Premium Beauty News - What does Eastman represent today in the world of packaging for the cosmetics industry?
Valérie Bouvignies - Eastman’s plastic fibers and materials are key products our customers rely on to make products people use every day. Headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, Eastman had 2009 sales of US$5 billion and has approximately 10,000 staff worldwide. On the plastic side, Eastman used to be the leader in the area of polyester chemistry and has recently refocused on specialty plastics, which include both copolyesters and cellulosics.
Copolyesters whose main features combine aesthetic (transparency and thickness) and mechanical properties and excellent chemical resistance have a natural fit in the cosmetics and personal care (CPC) segment and are known under the brand name The Glass Polymer.
The Glass Polymer includes a larger family of grades that can be used in Injection moulding, extrusion blow moulding and injection stretch blow moulding. Common applications are jars, caps, perfume caps, bottles.
The Glass polymer is available on CPC sub-segments like skin and body care, fragrances, and colour cosmetics. The CPC segment is one of the priority markets for Eastman. The team is active all along the value chain where we strive to meet market needs, in particular with the introduction of new grades.
Premium Beauty News - What were your main achievements in product developments in 2010?
Valérie Bouvignies - Talking about new developments,Eastman launched a new grade in 2010, the CN. This grade is dedicated to injection moulding and specially developed for cosmetic needs. It is a new generation of PCTA, which complements the existing range with significant breakthroughs. It has a high level of clarity, a very neutral colour. It enables to run extremely thick parts with minimum thin marks, and no crystallization nor blush at gate with as always the same mechanical and chemical resistance properties copolyesters are famous for. Its easy processing also makes it very attractive for processors and represents a major change in comparison with traditional copolyesters.
In a nut shell we could say, this grade has the best of copolyesters properties in a single resin.
Premium Beauty News - You have implemented a specific strategy for the make-up industry with the help of an American designer.
Valérie Bouvignies - The fact of having a brand and a brand image which are recognized in the continuity requires to have it evolve continuously. To achieve this, Eastman, chose to stage the CN market launch and to enhance this innovation through the design of packaging concepts. Eastman initiated the partnership with the designer Marc Rosen in 2009.
Marc first worked on jars concepts and then in 2010 presented the" the Art of clarity "through 18 packaging concepts for the make-up segment. The concepts designed by Marc Rosen became reality thanks to the commitment and motivation of partner transformers who participated in creating them. Among those manufacturers are Leidel Corporation (USA), Pieriplast (Peru), Axilone (China), Plasmetik (China), Jackel (Hong kong) and Albea (Brazil).
Premium Beauty News - Does your group intend to invest more in this sector?
Valérie Bouvignies - The CPC is a fast moving market on which we permanently invest in. They may relate to specific innovations in the cosmetics market or concern more global issues, such as reducing the environmental impact.
Premium Beauty News - What are the main strategic regions for Eastman in the world. Does France still represent an exception?
Valérie Bouvignies - Asia and emerging regions like Latin America are obviously strategic on the CPC segment. However, Europe still remains a strategic region as a primary spot for innovation and we mustt not forget that perfume and its legendary luxury brands are always associated to France
