WARREN, Ohio – Howland Township trustees approved a 10-year, 60% tax abatement Wednesday for a proposed $160 million regional distribution center for Kimberly-Clark Corp., officials with the township and Trumbull County Panning Commission confirmed Thursday.
Last month, officials with the consumer paper products manufacturer disclosed they were considering construction of the distribution center adjacent to the $800 million plant now under construction near downtown Warren on property the company purchased from the Western Reserve Port Authority in December 2023.
In October, the port authority approved execution of a term sheet and indemnity agreement in conjunction with a capital lease for Kimberly-Clark for the proposed project, which would create 65 jobs at the site. The plant is expected to employ about 500 workers, in addition to the construction jobs to be created at the site.
Earlier this year, the city of Warren and Warren and Howland townships formed a Joint Economic Development District to fund infrastructure improvements. Portions of the Kimberly-Clark property are in all three communities.
The approximately 591,000-square-foot distribution center would include warehouse and office space supporting distribution of various types of consumer-absorbent hygiene products and other consumer products, according to Nicholas Coggins, assistant director/director of economic development for the Trumbull County Planning Commission.
James Pantalone, Howland Township administrator, said he was not surprised by the request for the tax abatement, as plans for a second phase to the Kimberly-Clark project had been discussed.
“The only thing that everyone was surprised at was how quickly they’re moving, and that Phase II is starting sooner than expected,” Pantalone said. “So that’s good for all of us.”
“Kimberly-Clark has requested that Howland Township consider offering a property tax abatement in support of potential additional investment and new jobs on our Warren-Howland site in the future,” a Kimberly-Clark spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. “If and when an additional project in Warren is confirmed, we will share that information with our community partners.”