Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is investing $232 million through one of its Swedish Match affiliates to expand production capacity of its manufacturing facility in Owensboro, Kentucky, the company announced. The facility produces ZYN nicotine pouches.
The company said the expansion is expected to create “an additional 450 direct jobs with an ongoing annual economic impact of $277 million and an additional 410 indirect jobs for the commonwealth of Kentucky.” Career opportunities at the facility will cover a wide range of skill levels, including positions such as engineers, production staff, technicians and quality control.
“This investment in U.S. manufacturing capacity will increase the Kentucky plant’s workforce by about 40%, providing good-paying jobs and helping to meet the increasing demand for smoke-free products,” said Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI’s U.S. business.
She also stated, “We are accelerating our mission toward a smoke-free future, working with our U.S. affiliates to move adults away from cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products by providing better alternatives.”
Construction of the expanded facility is already underway and is expected to finish by the second quarter of 2025.
According to a statement from Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development, the PMI project is the fifth-largest investment project supported by the state this year. “I’m excited to see this incredible new investment and the 450 great job opportunities it is creating for families in Owensboro and the surrounding region,” Governor Andy Beshear said.
The ongoing expansion of the facility in Kentucky is expected to provide around 900 million cans of capacity for 2025, said the company. In July, PMI announced an investment of $600 million over the next two years through its U.S. affiliate to open a nicotine pouch manufacturing facility in Aurora, Colorado. “The Aurora facility and Owensboro expansion together are designed to provide capacity needed in the near- and mid-term to meet the current growth rate of ZYN with U.S. legal-age nicotine consumers,” said PMI.