ARIZONA (News release) -- Kimberly-Clark Corporation is building a 50,000-square-foot pilot facility in Yuma, Arizona, representing a capital investment of over $100 million, with the project well under construction and expected to create 50 full-time jobs, according to the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation (GYEDC).

The Yuma pilot facility will extract useful fibers from hesperaloe, a low-water-use and rapidly renewable plant native to Arizona and the Southwest United States, which have the potential to be used in the company's future hygiene products.

Michael Todd, Vice President and Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark, stated that Yuma offers a unique combination of agricultural expertise, natural resources, and talent that make it an ideal location for the alternative natural fiber facility, with the investment reflecting the company's commitment to exploring rapidly renewable fiber sources.

The pilot facility is expected to be complete and begin operations in 2027, with the project strengthening the region's advanced manufacturing and sustainable industry base in partnership with the City of Yuma, the Arizona Commerce Authority, local growers, and community stakeholders.