Deal: Kimberly-Clark spin-off to locate global headquarters in Alpharetta
Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that Halyard Health, a health care company spin-off of Kimberly-Clark Corporate (NYSE:KMB), is expected to locate its global headquarters in Alpharetta, creating approximately 150-200 new jobs over the next two years. Kimberly-Clark filed a Form 10 Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the planned transaction.
“Georgia’s health care industry is uniquely poised to support Halyard Health,” Deal said. “This company is taking advantage of an eager, skilled workforce and an advanced life science and healthcare ecosystem. Special thanks to Kimberly-Clark for the major role it is playing in Georgia’s economic development and for supporting our state’s ever-changing health care industry – an industry that we are committed to growing.”
Halyard Health will be a publicly traded health care company with approximately $1.7 billion in annual net sales and leading market positions in both surgical and infection prevention products and medical devices. The new 174,000-square-foot facility in Alpharetta will house corporate officers and various corporate functions including finance, IT, procurement, engineering and quality.
“As we embark as a new company, Halyard Health will draw on a rich heritage of leadership from Kimberly-Clark in infection prevention, surgical protection, respiratory health, digestive health and pain management,” said Robert E. Abernathy, future chairman and chief executive officer of Halyard Health. “We are proud to remain strongly rooted in north Fulton and look forward to growing and investing in Georgia in the years to come.”
Georgia is home to more than 400 life science companies, half of which are in the medical devices sector and employ 27 percent of Georgia’s life science workforce. Lauren Salas Lambiase, a Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) senior project manager, worked with the city of Alpharetta to assist the company in the location planning of its headquarters.
“We are thrilled with Halyard Health’s decision to locate its new headquarters in Alpharetta,” said David Belle Isle, mayor of Alpharetta. “These new jobs will be a great fit with our growing technology community and culture, and it is great partnerships like this that help to make Alpharetta the Technology City of the South.”
“Kimberly-Clark has been a longtime north Fulton corporate citizen in the city of Roswell,” said Brandon Beach, president and chief executive officer of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. “We are proud to have them continue their investment in north Fulton, while helping to create this new Fortune 1000 corporation in Alpharetta. These new, quality jobs will continue to add to our stable of high-tech jobs. This, in addition to numerous recent high-tech job announcements, continues to reinforce that north Fulton is the premier place to go for quality workforce, quality real estate and quality of life.”
“Halyard Health’s new headquarters in Georgia exemplifies how our state’s No. 1 business climate helps keep companies competitive in the global marketplace,” said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Carr. “Kimberly-Clark has found access to a solid health care network, including a skilled talent pool. Without a doubt, Halyard Health will also find the support it needs to lead the industry toward success.”