Northwood resurrects Flint factory

The tissue manufacturer has acquired the 98-acre Kimberly-Clark production site off Aber Road, which had shuttered last year because of an upcoming UK ban of plastic-containing baby wipes.

Northwood, whose brands include Whisper, Hush, and Rhino, will transform the Flint factory into a home for its Away from Home and consumer divisions. Away from Home specialises in commodity tissues and wiping, washroom systems, and luxury tissue.

Paul Fecher, founder and chairman of Northwood, said: “This is another important acquisition and brings renewed opportunity for our businesses to expand in many traditional and new sectors. We look forward to populating the site and bringing it into full production under our UK management and ownership.”

A price for the acquisition was not disclosed.

The Flint mill had been the subject of a £40m investment in 2003 by Kimberly-Clark and specialised in Huggies baby wipes. In 2016, it had been awarded £16m by the Welsh Government in 2016 to support a 28,400 sq ft extension. The facility had employed 200 people when it shut.