed. It will pay off in the long run." but the long run is on a 15-20 year scale for this company. This, in addition to drastic cuts to the benefits package that retroactively affected current employees, is why the turnover is high for employees in the past 2-3 years.

Advice to Senior Management

Value your current employees, otherwise you will continue to train engineers for 3-5 years only to see them leave for better opportunities.

Pros

International global company with challenging work environment

Cons

fairly political in management style

Pros

good pay and benefits
a lot of attn from management (good attention and not micromanaging - lots of teambuilding)
nice environment - people definitely make this a lifetime career and community - everyone says hello in the elevator or hallway - very friendly and welcoming
a lot of resources to get your job done
good communication across depts - minimal silo problems
great marketing team and a very progressive marketing dept particularly for a b2b

Cons

overheard some rumbling from others about "old school" in terms of pay and promotion - but i saw a wide range of people in management so this may just be bitterness from a few individuals
the company is huge so obviously people will be passed over some
i disliked being in a cubicle and wanted more teamwork
kingsport is a small town - not a lot to do

Advice to Senior Management

more activities for single people - there was a lot of family entertainment promoted but not a lot for people who were new to the area or people who didnt want activities like watching kids movies in the employee center. those things are great but dont encompass the whole of the workforce.

Pros

Plants are located outside of standard chemical production localities. Work schedule is less taxing than some chemical companies. Benefits were good.

Cons

Plants are located in small towns. Resistant to change and new ideas - not invented here syndrome. Becoming more of a standard chemical/petrochemical company but with less MBA's.

Advice to Senior Management

While companies have to change to world events, Eastman still appears to be reacting to events with growth coming from old platforms. While management has done an excellent job in maintaining these areas, this is their comfort zone. A bottom up management style won't change the culture.

Pros

Highly process oriented
Solid work force that works well together

Cons

Needs management overhaul - more focus on creating new opportunities in the market

Advice to Senior Management

Get better talent in the VP and higher ranks - especially with marketing/go-to-market skills

Pros

Family focus, nice people, caring

Cons

Lack of advancement, risk aversion, minimal performance culture

Advice to Senior Management

Believe Jim is taking Eastman in the right direction by focusing more on individual performance and accomplishment.