Cigarette producer Japan Tobacco International (JTI) announced that it would invest EUR 60 million to modernize its factory in Romania.

"JTI will invest EUR 60 million to modernize the factory in Romania. As a result of the investment carried out over the next three years, the production will increase, and the factory on the Pipera platform will have a very important role in supplying the European Union markets with JTI products," the company stated.

In 2012, the group's subsidiary that operates the plant, JTI Manufacturing, invested EUR 25 mln in the factory, which generated over 125 new jobs.

The factory currently employs about 500 people out of over 1,200 JTI employees in Romania.

About 70% of the production generated by JTI's Romanian factory is exported to nearly 50 countries.

"The Romanian factory will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment in terms of technology and production standards," said Jamie Dunlop, Factory Lead JTI Romania.

JTI started its activity in Romania in 1993 (as RJ Reynolds) and was one of the first multinational companies to invest locally. The group has invested EUR 250 million in Romania so far.

Romania is the third-largest European cigarette manufacturer after Germany and Poland. According to the National Institute of Statistics, in 2020, the country's exports of tobacco products totaled EUR over 1.3 bln.

(Photo: Rasica | Dreamstime.com)

andrei@romania-insider.com