Kimberly-Clark Corporation will invest $2 billion over the next five years in its North America business, marking the company’s largest domestic expansion in more than 30 years. Amid rising demand for its consumer brands, which include Huggies diapers, Kleenex® tissue, Depend incontinence products, Scott kitchen towels, and Cottonelle bath tissue, these investments will significantly enhance its US manufacturing capacity, accelerate its innovation plans and support its ambitious growth targets. This broad-based investment program centers on two transformative projects: a new advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, OH, and an expansion of its Beech Island, SC, site with a state-of-the-art automated distribution center. It also includes additional capital expenditure linked to innovation and automation upgrades across its North America supply chain network.
These projects are expected to create more than 900 highly skilled jobs in industrial automation and advanced manufacturing.
“This landmark investment represents a strategic bet on the American consumer and our ability to drive innovation-led sustainable growth for Kimberly-Clark,” says Russ Torres, Group President, Kimberly-Clark North America. “It reflects the confidence we have in our long-term growth plans and complements a broad range of commercial and R&D investments we have been making throughout the business as part of our Powering Care transformation journey.”
The new facility in Warren, OH, strategically located in geographic proximity to roughly 117 million consumers will serve as a vital hub for the Northeast and Midwest regions. It will be spread across more than a million square feet and provide the capacity needed to unleash future growth for Kimberly-Clark’s fastest growing personal care categories. Its proprietary manufacturing technologies will enable the creation of new and improved next-generation consumer products, rooted in material invention, product engineering, and manufacturing process innovation.
“We welcome Kimberly-Clark’s first investment in Ohio,” says Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Kimberly-Clark has advanced-production facilities all over the world, and the fact that they are now coming to Trumbull County says a great deal about the area’s workforce and Ohio’s leadership in rebuilding the domestic manufacturing supply.”
“Kimberly-Clark’s decision to make its first Ohio investment in Trumbull County would not have happened without close collaboration from our partner at Lake to River as well as at the state and local level to establish a site that is attractive for both rapid development and long-term growth,” says JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “We all look forward to working closely alongside Kimberly-Clark as it launches its new cutting-edge manufacturing facility,” he added.
Meanwhile, a new Regional Distribution Center (DC) in Beech Island, SC, will create the infrastructure necessary to support future scale and unlock network efficiencies. Located next to the company’s largest manufacturing facility, the automated DC will significantly increase the site’s ability to direct-ship and streamline its distribution footprint. The facility will leverage advanced robotics, AI-powered logistics systems, and high-density automated storage to dramatically improve operational efficiencies and fast-track speed to market.
“These investments in North America represent the strong progress we are making on our end-to-end supply chain transformation, specifically in terms of network optimization,” said Tamera Fenske, Kimberly-Clark Chief Supply Chain Officer. “By bringing together manufacturing and distribution under one automated roof, we are building a more agile, responsive, and resilient manufacturing network that will enhance service levels for our retail partners and contribute to our gross productivity plan. Beech Island is the largest site in our network, so this new investment will drive impact at scale,” she added.
The announcement comes one year after Kimberly-Clark launched its company-wide transformation initiative – the most comprehensive in its 150-year history. The investment underscores how the company is executing against its strategy to deliver on global growth targets, with North America positioned to be a key growth driver. Construction for both facilities is scheduled to begin in May 2025 and expected to be completed over the next 2-3 years.
