Eastman Chemical lands in Palm Beach amid push for recycled plastics growth

Eastman Chemical flew from its Tri-Cities, Tennessee, home base (KTRI) to Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI) on May 17, 2026, a 93-minute hop aboard its Gulfstream G450, N494EC. The flight arrives the same week the company is leaning into a volatile market for recycled plastics, with CEO Mark Costa telling investors in early May that new business for its circular platform set a record in the first quarter, per [resource-recycling.com](https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2026/05/05/eastman-cites-rpet-adoption-for-growth/).

Palm Beach is a hub for private equity and consumer-goods executives—potential buyers for Eastman's Renew line of recycled copolyesters and RPET from its Kingsport methanolysis plant. The company has been racing to build sales in packaging and durables after delays in a second Texas facility, as outlined in its Q4 earnings call covered by [resource-recycling.com](https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2026/02/02/eastman-q4-2025-update/). Costa, known for championing sustainability as a growth lever, may be courting brand owners or investors in the region.

The trip follows a pattern of Florida visits: earlier this month, the G450 made multiple stops in the Bahamas and West Palm Beach area. Eastman's corporate aircraft often shuttles executives between Kingsport and key customer or partner locations, and Palm Beach's concentration of wealth and business interests makes it a logical stop for high-level talks on the circular economy.