Georgia Pacific, Domtar, International Paper and Fibria supply pulp to Kimberly-Clark de México (KCM).

Recycling fiber or paper is another source of cellulose that KCM uses in its tissue paper manufacturing processes. Approximately 60% of the company’s fiber consumption comes from recycled fibers.

To take advantage of this fiber, KCM operates fiber recycling processes at its Bajío, Ecatepec and Ramos Arizpe plants (Mexico).

This raw material is purchased in Mexico from suppliers such as Recycle, S.A. y Reciclables de Papel y Cartón, S.A. de C.V., among others; and abroad (mainly in the United States) to firms such as International Paper, Harmon Recycling and Waste Management, among others.

The collection of fibers in Mexico as a country is less than in the United States, which means that KCM has to import part of the secondary fiber requirement.

Faced with changing supply and demand conditions, the company seeks to maintain a balance between quality, price and performance characteristics.

What is KCM focused on? The company is a leader in Mexico in the production and commercialization of consumer and institutional products. Over time, he has developed several well-known brands in Mexico such as Kleenex, Pétalo, Suavel, Lys, Vogue, KleenBebé, Huggies, Kotex and Depend.

For this, the company operates 11 production plants, all of them located in Mexico. During 2020, approximately 88% of the company’s revenues corresponded to sales in Mexico.

Georgia Pacific

KCM acquires cellulose in the international markets from various suppliers and they are governed as (Commodities).

Above all, the company buys directly from producers who are reliable in terms of quality, service, and delivery times.

Given the annual purchase volume and the strategic relationship with these business partners, KCM has a reliable supply of virgin pulp from various suppliers, such as Georgia Pacific, Domtar, International Paper and Fibria, among many others.

For example, Georgia-Pacific is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet paper and paper towel dispensers, packaging , construction products and related chemicals.

KCM does not depend on any pulp supplier.

Other raw materials and finishing materials that KCM uses in its production, manufacturing and conversion processes are:

• Absorbent polymers for diaper, feminine protection and incontinence.
• Polyethylenes that are used mainly for flexible packaging.
• Polypropylenes and bi-component fiber for the production of non-woven fabrics.
• Cardboards and corrugated cardboard that are used both as raw material for cardboard centers and as secondary and tertiary packaging for finished products.
• Some chemicals such as soda, chlorine, resins, starches, flocculants, defoamers, inks, colorants, among others, which are mainly used in the various production processes of Tissue.

Some of the suppliers of these inputs are Berry, Henkel, Empaques Flexibles, Convertidora Industrial, 3M, Copamex Industrias and Nalco de México. Other foreign suppliers are Exxonmobil, LG and Basf, among others.