One of the largest manufacturing companies in Aiken County is kicking off a major expansion. Kimberly-Clark is pumping more than $200 million into their facility on Old Jackson Highway in Beech Island.
While headquartered in Texas, the Beech Island location is already the company’s largest facility.
“I’m pleased to hear the news of this major expansion at Kimberly-Clark’s Beech Island facility. Kimberly-Clark has been a cornerstone in Aiken County’s economy for decades, and this investment represents a continued vote of confidence in our community and what it offers the manufacturing sector,” said Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker in a news release announcing the expansion.
The company will add 1.1 million square feet to its existing facility. The plant first opened in 1968.
“My biggest fear had been that they were landlocked,” Will Williams, President and CEO of Western SC Economic Development, told ABD. “About a year ago, they acquired several parcels between their existing facility going back towards Sand Bar Ferry Road. They bought a 90-something-acre parcel from one family, and then a couple of smaller parcels.”
In a recent story about Momentum 2025, South Carolina Department of Transportation’s plan for the state’s future transportation needs, Williams mentioned traffic on Old Jack Road as one he hoped would be addressed.
This expansion does that, he said.
“They’re going to take their truck traffic off of Old Jackson Highway. All their truck traffic will be leaving or entering off of Sand Bar Ferry Road.”
It will be a regional distribution center (RDC). The company said it will use advanced robotics, artificial intelligence-powered logistics systems, and high-density automated storage to improve efficiency and increase its ability to ship directly from the manufacturing facility.
“This investment represents the strong progress we are making on our end-to-end supply chain transformation. By bringing together manufacturing and distribution under one automated roof, we are building a more agile, responsive, and resilient operating model that will enhance service levels for our retail partners,” the news release quoted Kimberly-Clark Chief Supply Chain Officer Tamera Fenske.
Williams said it is also an indication of the commitment Kimberly-Clark continues to make in Aiken County.
“The relationship has been very strong for the last 57 years,” he said. “They have multiple generations that have worked there. Average seniority is over 15 to 20 years. So, they definitely are a legacy corporate partner in Aiken County.”
The company is also active in the community. Williams said Kimberly-Clark is consistently one of the largest contributors to the United Way of Aiken County.
The Kimberly-Clark announcement is the latest in a series of big projects coming to Aiken County, starting with the $800 million Aiken Data Center that Meta is building in the Sage Mill Industrial Park. That late August announcement was soon followed by Atlanta-based DC Blox’s plan for a hyperscale edge node in North Augusta. Those centers are smaller and situated regionally to bring networking power closer to the end user. That project is an estimated $25 million. That brings the total to $1.25 billion.
Williams said the developments draw attention to Aiken County, which can then highlight the quality-of-life opportunities.
“We’ve got golf, we’ve got equestrian, we’ve got outdoor activities, biking trails, all these kinds of amenities that people are looking for and can do it in a smaller city,” he said. “Not only in Aiken, but I expanded out over the region. “
Kimberly-Clark expects the new facility to be operational by the second quarter of 2027.
Individuals interested in employment opportunities should visit the company’s careers page. https://careers.kimberly-clark.com/en/our-careers
