Zyn users, rejoice: U.S. production is about to accelerate. Philip Morris International (PMI), the parent company of Zyn, announced Tuesday that it will invest $600 million to build a production facility in Aurora, Colorado, specifically to make these popular nicotine pouches.
Zyn has been facing nationwide shortages due to its huge success. ”
PMI and its U.S. affiliates are accelerating its mission to move smoking adults away from cigarettes by investing in new U.S. manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing demand for nicotine options that are scientifically proven to be better alternatives,” Stacey Kennedy, president of PMI Americas and U.S. CEO, said in a statement.
“We believe Colorado’s commitment to innovation, economic opportunity and public health aligns with our own, and we are eager to work with the state and its talented workforce as we expand our U.S. manufacturing operations,” she said.
PMI said the facility, which will be built in two years, will create 500 direct jobs with an average annual salary of $90,000, an ongoing annual economic impact of $550 million, and create an additional 1,000 indirect jobs. It also estimates that 1,000 construction jobs will be created during construction of the plant.
Tuesday’s announcement comes on top of previously announced plans to increase Zyn production at an existing facility in Kentucky to provide more immediate relief to address the shortage.
As Zyn has become more widely adopted, it has also begun to face questions about its safety. PMI says its product has been scientifically proven to be a better alternative to traditional cigarette use. The official position of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is that nicotine is addictive and can lead to continued tobacco use, and that any tobacco or tobacco substitute product, like Zyn, is illegal to market to users under the age of 21.
