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Eastman celebrates fourth consecutive EPA energy award

KINGSPORT — Eastman Chemical Co. celebrated its fourth consecutive Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Award and hailed the Sullivan County and Kingsport school systems for signing up to be Energy Star partners on Wednesday.In front of about 100 employees and community partners, Eastman marked its 2015 Energy Star Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award during its celebration and Earth Day Expo held at the Toy F. Reid Employee Center.

Published 9 years ago | About a 2 minute read

In front of about 100 employees and community partners, Eastman marked its 2015 Energy Star Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award during its celebration and Earth Day Expo held at the Toy F. Reid Employee Center.

“To be selected (Energy Star) Partner of the Year is kind of a big deal,” Eastman Chief Legal Officer David Golden told the group at the event featuring displays by several local organizations, including Appalachian Sustainable Development, Bays Mountain, Good Sports Always Recycle, Healthy Kingsport, Keep Kingsport Beautiful, and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

Eastman credits the Energy Star program with providing a proven strategy helping the Kingsport-based company achieve measurable reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. EPA introduced the program in 1992.

“We are committed to sustainability and energy responsibility,” observed Mark Cox, Eastman senior vice president and chief manufacturing and engineering officer. “ ... It is no accident we have been able to drive the kind of improvements we have. We really needed a champion to do that.”

That champion, said Cox, has been Sharon Nolen, manager of Eastman’s worldwide energy program.

Cox noted in recent years that Eastman’s global portfolio of sites has grown from 20 to about 50-plus.

“Energy management is critical to our long-term performance, but it’s more than a cost management issue,” Cox pointed out. “It’s something we’re committed to strongly as the right thing to do.”

In 2014, Cox said Eastman invested more than $10 million toward energy improvement projects.

Since 2008, Eastman’s energy intensity footprint has improved by nearly 10 percent. Two of Eastman’s Kingsport buildings also won U.S. Department of Energy awards for energy use reduction, Cox added.

Eastman Chairman and CEO Mark Costa insisted the company, as Tennessee’s largest industrial manufacturer, is taking sustainability seriously.

“The impact we make is important,” Costa said. “I think it’s great to see this kind of commitment ... We’ve won this award four times, which is four times more than anyone else in the chemical industry ... I’m incredibly proud of our energy management team ... Sustainability is the number one driver of our growth.”