Santa Cruz de Tenerife (EFE).- Philip Morris has begun the transfer of part of its cigarette production from the factory in Poland to Gran Canaria, with which it will carry out an investment of 15 million euros and the creation of more than 120 jobs, the general director of the company for Spain and Portugal, Enrique Jiménez, said this Wednesday.
After meeting with the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, the general director of Philip Morris has stated that in his opinion it is a very relevant project for the Canary Islands, and has explained that the production of cigarettes from the factory that will be located in Gran Canaria will be destined for export.
The forecast is to export some 36 million euros, indicated the director of the multinational, who commented that this project will be developed in the Canary Islands because it is a strategic territory for the company, and also because they have a partner in the archipelago, Dos Santos .
The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has indicated that this is good news for the economic diversification of the islands, and has added that with this investment in a strategic sector it will be possible to reach 170 million euros.
Ángel Víctor Torres has declared that investment is needed in difficult years.
The Director of Operations of Dos Santos, Dácil Barreto Dos Santos, has indicated that it is a huge challenge but also recognition for many years adapting to the standards of a multinational.
Dácil Barreto has indicated that the production from Gran Canaria will go to twelve European countries, such as Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Germany and Hungary.
As indicated in a statement from the multinational, the decision is a sign of the transformation that the company is driving towards a smoke-free future, which implies that its Krakow factory focuses exclusively on the production of non-combustion alternatives to serve to its growing demand.
The optimization, therefore, of its processes, entails the transfer of part of the production of conventional products to another center, says the company, adding that the choice of Canarias and Dos Santos comes through an internal contest to which they applied four other factories in Europe.
With this bet, says Philip Morris, the company reinforces its commitment to the Canary Islands and consolidates its tobacco tradition by valuing the knowledge of Dos Santos, a company with 100 years of history, “which has demonstrated its ability to adapt to the high standards of quality” of the multinational.
The statement points out that 84 percent of the national production of all tobacco products is manufactured in the Canary Islands, which represents 1 percent of the Canary Islands Gross Domestic Product, and generates 5,279 jobs. EFE