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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2
For Release After 7:00 a.m. (EDT)
Wednesday, April 28, 1999


                                    
EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY:               LAWTER INTERNATIONAL,
                                        INC.:
Rod Irvin, APR                          Mark Joslin
Director, Corporate Communications      CFO
PHONE: (423) 229-4008                   PHONE: (414) 947-7300




EMAIL: rodirvin@eastman.com             EMAIL: joslin@lawter.com



       EASTMAN TO ACQUIRE LAWTER INTERNATIONAL, INC. FOR $12.25 PER SHARE

KINGSPORT, Tenn. and PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis.--April 28, 1999--Eastman Chemical
Company (NYSE-EMN) and Lawter International, Inc. (NYSE-LAW) today announced
that their boards of directors have approved a definitive merger agreement under
which Eastman will acquire the shares of Lawter for approximately $400 million
in cash. Including debt, the transaction is valued at approximately $500
million.

Under the terms of the agreement, Eastman will commence a tender offer to
purchase all outstanding shares of Lawter common stock for $12.25 per share in
cash. Lawter's board of directors has approved the merger agreement and
recommended that Lawter stockholders tender their shares. Following completion
of the tender offer, Eastman intends to consummate a cash merger to acquire any
shares not previously tendered. Lawter has approximately 33 million shares
outstanding on a diluted basis.

The transaction, which will be accounted for as a purchase, is anticipated to be
accretive to Eastman's earnings in the first full year after the merger. The
transaction increases Eastman's presence in the coatings, inks, resins and
adhesives markets to approximately one billion dollars in annual revenues.

"This transaction represents a significant step in Eastman's strategy of
pursuing growth opportunities in specialty chemicals, which are characterized by
higher earnings and lower cyclicality," said Earnest W. Deavenport, Jr.,
Eastman's Chairman and CEO.

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"Lawter has 59 years of experience focusing on satisfying customers in the inks
market," Deavenport said. "We are very excited about this acquisition and look
forward to welcoming Lawter employees to Eastman."

Bruce Moore, Vice President and General Manager of Coatings, Inks & Resins at
Eastman, said, "This acquisition creates value by leveraging our combined
strengths in customer relationships, global manufacturing and new product
development. We expect the combined business to grow at a significantly faster
rate than either business could on a stand-alone basis, offering our customers a
multitude of products and technology from a single source," he said.

John O'Mahoney, Chairman and CEO of Lawter International, said, "This agreement
is in line with our strategic goals and philosophy. It benefits our
shareholders, our employees and our customers. Our customers will benefit from
the combination of Lawter's and Eastman's technical and operating capabilities,
a renewed commitment to research supporting a broader product line and
strengthening our ability to be the supplier of choice in an evolving industry."

The tender offer is conditioned, among other things, upon a minimum tender of
50.1 percent of the outstanding Lawter shares on a fully diluted basis and
receipt of regulatory approvals. Merrill Lynch & Co. acted as the financial
advisor to Eastman in connection with this transaction. ABN AMRO Inc. served as
financial advisor to Lawter.

Headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., Lawter International, Inc. is a
worldwide leader in the development, production and marketing of specialty
products for the inks and coatings markets. Lawter, which employs approximately
600 people, reported sales of US$213 million in 1998.

Headquartered in Kingsport, Tenn., Eastman manufactures and markets plastics,
chemicals and fibers. The company employs 16,000 people in more than 30
countries and had 1998 sales of US$4.48 billion.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT http://www.eastman.com AND
http://www.lawter.com


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                            FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This release contains forward-looking statements within the definition of the
Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although the
companies believe that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions,
they can give no assurance that their goals will be achieved. The words
"estimates," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," and "intends,"
variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements
are necessarily based upon various assumptions involving judgements with respect
to the future including, among others, the ability to achieve synergies and
revenue enhancements; national, international, regional and local economic,
competitive and regulatory conditions and developments; technological
developments; and other uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and
many of which are beyond the control of the companies. Accordingly, while the
companies believe that the assumptions are reasonable, there can be no assurance
that they will approximate actual experience, or that the expectations will be
realized. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in the two
companies' SEC reports.

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