JENKS, Okla. (AP) — Consumer-products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. has launched a $120 million expansion plan that it said will add over 50 full-time jobs at an Oklahoma mill.
The Jenks facility opened in 1990 and manufactures Cottonelle and Scott toilet paper and other products. The mill also includes a regional distribution center.
It will expand the facility by 270,000 square feet (25,000 square meters) and install new resources for making Kleenex folded tissue products and Scott bath tissue, the Texas-based company said. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.
"We are excited to increase Jenks' manufacturing capacity and set up our operations to better support Kimberly-Clark's objectives to grow and remain a top competitor in the North American market," Kirk Linna, Jenks plant manager, said in a statement. "We are also thankful for the support of the state of Oklahoma and Jenks community along the way."
Hiring for new jobs is expected to begin in August, the Tulsa World reported.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said that it is companies like Kimberly-Clark that will help Oklahoma continue to evolve.
"One of my administration's priorities is to encourage businesses to invest in our state and ensure we are focused on how we can best grow Oklahoma together," he said. "I look forward to seeing the jobs created and positive impact that this expansion will have in the Jenks area and our state as a whole."
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker reached a $28 million agreement with Kimberly-Clark in December to retain around 400 jobs. However, the company said it would proceed with a plan to shutter a smaller Wisconsin plant that employs about 100 people by the end of May and to close a plant in Arkansas by 2021.