Howland Township and Warren Township, two Ohio municipalities, have approved the formation of a Joint Economic Development District to assist Kimberly-Clark with development of a $800 million-plus plant. Kimberly-Clark announced in May it would build a new facility in Ohio as part of a $2 billion North American manufacturing investment. The new site will serve as a vital hub for the Northeast and Midwest regions. It will be spread across more than a million square feet and provide the capacity needed to unleash future growth for Kimberly-Clark’s fastest growing personal care categories. Its proprietary manufacturing technologies will enable the creation of new and improved next-generation consumer products, rooted in material invention, product engineering and manufacturing process innovation.

Funds generated through the JEDD, which would assess a 2% income tax within the JEDD on wages paid to persons employed within the district and a 2% tax on net profits generated by businesses located within the district, would help fund needed infrastructure improvements within the district.

The 50-year JEDD contract, which terminates Dec. 31, 2075, provides a prohibition against annexation during its term, plus 30 years after its expiration. Also, according to the agreement, the city of Warren will manage the income taxes collected in the district and provide water, sewer and waste services, while the townships will provide police, fire and emergency medical services.

For managing the income tax, the city of Warren will receive 4% of the gross revenue collected by the JEDD, while the JEDD district will receive 6% of the gross revenue for operations. The three communities also will divide a portion of the collected funds. 

J. Branch Sinkule, senior director of government relations, state and local, for Kimberly-Clark, told township officials and guests at the meeting that steel structures should begin coming out of the ground in August, and that it already had posted “a handful of faculty management positions” for the site, with plans to begin additional hiring around March 2026.

Following the meeting, Kimberly-Clark issued a statement expressing its appreciation to the townships’ boards of trustees for agreeing to form the JEDD.
“The establishment of a dedicated revenue stream for future infrastructure improvements on and connected to the Kimberly-Clark site will help enable future growth and economic development in the Warren area,” the statement reads.