Biesterfeld, Eastman expand distribution partnership into Southern Africa
The agreement takes effect immediately.
SOUTH AFRICA – Biesterfeld, a distributor and service provider specializing in polymers, rubber, speciality chemicals and ingredients, has expanded its partnership with Eastman, appointing its local business, Aerontec, to distribute Eastman’s coatings and inks portfolio across Southern Africa.
The agreement covers South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Eswatini, Namibia, Malawi and Botswana.
The product range includes Eastman Texanol ester alcohol, Advantex neutralizing amine additive, Solus performance additive, Tetrashield protective resin system and Optifilm enhancers.
It also includes Eastman Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB), Chlorinated Polyolefins (CPO), Methyl Isoamyl Ketone (MIAK) and Methyl n-Amyl Ketone (MAK).
According to the companies, Biesterfeld and Aerontec will support customers in the region with formulation expertise, technical service, local presence, and a warehousing network.
Joachim Diem, Global Business Manager CASE at Biesterfeld, stated, “This new appointment builds on the 30-year collaboration between Eastman and Biesterfeld across several European countries and takes our business relationship to the next level.”
“We are very proud to become Eastman’s authorized distributor for coatings and inks solutions in the region and are fully committed to delivering great value and dedicated support to our customers.”
The products serve applications across architectural, automotive and industrial coatings, as well as commercial and packaging inks.
Depending on the product, they can be used in formulations such as paints, automotive clear coats, printing inks and other graphic arts products.
Stavroula Liakopoulou, Eastman’s regional sales leader, said Southern Africa is an important and expanding market for the company’s coatings and inks solutions.
She added that the appointment is intended to ensure regional customers continue to receive Eastman’s technical expertise, quality and innovation.
Eastman Chemical Company is a major supplier of speciality materials and ingredients for the global coatings industry, serving a wide range of markets including architectural, automotive, transportation, aerospace, industrial, protective and marine, wood, textile, paper, coil, consumer electronics, and metal packaging coatings.
The company provides high-performance raw materials that enhance coating durability, adhesion, chemical resistance, appearance, and sustainability.
Its coatings portfolio includes cellulose esters marketed under the Solus™ brand, adhesion promoters such as Advantis™, resin intermediates, protective resin systems including Tetrashield™, coalescents, solvents, and neutralizing amines.
These products improve coating properties such as flow and levelling, UV stability, flexibility, gloss, corrosion protection, and film formation, while helping formulators meet evolving performance and regulatory requirements.
The company is particularly well positioned in industrial, architectural, automotive, packaging, and protective coatings, where coating manufacturers use its speciality additives and resins to develop high-performance and increasingly sustainable coating formulations.
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