Swedish Match

A fixture in Owensboro for over 40 years, Swedish Match develops, manufactures and sells tobacco products and lights and has become a leader in the products of Snus and moist snuff. In order to grow their presence even further, they needed to expand the Research & Development Center to double the current size. The expansion enabled them to better satisfy consumer and regulatory demands and enhance the research and development capabilities within a cross-functional team environment.

The two-story addition complements the existing manufacturing facility and creates a more visible entrance for employees and visitors. Located on the first level, a large laboratory is comprised of three distinct spaces – an instrument lab, flavor lab and snuff lab. Within this laboratory, flavors are evaluated and tested before undergoing a final processing and packaging. The second level contains open offices and meeting rooms, as well as a microbiology lab and a sensory testing lab. Here, products are evaluated by a random selection of tobacco consumers to rate products before being manufactured.

This expansion will increase the company’s ability to create new products while ensuring pre-marketing approval by the FDA. Another bonus is that this project will aid in recruitment of talent and addition of more research jobs to the community.