The Procter & Gamble Tambrands plant on Hotel Road in Auburn in 2020. Company officials are negotiating with the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport to buy 15.7 acres of land for a $15 million expansion. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

AUBURN — Tambrands is planning a $15 million, 116,000-square foot expansion to its Hotel Road facility that already turns out about 9.5 million tampons a day.

“The expansion, if approved, is largely demand driven,” spokesman Patrick Blair said. It’s part of parent company Procter & Gamble’s “supply chain strategy to more effectively and efficiently serve consumers and customers, including the capability to direct-ship Always and Tampax products to customers throughout North America.”

The project proposal is headed to the Planning Board on Tuesday. The City Council has already signed off on the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport negotiating to sell Tambrands 15.7 acres of abutting land for between $27,000 and $40,000 to make the project happen.

The expansion would add manufacturing and warehouse space, according to the application by Harriman, project architects.

The facility has roughly 340 employees and 60 contractors there on a regular basis. The expansion will bring the plant at 2879 Hotel Road up to 600,135 square feet. It’s anticipated to add eight to 10 jobs in the first phase and up to eight more in a later phase, Blair said.

The estimated average wage for the new workers is more than $40,000, according to a city memo.

The project timeline is pending approvals and permits.

“We are excited about the opportunity for continued growth at the Auburn facility and our ability to further positively impact the community, especially in the midst of a pandemic,” Blair said.

Tambrands’ last expansion in 2017, a $6.2 million project, added space for up to two more production lines, driven by demand for its popular Pearl brand.

Procter & Gamble’s Tambrands plant on Hotel Road in Auburn is bringing a major expansion proposal to the Planning Board next week. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Since 2000, P&G has invested more than $350 million in the Auburn plant.

“I am ecstatic for P&G and their employees and wish them the best of luck in all their future and larger endeavors,” said Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque. “Over the past few years, we have focused on making Auburn a true business friendly city. Procter & Gamble‘s recent expansion validates the work we’ve done and continue to do, and will serve as a positive example for businesses that want to expand or start here.”

Tambrands is the city’s largest taxpayer, paying $906,516 in property taxes in the last year. It was at one time also the city’s largest private employer, though it was unclear Friday if that was still the case.