Pros

Family culture for the most part was good and the employee benefits was above average for the area. Community relations is excellent.

Cons

Top heavy management that doesn't acknowledge the average working Joe's abilities and work ethic.

Advice to Senior Management

There is a lot of weight at the top and at most all upper management levels. Operations personnel are carring the weight of the company. Reward them more.

Pros

Eastman is in a good location. Promotional opportunities are ok. The company generally stays up to date on current technology.

Cons

I am not conficent that Eastman salaries are comparable nationally. The company thinks they are family oriented. I do not believe that senior management values people. They tend to take local people working there for granted. Kingsport is a one major employer town.

Advice to Senior Management

Quit spending like a drunken sailor and then telling employees we are in a recession and that cuts are inevitable.. Lots of landscaping and beautification when the company and the economy are tanking.

Pros

They take their co-op program very seriously. The plant site in Kingsport is very large so there is a wide array of opportunities for students to gain experience. Mentors and supervisors work hard at helping new employees become acclimated with the environment. You are allowed to work on meaningful projects that are challenging and exciting. Benefits are excellent for a co-op position. The company seems to take very god care of their employees, through encouraging them to improve their health and by allowing flexible work schedules. All of the employees are easy to work with and a joy to be around. Everyone is helpful and polite. Their commitment to safety is outstanding, you can be sure you will be safe as long as you are smart about doing your job.

Cons

Not much to say here, if you are OK with living in the middle of nowhere TN.

Advice to Senior Management

None.

Pros

Ability to grow in a stable corporate environment. East Tennessee is an incredibly nice place to live and raise a family. The cost of living is very low compared to most parts of the United States.

Cons

Eastman relies on its location to protect its workforce. Although the company claims to provide competitive pay for professional and management positions on a national basis, it does not. The same positions ofter pay better at competitors which reside in other geographies. Most people stay at Eastman for their entire careers, and Eastman develops really good people for management roles. Unfortunately, ability to obtain higher level roles is often a function of timing rather than a reflection on the individual's capability in the marketplace.

Advice to Senior Management

You need to take a tough look at your compensation practices. Really talented people have left the company due to not being offered advancement or meaningful increases (i.e. significantly above the cost of inflation). You also need to recalibrate the rewards system. Middle management is hesitant to give any awards over $500-1000 even when the accomplishments are worth millions.

Pros

The atmosphere is great; co-workers, flex time, etc are all wonderful.

Cons

Small town, but there are lots of "outdoor" recreational activiites.

Advice to Senior Management

Always solicit feedback from "the little people".

Pros

The company is secure financially and has implemented various measures to stay that way. The CEO, Brian Ferguson, makes it a point to send out communications to all employees advising on any effect on our company a Hurricane, or a wall street meltdown, will likely have. Most BU's have a "Family" feel to them as everyone seems to genuinely have an interest in how you are doing.

Cons

Eastman still has a somewhat "Good Old Boy" system of promotion. Openings get posted but for the most part the person who will fill the opening is prechosen, so the posting is meerly to appease the one's who will not be chosen. If one really wants to move up one must align themselves with fast movers and ride their coattails

Advice to Senior Management

To keep up the good work. 5 or 6 years ago this company was poised for a big fall, but through Brian's leadership the company is strong. The only changes I would look at would be some of the mid level management that keeps the good ole boy/buddy promotion system in tact.

Pros

Salary, benefits, great people, opportunities

Cons

I have no issues with Eastman

Advice to Senior Management

Employees do make the difference. We are a great company because of the people and leadership that exist in all areas of our company not just Senior Management.

Pros

Best place to work in the area - Benefits are pretty good - Pay is best in the area - Growing company with exciting plans to grow in the future - doing very well as a chemical company right now - good communication and openness with employees on future plans and goals of the company

Cons

Best place to work in area... if you want a similar job with comparable benefits and pay you'd have to relocate. Reclassifications/promotions/recognition do not always seem fair across the board. IT sometimes seems to be the forgotten or unrecognized group in the company. IT over the past few years has cut a great deal of budget but the workload has increased

Advice to Senior Management

.

Pros

Eastman Chemical is, unfortunately, the only game in town in Kingsport TN. They are one of the best (and only) large employers in the area, which isn't saying much.

Cons

Horrendously inhumane management (they know they have a captive workforce) and poor working conditions make this a company, if at all possible, to avoid. There is a tremendous sense that you are a meaningless pawn if you aren't either management or have a PhD (from the management's chosen schools). The politics of the place are at least as bad as anything on Wall Street, but with a southern flare.

Advice to Senior Management

Resign. If not that, you might try listening to your employees, and at the very least, try not to screw your employees first when your profits go down like you generally do.