FIFTY years ago fields at the side of Park Road, Barrow, were the scene of great activity as foundations were being dug and roads laid out for what would become a new tissue mill.

It opened in May 1968 as a new production base for Bowater-Scott Corporation is now part of US company Kimberly-Clark.

A group from the Cumbria Industrial History Society were recent visitors to see the tremendous advances in technology at the Barrow site through the decades.

They were given an introduction to the production process by Kimberly-Clark assets leaders Jason Cooper and Gary Rafferty before seeing production lines in operation.

The front page of the Evening Mail on November 11 in 1965 noted: "The London-based Bowater-Scott Corporation is considering Barrow, along with other areas, as the possible site for a new paper mill.

"Representatives of the firm, part of the big Bowater group, have visited Barrow to look at potential factory sites.

"They have met officials of Barrow Corporation and the Furness Area Development Committee.”

An industrial survey in the Evening Mail on September 20 in 1966 looked forward to hundreds of new jobs when paper production started at the new Bowater-Scott site.

It noted: "The Bowater-Scott Corporation has announced that it is to build a new £3m paper mill at Barrow for the manufacture of household, industrial and medical disposable paper products.

"The first stage is expected to be completed in October 1967.

"A warehouse to serve the whole of Scotland and Northern England is also to be constructed.

"Several hundred employees will be required, mostly men, ranging from paper makers, conversion personnel, drivers and office staff.

"After visiting industrial sites throughout the country the company has chosen the Furness area as the ideal location for its new project.

"Site works commenced on August 1."

The Bowater Scott Corporation was founded in 1956 and had a factory in Walthamstow making industrial paper toweling and Andrex toilet paper – in white only.

A total of 35 sites were considered for expansion until the 48-acre plot at Barrow was chosen and the new mill built by Alfred McAlpine. By the end of 1988 there were 1,200 workers.

The site changed its name to Kimberly-Clark in 1995 and since then there has been a $250m investment in the Barrow site.

Three paper machines turn out 115,000 tons of paper products a year – including household names such as Kleenex and Andrew - with the help of close to 380 workers.