WARREN, Ohio – Kimberly-Clark Corp. is interested in constructing a $160 million regional distribution center adjacent to where the consumer paper products manufacturer is building an $800 million plant.
Tom Williamson, director of enterprise capital projects for Kimberly-Clark, shared details of the approximately 500,000-square-foot distribution center that is being proposed with members of the Western Reserve Port Authority Board of Directors at their regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday.
The port authority approved execution of a term sheet and indemnity agreement in conjunction with a capital lease with Delaware-based Kimberly-Clark, which in May announced it would build a 1-million-plus-square-foot plant at the former Republic Steel site on Pine Avenue near downtown Warren. Kimberly-Clark purchased the former steel mill property from the port authority in late 2023.
“Supporting a capital lease shows Kimberly-Clark our support to them, encouraging them to invest in our community,” said Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director.
“Kimberly-Clark has requested the Western Reserve Port Authority consider offering a capital lease in support of additional investment and new jobs on our Warren-Howland site in the future,” a Kimberly-Clark spokesperson said in a statement emailed after Wednesday’s meeting. “If and when an additional project in Warren is confirmed, we will share that information with our community partners.”
If approved by company officials, construction of the distribution center would begin during the first quarter of 2026, Williamson said. The distribution center would create an additional 65 jobs at the site.
The distribution center would feature state-of-the-art, advanced distribution technologies, Trevena said.
“It’s a really exciting day for the community, the Mahoning Valley, in particular, to see what this potential could be,” he said. “It could be assumed that a regional distribution center of this magnitude, here in the Valley, should they choose to proceed, opens the opportunity for other future development that we would hope would be considered.”
During his presentation, Williamson offered a brief update on the progress being made on the manufacturing plan now under construction. The final wall panel on the plant went up last week; the office area is structurally complete; and the roof and steel structures are going in across the production area, he reported.
“We expect to be weather-tight in December,” he said. “So there is a lot of progress still to go, but it’s moving very quickly.”
About 300 construction workers are working on the site now, and if the distribution center moves forward, that would increase to about 400, Williamson said.
“We knew all along Kimberly-Clark would be a great corporate addition to our community, and this further proves the company’s long-term commitment to the Mahoning Valley,” said Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. “This potential new project would not be possible without the leadership and collaboration of the Western Reserve Port Authority, Lake to River and officials in Howland, Warren and Warren Township who have worked together to move it this far.”
The port authority board also approved accepting $17.4 million in loan and grant funds from the All Ohio Futures Fund to provide better access for Kimberly-Clark and other businesses in that area to the Ohio Turnpike. The project will involve upgrades to Lane West Road and Burnett Road and construction of a new road bridge over the Mahoning River connecting to Pine Avenue Extension, said Randy Partika, director of engineering and construction for the port authority.
Businesses in the area that want to access the turnpike now have to drive north and go through downtown Warren or go south to access Interstate 80 in Austintown, he said.
The package consists of an $8.6 grant and a $8.6 million loan that will be paid back by the Warren-Howland-Warren Joint Economic Development District, which was formed by the city of Warren and Howland and Warren townships this summer.
In other business, the port authority approved entering into a $225,000 contract with Desman Design Management, Cleveland, to prepare design specifications for demolition of the parking garage building that served as Eastern Gateway Community College’s downtown Youngstown campus until the community college ceased operations last year. The work also will include plans to prepare the site for future development, Partika said.
The port authority finalized the purchase of the former Thomas Humphries Hall and the adjacent health workforce building last month. Partika estimated the cost to demolish the building at $4 million.
The parking deck’s sole remaining tenant, the Mocha House Downtown Youngtown, will relocate to the health workforce building, Trevena said.