| Tax plan may aid textile plant Aiken County to benefit from deal AIKEN - The Aiken County Council approved a tax incentive plan Tuesday that could mean as much as $300 million of expansion at the Kimberly-Clark textile plant and 200 new jobs during the next 10 years. The council voted to accept a flat fee rather than a tax based on the value of the property. Officials of the Beech Island company are still deciding where to make expansions and will consider the tax break when finalizing their decision, according to a memo given to the council from the Economic Development Partnership of Aiken and Edgefield counties, which is brokering negotiations. An official announcement is expected in the next five months. "The capital investment will mean a lot to the local economy," Councilman Scott Singer said after the council voted unanimously to approve the deal. "Kimberly-Clark is a pretty major player. Their record is second to none with the respect to the impact they've had." The company plans to expand into several new product lines during the next 10 years and wants to upgrade its technology in order to remain a leader in the consumer tissue industry, according to the Development Partnership's memo. Before the council voted on the issue, members met with the Development Partnership's executive director, Fred Humes. He explained that the new tax break was needed in order to make the county competitive. "In today's business environment ... companies must consider many factors when deciding if and where to locate new investment and capital funds," the partnership's memo stated. Kimberly-Clark has been in Aiken County for about 40 years. It signed a similar fee-in-lieu-of-tax deal with the county in 1996, which expired in March. That agreement called for the company to invest $230 million and create 150 jobs during that time, and the company ended up investing more than $380 million, the memo states. The company paid Aiken County $1.6 million during the fiscal year 2002-03 and is supposed to pay the same amount in 2003-04, according to the county budget council approved last summer. How much Kimberly-Clark pays the county under the pending agreement would depend on how much the company invests. It must spend at least $200 million and create 200 jobs to make the deal happen. Details regarding potential upgrades by Kimberly-Clark weren't given to council members, although the company is interested in connecting to the Horsecreek Waste Water Treatment plant for discharge of domestic wastewater. In addition to tissue paper, the company makes infant care products. Its total investment in Beech Island facilities tops $500 million and more than 1,000 people are employed there, county documents show. "This would be a positive thing," Councilman Rick Osbon said. "It's capital investment and money spent in the county when new businesses aren't coming." Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 279-6895 or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.
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