Who Owns the Tissue and Paper Goods Market

The Most Unglamorous Aisle in the Store Hides a Fascinating Ownership Story

Toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, and napkins collectively make up one of the most purchased household goods categories in the world. The paper goods aisle contains brands that most consumers interact with daily without ever considering who makes them. The answer is a small group of large companies that have consolidated the category through decades of acquisition and manufacturing investment.

In North America, four companies control almost all of the recognisable brand volume in tissue and paper goods: Georgia-Pacific (a Koch Industries subsidiary), Kimberly-Clark, Procter and Gamble, and Essity (a Swedish company spun from SCA). Together their brands cover every segment from ultra-premium multi-ply products to private-label-competing value rolls.

Georgia-Pacific: Koch Industries' Consumer Goods Arm

Georgia-Pacific LLC is one of the world's largest manufacturers of paper and wood products and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc., the privately held conglomerate owned by Charles Koch and the Koch family. Koch Industries acquired Georgia-Pacific in December 2005 for approximately $21 billion in what was then the largest private acquisition in US history.

Because Georgia-Pacific is a private subsidiary of a private parent company, it does not publish revenue figures. Industry estimates suggest Georgia-Pacific generates approximately $22-25 billion in annual revenue across all its businesses, of which consumer tissue products represent a significant share.

[Quilted Northern](/brands/quilted-northern) is Georgia-Pacific's premium toilet paper brand, positioned directly against Charmin Ultra Soft in the premium segment. Quilted Northern is one of the top-selling toilet paper brands in the United States and competes on softness and quilted texture.

[Angel Soft](/brands/angel-soft) is Georgia-Pacific's mid-market toilet paper brand, one of the best-selling value-premium toilet papers in the United States, positioned between premium brands like Charmin and store-brand private label.

[Brawny](/brands/brawny) is Georgia-Pacific's premium paper towel brand, competing directly with Bounty (P&G) and Viva (Kimberly-Clark) in the paper towel segment. Brawny is known for its lumberjack mascot and strength positioning.

[Sparkle](/brands/sparkle) is Georgia-Pacific's value-tier paper towel brand, sold through mass retail channels.

[Vanity Fair](/brands/vanity-fair-napkins) is Georgia-Pacific's premium napkin brand.

Georgia-Pacific's ownership by Koch Industries makes it unique among the major tissue brands: it is the only one not affiliated with a publicly traded consumer goods conglomerate. Koch Industries is one of the largest private companies in the United States and its ownership of Georgia-Pacific means the consumer tissue business is ultimately controlled by one of America's wealthiest families.

Kimberly-Clark: Kleenex, Scott, and Cottonelle

[Kimberly-Clark](/companies/kimberly-clark) is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker KMB and is one of the most recognised names in the tissue and personal care sector globally. The company's tissue portfolio spans facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels, and industrial tissue products.

[Kleenex](/brands/kleenex) is arguably the most brand-dominant product in facial tissue globally: in many markets, the brand name is used generically to mean any facial tissue, a phenomenon marketers call "genericisation." Kleenex was introduced by Kimberly-Clark in 1924, originally marketed as a cold cream remover. The product was repositioned as a disposable handkerchief in the 1930s after consumer research revealed that most purchasers were using it to blow their noses. Kleenex is now sold in over 170 countries.

[Scott](/brands/scott) is Kimberly-Clark's value-tier toilet paper and paper towel brand, sold through both consumer retail and commercial channels. Scott 1000 is one of the longest-lasting toilet paper products by sheet count, making it a staple in commercial settings including offices, restaurants, and hotels.

[Cottonelle](/brands/cottonelle) is Kimberly-Clark's premium toilet paper brand in the United States, competing directly with Quilted Northern and Charmin in the soft, premium-quilted segment. Cottonelle is also sold with matching flushable wipes as a complementary product.

[Viva](/brands/viva) is Kimberly-Clark's premium paper towel brand, competing with P&G's Bounty in the premium paper towel segment. Viva is positioned around cloth-like feel and absorbency.

[Huggies](/brands/huggies) and related baby products are also in the Kimberly-Clark portfolio. See the Who Owns the Diaper Market post for that detailed breakdown.

Kimberly-Clark reported net sales of approximately $20 billion in fiscal year 2024.

Procter and Gamble: Charmin and Bounty

Procter and Gamble participates in tissue with two category-leading brands that are consistently among the top-selling products in their respective segments.

[Charmin](/brands/charmin) is consistently the best-selling toilet paper brand in the United States by value. The brand is positioned at the premium end of the market and competes on softness, with its Ultra Soft and Ultra Strong product lines targeting opposite ends of the softness-versus-strength spectrum. Charmin's advertising has historically been among the most memorable in the category, from the "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" campaign of the 1970s through the modern animated bears.

[Bounty](/brands/bounty) is the best-selling paper towel brand in the United States by value, marketed as "The Quicker Picker Upper." Bounty competes at the premium end of the paper towel market and has maintained its category leadership for decades.

[Puffs](/brands/puffs) is P&G's premium facial tissue brand, competing with Kimberly-Clark's Kleenex in the facial tissue segment. Puffs Plus Lotion is its core premium product, targeting consumers with sensitive skin and frequent tissue use.

P&G does not compete in the toilet tissue segment outside its core Charmin range. The company's participation in tissue and paper goods is more concentrated than Kimberly-Clark's or Georgia-Pacific's.

Essity: The International Tissue Leader

Essity AB is a Swedish hygiene and health company spun off from SCA in 2017 and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity is the world's second-largest tissue company by global volume after Kimberly-Clark, with significant market positions across Europe, emerging markets, and professional tissue channels.

[Tork](/brands/tork) is Essity's professional tissue brand, the market leader in away-from-home tissue for offices, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other commercial environments. Tork competes with Kimberly-Clark Professional (KC Professional) in the B2B tissue segment.

[Tempo](/brands/tempo) is Essity's consumer facial tissue brand in European markets.

[Zewa](/brands/zewa) is Essity's consumer tissue brand in Central and Eastern European markets.

[Cushelle](/brands/cushelle) and [Velvet](/brands/velvet) are Essity consumer toilet paper brands in the United Kingdom.

Essity reported net sales of approximately 147 billion Swedish krona (roughly 13 billion euros) in 2024.

Full Brand Ownership Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Kleenex tissues? Kleenex is owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the consumer goods company listed on NYSE under ticker KMB. Kimberly-Clark introduced Kleenex in 1924. The brand has become so dominant in facial tissue that the name is often used generically in many English-speaking countries.

Who owns Bounty paper towels? Bounty is owned by Procter and Gamble. Bounty is the best-selling paper towel brand in the United States by value and competes with Georgia-Pacific's Brawny and Kimberly-Clark's Viva in the premium paper towel segment.

Who owns Quilted Northern and Angel Soft? Both Quilted Northern and Angel Soft are owned by Georgia-Pacific, which is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries. Koch Industries is a privately held conglomerate owned by Charles Koch and the Koch family. Georgia-Pacific was acquired by Koch in 2005 for approximately $21 billion.

Who owns Charmin toilet paper? Charmin is owned by Procter and Gamble. Charmin has been the best-selling toilet paper brand in the United States by value for many years. P&G acquired the Charmin brand in 1957 when it purchased the Charmin Paper Company.

Explore Related Brands

• Charmin - America's best-selling toilet paper brand, owned by P&G
• Kleenex - The world's most recognised facial tissue brand, owned by Kimberly-Clark
• Bounty - Premium paper towel market leader, owned by P&G
• Quilted Northern - Premium toilet paper by Georgia-Pacific (Koch Industries)
• Who Owns the Diaper Market - Kimberly-Clark and P&G also dominate baby diapers

Browse all household consumer goods brands on WhoBrands

Sources

• Statista: North America tissue paper market shares by manufacturer 2024
• Open PR: Paper Towels Market 2026-2033 — https://www.openpr.com/news/4449774
• Kimberly-Clark Annual Report 2024 — https://investor.kimberly-clark.com
• Essity Annual Report 2024 — https://www.essity.com/investors
• P&G Annual Report FY2025 — https://www.pginvestor.com

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology. Last updated: March 24, 2026.