NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) March 28, 2002-- Standard&Poor's said today it assigned its triple-'B' rating to Eastman Chemical Co.'s proposed $400 million senior unsecured notes due 2012 and affirmed its triple-'B' corporate credit rating and its 'A-2' commercial paper rating on the company. Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman, with about $5.4 billion of annual sales and approximately $2.2 billion of outstanding debt, ranks among the larger diversified chemical companies in North America. The outlook is stable. "The ratings incorporate Eastman's above-average business profile, reflecting solid market and cost positions in most of its chemicals, plastics, and fibers businesses, as well as expectations for prudent financial management policies," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Kyle Loughlin. The firm's business profile
