According to the Orange County Register (California, USA), Kimberly-Clark (Irving, Texas) intends to shutter its Fullerton, Calif., tissue mill as part of a restructuring it announced last month. The plant, which opened in 1956, employs some 330 people. It can produce up to 66.000 tpy of tissue.

"Kimberly-Clark has informed employees at the Fullerton manufacturing facility of its proposed plan to close this facility," company spokesperson Terry Balluck said.

According to Greg Pallesen, president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union, "they told our representatives in Fullerton that they will most likely close that plant in about 18 months." Most employees at the Fullerton plant live in Orange County. Salaries range from about $80,000 to $100,000, Pallesen added.

"It came as horrible, shocking news to them," Pallesen said. "Most have worked at the plant for years. They have kids in college and home mortgages. You always think it will happen to somebody else."