Philip Morris International (PMI), a leading company in the tobacco industry and a pioneer in the research and development of smoke-free products globally, has invested over 1 billion dollars in its 30 years of presence in Romania. In 1993, PMI established the local branch, and in 1997 started the construction of the Otopeni factory, which was completed in 2000. Since 2017, it has been transformed into a state-of-the-art factory for heated tobacco products, following a investment of 600 million dollars.
In its 30 years of activity, Philip Morris Romania has proven its role as a reliable partner of the Romanian state, and is now fully committed to the mission of building, through innovation and research, a smoke-free Romania.
Building a smoke-free future is the biggest challenge in the company’s history. PMI’s vision is to replace every cigarette with smokeless products that, while not without risk, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke.
“We have been looking to the future for 30 years. A journey that we travel with confidence and with the feeling that we can build a smoke-free Romania. We are the first company in the tobacco industry to rely on science and innovation, and our vision remains unchanged. We are transforming ourselves from the ground up from a global leader in the tobacco industry to a company that develops science-based smoke-free products like IQOS. In this transformation, Romania plays an essential role, and this is reflected in the investment of more than 1 billion dollars locally, of which 600 million dollars transformed the PMI factory in Otopeni into one of the most modern production units in the world” said Mircea Scaunașu, general manager, Philip Morris Romania
Following the investments started in 2017, the number of employees increased, on average, at an annual rate of 7%, to more than 1,500 employees. Nationally, we generate more than 3,000 jobs through indirect and induced effects**. In 2023, Philip Morris Romania received the Top Employer certification for the ninth consecutive year.
“We look to the future with determination and hope. We are aware that the transition to a smoke-free future can only be made with the help of our people, the company’s most valuable resource. After 30 years of activity, I thank all my colleagues who, regardless of the times, believed in and worked day in and day out in the Philip Morris Romania teams. We continue to work together for a smoke-free Romania” says Mircea Scaunașu, General Manager, Philip Morris Romania
Romania plays an important role in the company’s vision for a smoke-free future, and the factory in Otopeni is at the center of Philip Morris International’s strategy, along with seven other factories in the world that produce consumables for our smoke-free products. The vision of Philip Morris Romania is for the factory in Otopeni to become neutral in terms of carbon emissions.
Philip Morris Romania’s vision is to replace cigarettes with smokeless products, which, although not without risks, are a better solution than continuing to smoke. Philip Morris International’s portfolio includes smokeless products, nicotine-containing vapor products and oral nicotine products. We meet the needs of adult consumers in Romania with a wide range of products that have the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking, such as IQOS, lil SOLID and VEEBA. At the end of 2022, over 400,000 adult smokers in Romania had made the transition to our smoke-free products.
