WARREN, Ohio – Local employees and unions are involved in the construction of the new $800 million Kimberly-Clark Corp. plant in Trumbull County, commissioners assured residents during their meeting Wednesday.
Commissioner Denny Malloy said the board is always concerned when giving tax abatements that companies are following the terms, including using union and local labor whenever possible. Malloy said when commissioners heard there were outside contractors working at the site, they began asking questions. For instance, the general contractor is from Toledo.
“There are some specialty things that go on there that we don’t have enough labor,” Malloy said. “We didn’t have enough of the specialty people to be able to provide the job.”
In speaking with the president of the Western Reserve Building Trades on Tuesday, Malloy said he was assured that there are people working at the site from local unions, including one of the main unions in the area.
“He’ll tell you we’ve got as many local people on the job as we can have right now and they’re always pushing for more local contractors for it and specialties, but this is a big project. It takes a lot,” Malloy said.
Commissioner Rick Hernandez said he and Commissioner Tony Bernard attended an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers event recently at the Avalon and were assured IBEW was very happy with the work they are getting from the construction of the plant.
“The IBEW, they said there’s so much work that they can’t handle it all,” Hernandez said. “I’m happy to hear that.”
Bernard said that as the project continues and should Kimberly-Clark’s proposed $160 million distribution facility be built, commissioners are happy how invested the company seems in the local communities and wants to keep a good working relationship with them.
Hernandez also mentioned the possibility of Kimberly-Clark expanding across Pine Avenue and making its new plant one of its flagship plants. A request has been made by the manufacturer to consider closing a section of Pine Avenue where Kimberly-Clark owns property on both sides of the road.
Malloy said that as the project continues, he believes there will be a need for even more local workers at the site, including carpenters, electricians and road workers.
“There will be a point where we run out of houses or run out of employees,” Malloy said. “I mean, with these jobs that are coming, that’s a good situation to be in, in my opinion. Let Foxconn expand. Let Kimberly-Clark expand. Let more businesses come here. We’ll figure a way to get the workers for them. That’s a good situation to be in.”
Once completed, the Kimberly-Clark plant is expected to bring 600 jobs to the area.
Kimberly-Clark makes paper products such as diapers, tissues and other personal hygiene items.