Northwood acquires Kimberly-Clark sites in Wales and announces reopening after closures affecting more than 350 jobs

Two manufacturing sites in North Wales that closed in 2025—impacting around 200 direct jobs and a further 150 roles across the supply chain—are set to reopen following their acquisition by Northwood.

The facilities, previously owned by Kimberly-Clark, ceased operations after the UK government announced a ban on plastic-containing baby wipes, effective from mid-2026. Kimberly-Clark stated at the time that its Flint plant could not be reconfigured in time to meet the regulatory deadline.

Northwood confirmed the full acquisition of the 98-acre site, which includes a 30,000-tonne tissue paper mill, a converting plant for rolled and folded products, a National Distribution Centre, and the Flint factory, equipped with state-of-the-art converting technology to produce environmentally compliant wet wipes.

Operating as Northwood Tissue (Flint) Ltd, the site will be integrated into Northwood’s Consumer and Customer Care divisions. The company said the scale and location of the facility will complement its existing business and support future growth.

 

Northwood, a leading supplier of parent reels to the tissue sector and owner of brands such as Rhino Kitchen Towel, Hush, Freedom, Raphael, North Shore and Whisper, stated that the acquisition will enable the expansion of its product range and value chain.

The company also announced plans to begin a recruitment campaign, creating a significant number of employment opportunities in the local area.

Paul Fecher, founder and chairman of Northwood, said the acquisition represents another major step in expanding the business across traditional and emerging markets, adding that the company aims to bring the site back into full production under UK ownership and management.