21 January 2018

Imperial Tobacco has today announced a proposal to close its cigarette manufacturing facility in Petone.

The potential closure follows a review of Imperial Tobacco’s global manufacturing footprint and reflects decreasing production volumes which have led to significant overcapacity.

The factory and its employees will now enter a consultation process.

Factory manager Karen Geddes said: “Any announcement that involves potential job losses is regrettable and our immediate focus is on supporting employees in an open and respectful manner.”

There will be no impact on the quality, price or availability of Imperial Tobacco products in Australasia as a result of today’s announcement.

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