Council members in Paris, TX have approved an ordinance designating a proposed manufacturing project at Kimberly-Clark’s Paris Plant as an Enterprise Project through the Texas Enterprise Zone Program. The Enterprise Project Designation will allow Kimberly-Clark to pursue incentives from the state of Texas in support of a proposed five-year plan to invest more than $100 million in the plant.
Founded in 1983, Kimberly-Clark’s Paris Plant produces and distributes diapers and training pants under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, GoodNites and Little Swimmers brands. The plant’s workforce of more than 600 K-C employees as well as 200 contract workers runs a 24-hour/seven-days-a-week operation and is vying for investment that will add diaper and training pant capacity and improve the site's overall capability and efficiency.
The ordinance passed today simply qualifies Kimberly-Clark to apply to the state’s Economic Development Bank for rebates of future state sales taxes on new investments at the Paris plant. The timing was dictated by the expiration in 2016 of the previous Enterprise Project Designation the Council approved in 2011 and word of the proposed new investment.
“The City of Paris is proud to support a quality, longstanding employer like Kimberly-Clark in their pursuit of state incentives. We recognize that manufacturing investment is a competitive process for global companies operating in multiple states and countries,” says Michael Paris, executive director for the Paris EDC.
James Alspaugh, K-C Paris plant manager, adds, “Our employees and company greatly appreciate the 33-year partnership with the city of Paris and surrounding community. The motivated workforce and community support here have helped ensure more Huggies than ever are “Made in Paris” and the council’s support today will help us secure EZ benefits and land investment to propel us into the future.”