Kimberly-Clark further improves Huggies Diapers adding hook-and-loop fasteners to Ultratrim line

Business Wire, Jan 7, 1997

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 1997--Kimberly-Clark Corporation, maker of the leading brand of disposable diapers in the $4 billion U.S. market, today announced it will improve Huggies Ultratrim diapers with adjustable hook-and-loop fasteners.

The improved diaper, which will begin shipping this month, offers consumers a better fastening system than traditional tape tabs. The adjustable hook-and-hoop tabs help ensure a secure hold even in the presence of powders, lotions and oils. The tabs also make adjusting the fit of the diaper and checking for wetness easier.

"We are making this product improvement in response to parents' preference for the more reliable fastening of hook-and-loop tabs," said W. Dudley Lehman, group president of the Infant and Child Care Sectors for Kimberly-Clark. "This latest advancement continues Kimberly-Clark's track record of innovation in the competitive disposable diaper market."

In conjunction with the latest improvement, Kimberly-Clark announced it will reduce package counts on selected sizes of Huggies diapers to match those of a major competitor. Even with this change, the average price of Huggies Ultratrim diapers will be approximately 12 percent less than it was five years ago.

At the same time, Kimberly-Clark has improved the diaper's performance dramatically, providing parents a far better value. Since Kimberly-Clark first introduced Huggies Ultratrim in 1992, the company has improved the diaper with stretch side panels, a cloth-like outer cover, an advanced absorbent system and now hook-and-loop tabs.

A Fortune 100 company, Kimberly-Clark is a leading global manufacturer of personal care, consumer tissue and away-from-home products. The company's global brands include Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, Scott, Kimwipes and WypAll. Other brands well known outside the United States include Andrex, Scottex, Page, Popee and Kimbies. Kimberly-Clark also is a major producer of professional health care products and premium business, correspondence and technical papers. The company has manufacturing operations in 36 countries and sells its products in more than 150 countries.

CONTACT: Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Angie McCoy, 972/281-1486

Mike Masseth, 972/281-1478