Eastman Chemical Co. plans to increase copolyester capacity at its plant in Kuantan, Malaysia.
The move will result in 20 percent more capacity for glycol-modified PET at the site during the first quarter of 2018, officials with Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman said in an Aug. 21 news release.
"This expansion positions Eastman to meet the increasing global demand we're seeing for our copolyester materials," specialty plastics vice president and general manager Burt Capel said in the release.
He added that the investment "further solidifies Eastman's commitment to the Asia Pacific region and to providing our customers around the world with the highest quality materials in the market."
The Kuantan site makes several copolyesters, including those sold under the Spectar and Eastar trade names.
Eastman is a global specialty plastics and chemicals firm with annual sales of about $9 billion. The firm employs around 14,000 worldwide.