BAT will establish a HUF60 billion ($162.12 billion) factory for smokeless products in Pecs, Hungary, creating 450 new jobs, reports Hungary Today.
BAT already employs almost 1,000 people. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, the project will contribute to the success of two important Hungarian economic policy objectives—to boost exports and protect the environment. The Pecs factory is carbon neutral and will export more than 80 percent of its products, the minister noted.
The project will also help develop Hungary’s southwestern region, which traditionally has received fewer investments than its western counterparts.
Usman Zahur, BAT’s regional director for Central Europe, pointed out that the Pecs unit could become a major manufacturing center for smokeless alternatives, building on more than 30 years of cooperation with Hungary.
“This significant investment is an important step toward a smoke-free world, offering smokers better alternatives to cigarettes,” he was quoted as saying. “The investment further reinforces Hungary’s strategic importance in our long-term plans to have 50 percent of our revenues from new category products by 2035. Our manufacturing capabilities, highlighted by the Pecs center, are key to achieving this goal.”