On August 27, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) announced on its official website that it will invest $232 million through its Swedish Match subsidiary to expand its factory in Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, which produces nicotine pouches. The company claims that this is part of its strategy towards a so-called "smoke-free future".
The company stated that the expansion of the factory is expected to create 450 new job positions, increasing the workforce at the plant by approximately 40% to meet the growing demand for smokeless products.
The construction work at the Owensboro factory is currently underway and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025. The expansion phase is projected to create nearly 2,800 jobs and generate an economic impact of approximately $414 million.
In addition, the expanded factory will change from a five-day, 24-hour work schedule to a seven-day, 24-hour work schedule in order to increase production efficiency.
The Owensboro factory currently has around 1,100 employees, and its ongoing expansion is expected to provide a capacity of approximately 9 billion cans by 2025.
PMI's CEO for the US business, Stacey Kennedy, stated in a declaration that
We are accelerating towards a smoke-free future mission by collaborating with our subsidiary in the United States to provide better alternatives so that adults can stay away from cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated:
Philip Morris International's Swedish Match subsidiary has been an important partner and job creator in the region for many years. I am thrilled to see this incredible new investment and the 450 excellent job opportunities it will create for families in Owensboro and the surrounding areas. Our economy continues to break records, and today's announcement shows that we are creating opportunities for our people, rather than having our people work for us. I want to thank and congratulate the company's leadership for their efforts, and look forward to even more prosperity in the future.
In July 2024, PMI announced that it will invest $600 million through its U.S. subsidiary to open a nicotine pouch manufacturing facility in Aurora, Colorado within the next two years.
PMI states that this new factory, along with the expansion in Owensboro, will provide the capacity needed to meet the short-term and medium-term demand for ZYN in the American market.
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