WISCONSIN (From news reports) -- Kimberly-Clark is pushing Wisconsin legislators to vote on an incentives deal that could save one of two facilities in the state that the consumer products giant planned to close.
On Wednesday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said it would be easier to call the state Senate back to vote on the incentives after the November election. But he said he's working "hard" on reaching a deal that can get the necessary bipartisan votes to pass the Senate.
Republicans have an 18-15 majority, but Republicans don't have enough votes in their own party. Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that incentives could save a Fox Crossing plant that employs about 500 people.
Fitzgerald said Kimberly-Clark would close its Neenah nonwoven plant that employs about 110 people.
Kimberly-Clark spokeswoman Brook Smith said the company wants a vote on incentives by Sept. 30.
"This allows us to finalize our project plans and minimize the uncertainty and distractions being felt at our various sites, so our employees can focus on remaining safe and manufacturing quality products," Smith told the Journal Sentinel.
Kimberly-Clark announced in January it planned to shed up to 5,500 employees and close or sell 10 plants worldwide. Among those targeted for closure are its Wisconsin facilities in Neenah and Fox Crossing.
The Kimberly-Clark incentives package is modeled on the deal that Foxconn got to open a plant in Wisconsin. Foxconn stands to get about $4 billion in state and local incentives.
If Kimberly-Clark continued to operate in northeastern Wisconsin, the state would cover 17 percent of qualifying wages paid to workers and also pay 15 percent of any factory upgrades. The wage incentives alone could cost state taxpayers $101 million to $117 million over 15 years. Those figures assume both plants would remain open, is was reported.
