Frank A. Shattuck

Frank A. Shattuck co-founded the company in 1872 and later led the research team that invented Cellucotton in 1914, a highly absorbent wood pulp fiber that revolutionized the hygiene industry and became the foundational material for Kotex and Kleenex.

Frank A. Shattuck was a co-founder of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, having started the company in 1872 with John A. Kimberly, Havilah Babcock, and Charles B. Clark in Neenah, Wisconsin. Shattuck played a critical role in the early development of the company's manufacturing processes and later led the research team that invented Cellucotton in 1914, a highly absorbent wood pulp fiber that was five times more absorbent than traditional surgical cotton and could be produced at a fraction of the cost. This specific material science breakthrough allowed the company to pivot from a traditional paper manufacturer to a pioneer in disposable hygiene products, initially supplying Cellucotton to the military for use in surgical dressings during World War I, and subsequently adapting the material to create Kotex sanitary napkins and Kleenex facial tissues. Shattuck's technical expertise and his collaborative partnership with the other founders were instrumental in navigating the significant technical challenges of the early days, including the development of the proprietary pulping processes and the scaling of the Cellucotton production lines. His vision of creating a scalable, efficient manufacturing operation that could adapt to changing consumer preferences and macroeconomic conditions has guided Kimberly-Clark's evolution from a traditional paper mill to a $19.5 billion disposable hygiene powerhouse. His legacy lives on in the company's proprietary material science capabilities, its massive global supply chain infrastructure, and its psychological brand power that drives high-frequency customer traffic and maintains gross margins between 33% and 35%. Shattuck's contributions to the founding and early development of the company are recognized as foundational to its success and its evolution into a dominant force in the consumer packaged goods sector.