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WARREN, Ohio – The $800 million manufacturing plant that Kimberly-Clark Corp. is constructing on the former Republic Steel property, less than a mile from Warren’s Courthouse Square, will represent change for the Mahoning Valley for years to come, Marty Loney reflects.

Loney is president of the Western Reserve Building Trades, which is composed of labor unions in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, several members of which are working on the plant.

He also serves as chairman of the Western Reserve Port Authority, which sold 560 acres of the Republic site – mostly in Howland Township, with the remainder in Warren Township and a small piece in the city of Warren – to Kimberly-Clark in late 2023. WRPA also entered into capital lease agreements with the company for the plant now being built and a potential $160 million regional distribution center under consideration.

“This is generational change,” he says.

The new facility, which will span more than 1 million square feet, will allow Kimberly-Clark to expand production of its fastest-growing personal care categories.

“Our proprietary manufacturing technologies will enable next generation product innovation, driven by advances in material science, product engineering and sophisticated manufacturing processes,” says Trey Simpson, manager of the Warren plant.

About 10 months after the global paper products manufacturer announced it would move forward with the plant – its first in Ohio and 17th in the United States – construction is right on schedule, Tom Williamson, director of enterprise capital programs for Kimberly-Clark, affirms.

Diana Rife, managing director-sites, for JobsOhio, recalls touring the Republic property about a decade ago, as preparations were being made to dismantle the buildings and machinery there. She returned to tour the property in January when she was in the Mahoning Valley for an event in North Jackson.

Her reaction to what she saw taking place could be summed up as “a while lot of wow,” she remarks. The state approved a Job Creation Tax Credit for the property and provided $17.2 million in grants and loans to construct an access road for the property.

“It’s pretty exciting to think that Trumbull County was able to attract a Fortune 500 company, a new Fortune 500 company, to Ohio,” Rife comments. “That’s pretty impressive for that area.” She also sees potential for the county to grow as the company grows.

“Our new Warren facility is strategically positioned near roughly 117 million consumers, making it a powerful hub for the Northeast and Midwest,” Simpson says. “The site’s location and scale give Kimberly-Clark flexibility for future operations that could complement the currently planned facility.”

While the harsh winter slowed some of the exterior finishing work, construction remains on pace, according to Williamson. Kimberly-Clark expects to install the plant’s first major piece of manufacturing equipment later this year, with production planned to begin in the first half of 2027. Utility equipment is being delivered now.

Major manufacturing assets will arrive at the plant “in carefully staged phases over the next several years” `as the plant ramps up toward full production capacity in the 2029-2030 span, ‘ Williamson says. “It’s exciting to see everything coming together as planned,” he remarks.

The facility will feature modern automation that will enhance performance and efficiency. “This increases the need for highly skilled roles focused on problem solving, machine adjustments, performance monitoring, documentation, and continuous improvement,” says Simpson, the plant manager.

South Carolina VisitSouth Carolina Visit

Loney, along with key WRPA staff and most of its board of directors, was among the local business, civic and community leaders who visited Kimberly-Clark’s plant in Beech Island, S.C., before the deal was reached for the company to buy the former Republic property from WRPA for more than $9.9 million. The South Carolina plant has been in operation for more than 50 years, according to Anthony Trevena, WRPA’s executive director.

Property utilization at the Trumbull plant is expected to be similar to that at Beech Island, which is now getting a regional distribution center.

“It was an incredibly impressive site,” Trevena remarks. “They’re making tissues. They’re making personal care products. There’s quite a lot of offerings that are being made there.”

The South Carolina plant was probably one of the cleanest such plants Loney says he has visited. “What really kind of stuck out with me is the people that work there were just extremely happy to be there,” he remarks.

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin, who also joined the local delegation for the Beech Island visit, was similarly impressed with the operation there. He described the environment of the workplace as “excellent” in terms of cleanliness, safety precautions and addressing environmental concerns.

“They checked all the boxes for being a great company and a great fit for our community,” he says. “I think we were impressed with their operations, and I think they were impressed with what we had to offer in terms of location, land availability, a business model, cooperation between communities, and the willingness to just come for a personal site visit.”

Local Labor, VendorsLocal Labor, Vendors

Roughly 350 tradespeople are on-site as construction activity accelerates, Williamson says. An estimated 60% to 70% are from the Youngstown-Warren area, he reports.

Tradespeople at the site include operators, plumbers, pipefitters, laborers, iron workers, roofers, electricians, sheet metal workers, bricklayers, painters, carpenters and cement finishers, according to Loney.

Lake to River Economic Development, the regional JobsOhio partner that covers Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties, is among the entities that has worked with Kimberly-Clark since before the May 2025 announcement. It provided introductory economic development services, Sarah Boyarko, Lake to River’s vice president, economic development, recalls.

“They inquired about accessing suppliers and service providers in the region, and they had an interest in using local or regional [provider] as much as possible,” she says. Lake to River made direct introductions and scheduled meetings, connecting them with suppliers based on specific criteria provided by the company.

“All of those conversations went well, and it was an opportunity to talk about immediate needs of the company and then long-term support,” she continues. “It was partially to build long-term relationships with some of those companies that they know they will have a need for down the road relative to parts and repair services and so forth.”

Lake to River also served as a point of contact for local companies, introducing them to Kimberly-Clark staff to be considered as a supplier or service provider. The organization also continues to work with Kimberly-Clark through the process of obtaining incentives and to serve as a resource when opportunities are presented.

“The project is proudly partnering with numerous construction-related vendors across the Mahoning Valley and throughout Ohio,” Williamson says. Once manufacturing begins, raw materials will be sourced from a blend of regional, national and global suppliers.

Plant EmploymentPlant Employment

To staff the plant, Kimberly-Clark is “building momentum on the talent front,” Simpson reports. Five members of the leadership team have been hired, and recruitment to fill hourly positions is underway.

“The first groups of new employees will join us in April and June, and we expect to welcome roughly 150 team members by the end of 2026,” he says.

Online job postings show pay rates ranging from around $80,000 to one paying about $150,000 Trevena says. Postings included openings for an occupational health nurse and in quality management, manufacturing, engineering and plant environment and sustainability leadership.

“Those are great jobs,” Trevena says.

Training begins as soon as they are brought on board, utilizing “a dynamic mix of on-site learning, collaborations with other Kimberly-Clark facilities and partnerships with local technical education providers,” Simpson says.

“This model will continue growing and evolving as hiring expands,” he adds.

The plant will support “a vibrant mix of roles,” including operators, maintenance technicians, automation specialists, quality professionals, logistics personnel and engineering position. Simpson anticipates most frontline roles will be filled by local talent, with experienced Kimberly-Clark employees brought in to “help train, coach and strengthen the team.”

Training will involve a blended approach that includes classroom instruction, digital learning and hands-on mentorship, ensuring each employee builds necessary skills.

Applicants who stand out would possess a strong safety mindset and experience recognizing workplace hazards; comfort with computer-based systems; the ability to work effectively in a high-performance team environment; experience owning or operating a small business; and mechanical aptitude.

“As with many manufacturing operations nationwide, positions such as electrical engineers and maintenance technicians are in high demand,” he adds. “However, we’re confident that the opportunity to help launch a brand-new facility – combined with career growth and stable schedules – will make Warren an attractive destination for top talent.”

Community ImpactCommunity Impact

The company arrives at a time when the area has lost major employers that were generous supporters of the community, Christine Cope, president and CEO of United Way of Trumbull County, says.

“I don’t believe they have reached the point in their timeline to begin conversations about how they plan to support our community,” she adds. “However, both the corporation and its employees are committed to a strong culture of giving back. I am confident that our community will benefit not only from the new jobs being created but also from their commitment to advancing the well-being of individuals, families and communities.”

Williamson says Kimberly-Clark is committed to being a responsible, long-term neighbor.

“We’ve collaborated closely with local governments on traffic planning, infrastructure improvements, and road enhancements to support sustained growth.” he says. The Warren plant team and general contractor, Rudolph-Libbe Group, donated nearly $17,000 to local and national charities, according to Williamson.

What the Future HoldsWhat the Future Holds

Williamson wasn’t definitive regarding when a decision might be announced on the regional distribution center, only saying that an update on plans is expected later this year.

Kimberly-Clark has not made commitments regarding all the possibilities for the site, Trevena acknowledges. If the community continues to “open the door to further development” and works well with the company, its presence is “an absolute game changer for the Mahoning Valley,” he agrees.

“They’re good communicators on what their plans are and what they want to do,” Trevena remarks. “They were very open with us when we were looking at them coming here about what they wanted to do, how their processes work and how they work with their employees.”

Kimberly-Clark’s investment represents “a long-lasting catalyst for the Warren area,” Simpson says. During the four- to five-year buildout of the first phase, the project is expected to support some 491 jobs and generate about $4.9 million in annual payroll.

The site’s location and scale give Kimberly-Clark flexibility for growth.

“This partnership can go a long way and hopefully expand, because we do have the workforce to be able to handle any type of manufacturing jobs that they would have,” Loney says. “This can be a really good thing for us.”

My Thoughts 💭My Thoughts 💭

Middle America wins with this project. I had no clue Kimberly Clark was such a massive business. It appears they are going back to the old manufacturing model of paying high wages and supporting the local community. Which is a much better model than the Walmart model that just becomes an economic drain as it becomes a race to zero for the lowest price. Very cool project