PMI US opens US$1.2 billion Aurora campus, strengthening US manufacturing and export capabilities. Photo credit: PMI US.
Philip Morris International (PMI) reinforced its commitment to the rapidly expanding nicotine pouch category by opening a new manufacturing campus in Aurora, CO and doubling its planned investment in the project to US$1.2 billion through 2028.
The facility, which began commercial production in July, represents PMI's first greenfield manufacturing complex in the US and marks one of the company's largest investments in its smoke-free product portfolio. Originally announced as a US$600 million project in 2024, the campus now covers approximately 780,000 square feet on 148 acres and integrates manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution under one roof.
The expansion reflects PMI's confidence in continued growth for Zyn nicotine pouches, which have become one of the fastest-growing categories in the US nicotine market. The Aurora campus joins existing Zyn manufacturing operations in Owensboro, KY, and Wilson, NC, while adding significant new production capacity and strengthening the company's domestic supply chain.
PMI expects the site to serve more than the US market. The company has positioned Aurora as a strategic export hub that will support shipments to markets in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean as demand for modern oral nicotine products continues to expand.
Construction reached commercial production in just 19 months, an unusually rapid timetable for a manufacturing project of this scale. Approximately US$1 billion of the total planned investment has already been spent, while the remaining US$200 million will fund additional production lines and future expansion through 2028.
The investment also carries significant economic implications. PMI expects the campus to employ about 500 people directly across production, engineering, quality control and support functions, while supporting roughly 1,000 indirect jobs in the surrounding region.
The investment follows several years of rapid expansion for Zyn since PMI acquired Swedish Match in 2022. The brand has become the dominant player in the US nicotine pouch category and has expanded into dozens of international markets, prompting the company to continue investing heavily in manufacturing capacity.