Imperial Tobacco’s plant in Petone, New Zealand’s only large-scale tobacco factory, has sold, effectively bringing an end to the country’s tobacco manufacturing industry.
Production at the Petone facility is set to be discontinued by September 30, with production workers out of the building by October and the remaining staff finishing by early next year.
The new owners of the site are Richard Burrell and Craig Stewart. According to Hutt City Deputy-Mayor, Tui Lewis, part of the area will still be used for commercial use, while the remaining will be used to develop residential housing.
The Petone plant predominantly supplied Imperial Tobacco's products to the Australasian market and is the company's only factory in New Zealand or Australia. Its production will be taken up by an Imperial facility in Taiwan.