By Ben McNeely (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Philip Morris is ramping up the marketing efforts at the Concord cigarette plant.
Local and regional economic developers and Concord city officials took a thorough tour of the 3.5 million-square-foot cigarette manufacturing facility on U.S. 29 Thursday.
Philip Morris spokeswoman Paige Magness said it was a chance to show local officials just what kind of facility they have to offer.
“The intent was to make sure those folks who have the responsibility for marketing the facility know what they have,” she said.
Philip Morris also has hired Jones Lang LaSalle, a global commercial real estate firm, to help with that marketing effort.
“We’re partnering with Jones Lang LaSalle, the Charlotte Regional Partnership and the N.C. Department of Commerce on this,” said Cabarrus EDC head John Cox. “This site is a great lure for projects, not just for Cabarrus County, but for the state and the Southeast.”
Philip Morris announced in 2007 that it would close the cigarette manufacturing facility by 2010 and move operations to its headquarters in Richmond, Va.
Philip Morris still has 1,384 employees left at the plant. About 800 employees were offered jobs in Richmond plant and nearly 530 employees have accepted offers to move to Virginia. Another 500 have left or are retiring from the company. Philip Morris laid off 140 workers on Jan. 30 in preparation for the 2010 closing. Hourly employees received a benefits package that included nine to 20 months of pay depending on their years of service.
Since the intended closing date is set for the end of next year, officials said it is important to move ahead with marketing the site.
Cox and Mayor Scott Padgett said they got a thorough tour of the manufacturing facility and the 2,000 acres on which it sits.
“Even though I thought I was thoroughly familiar with the plant, the tour is, once again, an eye-opening sight as to how truly large it is,” Padgett said.
Jones Lang LaSalle has a brochure, touting the Philip Morris’ attributes as a prime manufacturing and distribution facility in close proximity to Interstate 85 and the North Carolina Research Campus. That includes the 1,500 acres of undeveloped land on both sides of U.S. 29.
“Whoever or how-many-ever go into that site,” Padgett said, “will be a major part of Concord. It could be 21 companies on 100 acres each.”
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