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MILAN, Italy — Philip Morris International (PMI) sees potential in establishing a world-class facility for smoke-free alternatives in Asia, including the Philippines, as it continues to expand its global manufacturing footprint.
Stefano Volpetti, president of PMI’s smoke-free products category and chief consumer officer, said in an interview that the company’s growing global presence supports the possibility of setting up a facility similar to the Papastratos factory in Athens, Greece — a state-of-the-art plant dedicated to producing smoke-free alternatives.
Aerial view of the Papastratos factory in Aspropyrgos, Greece — a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to producing smoke-free alternatives for global distribution.
Papastratos
“We do, but we don’t answer with the precision,” Volpetti said when asked whether a factory like Papastratos could be replicated in the Philippines or elsewhere in Asia on the sidelines of the “Curious X: Sensorium Piazza” exhibit on April 7.
“But I can tell you, today our smoke-free products are in more than 90 countries around the world. We have a target to reach 100 [countries] by the end of this year. We are on track on that target,” he added.
Volpetti explained that PMI’s manufacturing strategy is aligned with its long-term vision of a smoke-free future, with a consistent technology standard applied across facilities worldwide.
“You can imagine, last year we opened the US market. We are opening new markets in Asia, new markets in Latin America. So it’s normal for us that our geographical footprint when it comes to manufacturing will continue to evolve over time,” he said.
“The technology that you have seen in Greece is exactly the same we have in other factories around the world. And this is part of our mission to realize a smoke-free future. A smoke-free future is not realized in a few countries.” Volpetti added.
Volpetti also highlighted the strategic importance of Asia in PMI’s global outlook.
“In the top five markets of the world, for us, two of them are in Asia. And if I look at our top markets of the future, more than two will be in Asia,” he said, citing the region’s significant population of adult smokers.
“If we want to realize a smoke-free future, we need to talk to those consumers,” he added.
PMI is increasing its presence in Asia's smoke-free market with the launch of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Yangsan, South Korea. The facility produces IQOS tobacco sticks for local consumers and exports them to various countries across the region.
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Editor's note: The trip to Milan, Italy was hosted by PMFTC. At no stage does the host organization have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.
