Sampoerna has reiterated its commitment to creating value and contributing to a sustainable future as the company celebrates its 110th anniversary, reports The Jakarta Post.
Speaking to reporters on May 26, President Director Vassilis Gkatzelis highlighted Sampoerna’s investments in Indonesia.
Since its sale to Philip Morris International in 2005, Sampoerna has invested $6.3 billion in the country. Recently, it constructed a $186 million factory in Karawang, West Java, dedicated to the production of smoke-free tobacco products, such as PMI’s successful IQOS heat-not-burn device.
The facility started operations in the fourth quarter of 2022 and supplies both the domestic market and Asia Pacific.
Sampoerna also has two cutting-edge laboratories—one in Pasuruan, East Java, and one in Karawang. Directly and indirectly, the company operates 45 manufacturing facilities and employs more than 66,000 people in Indonesia. In addition, it works with 22,000 farmers who grow either tobacco or the cloves required to manufacture kretek cigarettes.
Sampoerna also partners with third-party operators owned by local entrepreneurs or cooperatives specializing in hand-rolled manufacturing.
Gkatzelis, who took charge of Sampoerna last year, also touched on the importance of sustainability. “Every time we act, we try to create sustainable value for the long term,” he was quoted as saying. “So, 110 years of Sampoerna’s presence is important, but we need to create values for the next 110 years.”