Do you know who makes Kirkland Kleenex? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Costco has many items under the Kirkland label but the wholesale company doesn’t own manufacturing facilities to produce all those products. These products are lower cost than most of the brand names and, many times, are just as good.
Where do all these products come from? You might be surprised to know that it’s some of the biggest brands that are producing these affordable products for Costco.
So, who makes the Kirkland Kleenex? Kirkland Kleenex is made by several manufacturers like Kimberly Clark, Proctor and Gamble, Georgia Pacific, and Clearwater Paper Corporation. Kirkland tissue is the same as the Kleenex brand. The headquarter of Costco is in Canada.
Table of Contents
Why Doesn’t Costco Say Who Makes It?
Costco considers the identities of those that produce its products under the Kirkland name as a “trade secret.”
It uses this legal labeling to protect the identities of its manufacturers for a variety of reasons including competition, reputation, price management, and liability.
The retail market for these types of products is highly competitive and revealing who is behind the label could hurt the original manufacturer.
Read also: Who Makes Kirkland Brand Paper Towels?
How Does a Manufacturer Become a Costco Vender?
Costco, based in Issaquah, Washington outside Seattle, has a list of standards that any manufacturer seeking to supply them must abide by to be within reach of Costco customers.
That is particularly true of those seeking to win a bid to produce under the Kirkland name.
Manufacturers submit bids for Costco and the company tests manufacturers’ products to see if they meet its standards. Companies agree to Costco’s non-exclusive production in return for rapid and large quantity sales through the wholesaler.
The lower pricing is a trade-off for these brand-name manufacturers. They agree to sell their products under the Kirkland badging cheaper than they would to other retailers in exchange for the high sales volume.
Kirkland products are priced lower than the brand names and the manufacturers can keep a higher price point on their brands for sale in other stores.
Most assume the same companies that supply Kirkland bath tissue would also supply the Kleenex tissues. Read on to find out who that is.
Buying Best Kirkland Kleenex
Click the link to Amazon to get the best Kirkland Kleenex.
Who Are the Companies Involved?
Kimberly-Clark is based in Irving, Texas but its products are still produced in Neehah, Wisconsin.
Kimberly-Clark is the trademark manufacturer for Kleenex so Kirkland tissues that are the Kleenex product are likely made by this company.
The Kleenex brand was created in 1924 with the primary purpose of taking off makeup but became known to substitute for handkerchiefs in 1930.
It is the number 1 selling facial tissue in the world.
This fact alone makes it a prime manufacturer that Costco would want for its own Kirkland tissues.
One of those known to produce Kirkland products is Clearwater Paper Corporation. Its headquarters is in Spokane, Washington but it has a large manufacturing plant in Lewiston, Idaho.
It is one of the largest U.S. suppliers and produces paper products for several labels. A Clearwater
Paper Company official, Shannon Meyers, stated during the COVID-19 crisis when asked about the toilet paper shortage that Costco was a company that gets its products.
Proctor and Gamble, well known for many household products, is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Georgia Pacific, a leader in paper products, is based in Atlanta, Ga.
All of these are believed to produce something for Costco, either toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, or other similar products. Exactly which company produces which product remains a secret.
The Canadian manufacturer for Costco is a little more elusive. It is known that there is a Canadian supplier, but the supplier isn’t named. There are several possible candidates including:
- Cascades
- Cashmere
- Kruger
- Majesta
- Purex
- Royale
- Scotties
- White Cloud
- White Swan
Of all of these, Scotties is the likely candidate for making tissues for Costco because that particular company specializes in tissues while the others specialize in toilet paper and paper towels.
Does Costco Use One Company to Make Tissues?
Whether or not Costco uses strictly one company for its tissue product depends on the agreement it signs with the manufacturer.
It can rotate manufacturers for its products as long as the quality remains the same.
Some rotation may be necessary to meet increased demand, as with the height of the virus pandemic when there were more purchases.
Where Does the Wood Pulp Come From?
Every manufacturer may contract with lumber and pulp companies for the wood to make all these products including tissues.
Costco also contracts with pulp companies for manufacturing its tissue and paper products.
The Northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp is the most desirable for tissue and toilet paper. Between 20 and 40 percent of North America’s toilet paper is made from it. Costco also used it for its products for years.
However, Costco faced environmental pressures, so it changed its pulp sourcing to include both recycled and bamboo sources and certified forest sources.
The company states 99.8 percent of its pulp now comes from certified forest sources.
The company plans to have 100 percent certification for future pulp products.
Conclusion
Costco uses several well-known, branded companies for its products. That includes its tissue products.
That’s why these products resemble the name brand you know and love but come more cheaply.
The winner is the customer who gets the same quality of a name brand product at a lower cost for it being produced under the Kirkland name.
Here are some of my favorite services, products, and Stores
There are affiliate links, so if you do decide to use any of them, I´ll earn a small commission. But in all honesty, these are the exact what I use and recommend to everyone, even my own family.
To see all my of most up-to-date recommendations, check out this resource that I made for you!
+ Products & Services
+ Convenience Stores
+ Save Thousands of Dollars
References
https://www.forbes.com/companies/kleenex/?sh=5d24ba2e5c27
Recent Posts
Do you know who makes Kirkland brand paper towels? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered. It’s almost like a crazy little game trying to discover...
Have you ever wondered what the worst brand of toilet paper is? Look no more. We´ve got you covered. It is a sad truth that the things we enjoy most are most probably the worst for us and your...