Supply network investment

British American Tobacco is this week unveiling a £4m investment at its site in Southampton, UK, which is due to become the home of its global supply network operation, according to a story in the Southern Daily Echo.

“Southampton was the obvious centre for this global team as we already had the expertise and capability located here – the team has grown and expanded to become a team of 350 highly skilled individuals,” a BAT spokesperson was quoted as saying.

“This significant investment enables us to provide much needed office space and the best working environment for our supply network employees who plan, manage and execute BAT’s supply chain on a daily basis.”

According to the Daily Echo story, the supply network team sources annually from more than 1,000 suppliers 22,000 different materials, weighing one billion tonnes that

go towards making 200 brands at 45 factories across the world.

BAT’s global research and development lab is already based in Southampton at the site where it used to manufacture cigarettes.

The site, which is home also to BAT’s global leaf-sourcing department, employs about 1,200 people – more than when it stopped manufacturing cigarettes there in 2006.