A major £23m investment in a new production line at Kimberly-Clark’s Flint facility has been completed.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The investment, which creates 35 new, well-paid jobs, was backed by £160,000 business finance from the Welsh Government and helped secure the project for Wales as a number of potential manufacturing locations were considered for this expansion. The new jobs include process leaders, maintenance technicians and skilled equipment operators.
The news has been welcomed by Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure Ken Skates who described it as another excellent investment.
He said:
“This is a strategically important investment for Kimberly-Clark’s facility in Wales that will further embed this key employer into the regional economy.
“I am also pleased to note that it also marks a new strategic collaboration between Welsh Government and Kimberly-Clark that is not only creating direct jobs but also supporting employment through the supply chain.”
The new production line is accommodated in a 2,642 square metre extension and provides the additional capacity needed to support entry into new markets as well as meeting the high growth anticipated in emerging markets.
Significant growth is projected in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region over the next five years while existing, developed markets in Europe are expected to grow at a rate of nearly 5% up to 2020.
Graham Tongue, Kimberly-Clark Site Manager, Flint Mill said:
“We are delighted that our new Huggies wet wipes facility has given us the opportunity to attract new talent to Flint, complementing our existing highly-skilled and experienced team. I am confident that by working in partnership we will deliver world class results”
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Kimberly-Clark is a Fortune 500 company with some 43,000 employees worldwide. Kimberly-Clark in the UK employs about 1600 people across three corporate and three manufacturing sites and produces brands that are household names around the world like Andrex, Kleenex and Huggies, in addition to many professional products.
The 96 acre Flint site is home to two Kimberly-Clark production facilities employing 209 staff. Flint Mill is part of the K-C Consumer Business and following a £40m investment in 2003 now exclusively manufacturers Huggies baby wipes.
Coleshill Mill, part of Kimberly-Clark Professional Business, was constructed in 1991 and manufactures folded and rolled bathroom tissue and wiper products for professional customers.