Eastman Tops Inaugural "JUST 100" List in the Chemical Industry, Published by JUST Capital and Forbes

  

For release November 30 after 10:00 a.m. ET

New Rankings Recognize Companies Performing Best on American Public's Priorities

KINGSPORT, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2016 - Eastman Chemical Company EMN has been named America's Most JUST Company in the chemical industry, according to JUST Capital and Forbes magazine's inaugural "JUST 100 List," which for the first time ranks the publicly traded companies in the U.S. that perform best on the things Americans care most about. The rankings are based on one of the largest surveys ever conducted on attitudes towards corporate behavior, involving 50,000 Americans over the last 18 months. This year's list ranks U.S companies against their peers within 32 major industries. In future years, Forbes and JUST Capital will rank companies across industries.

"It's very gratifying to know that the issues that matter most to Americans are the same as those that matter most to us at Eastman. All throughout the company, we recognize the responsibility we have to all of our stakeholders - employees, customers, communities, investors - and we take that responsibility very seriously," said Mark Costa, Chairman and CEO. "We are honored by this recognition and to be named alongside so many notable companies. I am proud of the culture we have at Eastman and am grateful to our global team of hardworking employees who come to work each day determined to create value today and for generations to come."

The top six issues ranked highly by the American public, in order, were: providing a fair pay for industry and job level; non-discrimination in hiring, firing, and promotion practices; providing a safe workplace; following laws and regulations; respecting workers; and creating jobs in the U.S. JUST's scoring system is weighted to reflect the relative importance of the public's stated priorities.

 "Eastman believes an inclusive, global culture where everyone can do their best work makes our company and communities stronger. That's why we invest the time and resources to develop a long-term strategy and support initiatives across the company that underscore our commitment to our values - safety and wellness, sustainability, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and high ethics and integrity," said Costa. "Living by these principles enables us to consistently deliver value to our stakeholders while also ensuring a positive future for our company."

JUST Capital conducted its survey in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution that delivers data and rigorous analysis to guide programmatic, business, and policy decisions. JUST then evaluated the performance of over 890 publicly traded companies against the priorities that emerged in the survey and created a ranking model to develop the JUST 100. This selection of companies draws from the Russell 1000 Index, which represents over 90 percent of the U.S. stock market value.

"The JUST 100 celebrates the best of American business," said Martin Whittaker, CEO of JUST Capital. "These amazing companies show that in America today the best companies do right by all their stakeholders - and by listening to the voice of the American people. We salute all of the JUST 100 companies and look forward to working with them to help more companies understand that JUST behavior and commercial success can go hand-in-hand."

"The JUST 100 List is the most authoritative, unbiased source of data about how corporations perform on the things people in the U.S. care about most. The list combines powerful insights into how Americans feel about corporate behavior with an unprecedented view of how our leading corporations stack up," said Forbes editor Randall Lane. "We're thrilled to partner with JUST Capital in recognizing the companies that are leading the way in exhibiting JUST corporate behavior." 

For the complete list, including the winners in each of 32 industries, and more feature stories, visit: www.forbes.com/just100. JUST Capital's full methodology is available online atjustcapital.com/methodology as both an interactive guide and a comprehensive report. The inaugural JUST 100 list will appear in Forbes magazine's December 20^th "Impact and Philanthropy" issue. JUST Capital will also make the rankings accessible and sortable on its website, justcapital.com. Its interactive "Explorer" tool goes inside the rankings to show how companies were scored.

About Eastman

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in approximately 100 countries and had 2015 revenues of approximately $9.6 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 15,000 people around the world. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.

About JUST Capital

The JUST Capital Foundation (justcapital.com) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in 2013, that is establishing the definitive source of information and rankings on how large publicly traded corporations measure up against the American people's definition of JUST business behavior. The organization's mission is to leverage the power of the markets to drive positive change on the issues Americans care most about. Chaired and co-founded by Paul Tudor Jones II, and led by a staff with a breadth of finance, social sector, and technology experience, the Foundation's board includes Ray Chambers, Jeff Walker, Marc Morial, Ann Veneman, Dan Hesse, Deepak Chopra, and Arianna Huffington, amongst others.

About Forbes Media

Forbes Media is a global media, branding and technology company, with a focus on news and information about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and affluent lifestyles. The company publishes Forbes, Forbes Asia, and Forbes Europe magazines as well as Forbes.com. The Forbes brand today reaches 98 million people worldwide with its business message each month through its magazines and 37 licensed local editions around the globe, Forbes.com, TV, conferences, research and social and mobile platforms. Forbes Media's brand extensions include conferences, real estate, education, financial services and technology license agreements.

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Contacts:

Media:  Tracy Kilgore Addington
423-224-0498 / tracy@eastman.com

Investors:  Greg Riddle
212-835-1620 / griddle@eastman.com