Kimberly-Clark Closing Fullerton Plant, Cutting Jobs

FULLERTON, CA — It is the worst sort of news for employees when they learned that Kimberly-Clark intends to close down its plant in Fullerton. This is just one of 10 facilities it announced last month would be closing across the country, it was reported Friday.

"They told our representatives in Fullerton that they will most likely close that plant in about 18 months," Greg Pallesen, president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union, said in remarks reported by the Orange County Register.

Pallesen said most of the employees at the Fullerton plant live in Orange County, and salaries range from about $80,000 to $100,000, he said.

"It came as horrible, shocking news to them," Pallesen said. "Most have worked at the plant for years. They have kids in college and home mortgages. You always think it will happen to somebody else."

Based in Irving, Texas, Kimberly-Clark makes such products as Kleenex, Kotex, Cottonelle and Huggies.
Fullerton City Manager Ken Domer said Kimberly-Clark "has been a great corporate partner in the city," the Register reported. "We are sad to see them leave but understand it's a business decision."

The 1.3 million-square-foot factory sits on 66 acres of land, opened in 1956 and employs 330 people, the Orange County Register reported.

"Kimberly-Clark has informed employees at the Fullerton manufacturing facility of its proposed plan to close this facility," company spokesperson Terry Balluck said in an email to the Register.

On Jan. 23, Kimberly-Clark announced it will be cutting 5,000 to 5,500 jobs, or 12 percent to 13 percent of its workforce, along with shutting down about 10 plants around the country "over the next three years."

City News Service, with Ashley Ludwig, patch Editor