Kimberly-Clark Belmont Mill closing

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - Kimberly-Clark Professional has announced that its Belmont Mill will close in June, leaving 180 employees without a job.

The Belmont Mill predominately produces work zone safety products, according to a Monday release and a company official, that included safety flags, barricades and barrels. But an officials told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone that Kimberly-Clark decided in December to shut down its work zone safety business, leaving the facility without anything to produce.

"With that business gone, there just wasn't enough other work there at the mill to justify keeping it open from a productivity standpoint. Nothing in this reflects the employees in terms of the work they were doing there," Kimberly-Clark spokesman Bob Brand told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone from Dallas. "[This decision to close the mill] was done after a very careful and thorough review of the business imperatives we have, and we didn't arrive at it quickly or easily, but we believe it's important for the business to move forward and focus on other core products in that line of work and as difficult as it is for employees we pledge to keep them up to speed on this transition process."  

Brand said the closure was an "unfortunate decision that the company did not come to lightly."

That particular plant has been in operation for more than 30 years.

Several employees who were understandably upset and angry that the plant is closing told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone Monday night, that they think that when Kimberly-Clark decided to stop making safety zone equipment in December, they should have told employees then their plant would likely be shutting its doors.

They described employees as "not happy," saying there was an announcement to employees on Monday before the press release was issued.  

"We understand people will be upset," Brand told 24 Hour News. "The employees and their families will be upset. We will do everything we can to work with them during this transition, treat them as fairly as we possibly can and hopefully they'll get through this and transition into other employment."

All 180 employees at the Belmont Mill have been informed of the closure. Some full-time employees will be eligible for severance packages. Brand would not go into details about the packages, saying the company does not discuss financial issues.  

"Kimberly-Clark Professional has committed to employees to have regular communications about the process as the transition occurs over the next five months," the release reads in part.

The property will be put up for sale after the Belmont Mill closes.