FOX CROSSING, WI (WTAQ) – After a trying year, a Kimberly Clark facility will be staying open after all.
It was a gift that arrived just in time for Christmas.
The state is offering Kimberly-Clark up to $28 million to keep its Cold Spring Facility in Fox Crossing open.
Governor Scott Walker; State Senator Roger Roth and Kimberly-Clark executives announced the deal Thursday at the Cold Spring Facility.
Kimberly-Clark and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation have agreed to a five-year agreement that provides Kimberly-Clark with up to $28 million dollars in tax incentives.
State Senator Roger Roth told the companies employees in the end, it was worth the fight.
“You really were the inspiration, your faces, and your stories, that we took with us as we moved forward trying to make this into a reality.”
Governor Walker also addressed the employees saying this was a perfect way to end his road as Governor of Wisconsin.
“We didn’t just save your jobs for the short term, this is about a long-term commitment to this company, to this community and to this state, “Walker said. “I could not be more proud to be a part of it. To me, if there is any talk about a legacy, I want this to be my legacy.”
Under terms of the deal, Operations will continue at its Cold Springs Facility in Fox Crossing with 388 technical manufacturing jobs that need to be retained through 2023.
The terms also indicate that the company needs to make at least $200 million dollars in capital investment at the Cold Spring facility over that time.
Earlier this year, Republicans proposed a $110 million tax break but, there weren’t enough supporters. The bill also failed to pass during the lame-duck session last week.
Democratic State Senator Dave Hansen was among the lawmakers that didn’t support the initial proposal. That changed after the latest deal.
“Like I said, not a perfect deal, we’re still giving away taxpayer dollars, but at a lot less money and most importantly we’re saving good union jobs at this plant in the valley,” Hansen said.
Kimberly-Clark, the maker of personal products such as Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, was founded in Neenah in the 1870s but moved its corporate headquarters to Irving, Texas in 1985. According to the Fox Cities Regional Partnership, Kimberly-Clark is the third-largest employer in the Fox Valley.
