With Kimberly-Clark planning a multi-million dollar expansion, Daviess County Fiscal Court has pledged support in a move to keep the project local.
The Court approved a resolution that acts as an agreement to provide another set of industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) to facilitate the expansion. The State Economic Development Board gave preliminary approval for the project in December.
David Smith, Director of Legislative Services, said it’s a $110 million project, with $50 million spent on the building expansion and $60 million on equipment.
The expansion would result in 42 new jobs at a rate of $48 per hour, including benefits. Kimberly-Clark currently employs approximately 337 workers at the facility in Newman.
Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said that when the company first moved to Daviess County, they were provided roughly $110 million in IRBs. Smith said that the withstanding IRBs are on track to be paid off within the next year.
As part of the IRBs, Smith said Kimberly-Clark would pay money in lieu of taxes to the county school district.
“The Daviess County site is in competition with other Kimberly-Clark facilities,” Smith said. “The corporation plans on making a decision sometime in the first half of this year. They requested Fiscal Court pass this resolution to confirm our willingness to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds to facilitate this expansion.”
Kimberly-Clark is a manufacturing company providing personal hygiene products like toilet paper, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, diapers and more.
Commissioner George Wathen said, “I always appreciate them as their good corporate neighbors and they help us a lot and do a lot of things, they’re great neighbors. We appreciate them and want them to know that.”
