JTI unit powers on P1.9-B factory in Batangas
BATANGAS—Tobacco manufacturer JT International Asia Manufacturing Corp. (JTI-AMC) inaugurated on Wednesday a P1.9-billion tobacco expansion facility in Malvar town in this province, bringing a key stage of its production process to the Philippines.
The new plant makes JTI’s Batangas factory the company’s first manufacturing site in Southeast Asia equipped with Dry Ice Expanded Tobacco (Diet) technology.
The 2,006-square-meter facility uses liquid carbon dioxide to expand tobacco leaves, increasing the volume before it is conditioned and blended for cigarette production.
Diet processing was previously done overseas but was brought to the Philippines to “strengthen Batangas’ role in JTI’s global manufacturing network,” JTI said in a statement.
“The facility shows JTI’s continued confidence in the Philippines as a strong manufacturing base,” the tobacco manufacturer added. “It also highlights the capability of Filipino talent to operate advanced technology safely and reliably.”
The Diet facility is expected to deepen technical expertise at the Batangas plant and expand JTI’s manufacturing capabilities in the country.
This follows another investment at the company’s Malvar estate. In July, JTI poured P177 million into expanding its Controlled Atmosphere (CA) treatment facility.
JTI said the expansion doubled the CA’s treatment capacity, which helped in the preservation of tobacco’s quality before it enters the manufacturing process.
“These fresh investments reflect our confidence in the Philippines, its economic potential and its importance to JTI’s operations,” said Amir Vajdi, JTI-AMC factory lead for the Philippines.
“We continue to invest in the capabilities of our Batangas facility and in the people and technologies that will support its development over the long term,” Vajdi added.
JTI in the Philippines is the regional manufacturing subsidiary of Japan-based tobacco manufacturer JTI, whose portfolio spans international brands Winston, Camel, Mevius and LD as as well as local brands Mighty and Marvels.
