{"id":2827,"date":"2021-11-19T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMiQ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5ld2hhdmVuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQub3JnL2FydGljbGUvYWR2YW5jZWN0X3BoaWxpcF9tb3JyaXPSAQA"},"modified":"2021-11-19T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T08:00:00","slug":"biz-boosters-embrace-big-tobacco-new-haven-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=2827","title":{"rendered":"Biz Boosters Embrace Big Tobacco – New Haven Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lamont at DISTRICT presser: \u201cI like winning.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Connecticut is <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>beginning to win\u201d by attracting large, innovative, good-paying employers, Gov. Ned Lamont rejoiced in New Haven Thursday.<\/p>\n

Lamont\u2019s team\u2019s Example A: The global tobacco giant Philip Morris International.<\/p>\n

State leaders and business boosters touted that example during a press conference Thursday at the DISTRICT<\/span> innovation and tech hub at 470<\/span> James St.<\/p>\n

Lamont, state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD<\/span>) Commissioner David Lehman, and AdvanceCT President and CEO<\/span> Peter Denious hosted the presser not primarily to focus on the Marlboro maker\u2019s recent decision to relocate its corporate headquarters from Manhattan to Stamford<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rather, Thursday\u2019s event was to shine a light on a different recent business move\u2009\u2014\u2009AdvanceCT\u2019s relocation of its headquarters and 23<\/span> employees in October from Rocky Hill to a shiny new office space at DISTRICT<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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State leaders and business boosters attend the DISTRICT presser. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AdvanceCT<\/a> is a nonprofit that contracts with state government to try to convince businesses to move to and invest in Connecticut.<\/p>\n

Lamont attended the group\u2019s board meeting Thursday to help welcome the company\u2019s new board co-chairs, Yale School of Management Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and former Synchrony CEO<\/span> Margaret Keane. He also used the opportunity to take a victory lap on what he saw as some recent high-profile economic coups for the state.<\/p>\n

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Thomas Breen photo<\/span> <\/p>\n

AdvanceCT CEO Peter Denious and Gov. Lamont at Thursday presser. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201c<\/span>The thing I like about our team: I like winning,\u201d Lamont said from a podium outside of AdvanceCT\u2019s new office space. <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>I\u2019m not a great athlete, but I like winning. And I feel like we\u2019re beginning to win now. I feel like we have a little wind to our back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies are moving into Connecticut not because <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>we\u2019re giving out a lot of incentives,\u201d he continued, but because of the state\u2019s world-class educational institutions, its skilled workforce, <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>pretty good people, pretty good values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked for an example of that type of economic <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>winning\u201d\u2009\u2014\u2009of a company that AdvanceCT has helped convince to come to and invest in Connecticut\u2009\u2014\u2009Denious pointed to Philip Morris International.<\/p>\n

That is: the Big Tobacco corporation that ships hundreds of billions of cigarettes around the world each year<\/a>, making tens of billions of dollars in the process.<\/p>\n

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Denious: Making Philip Morris International \u201cfeel at home\u201d in Connecticut. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201c<\/span>We worked closely with the governor and his team and Commissioner David Lehman to facilitate that conversation and ultimately convince [Philip Morris International] to come here,\u201d Denious said about the imminent Stamford move.<\/p>\n

He said that AdvanceCT\u2019s role in helping the tobacco giant relocate to Connecticut came in the form of <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>getting the resources of the state to come together to essentially make the pitch and make somebody like PMI<\/span> feel at home and point out the great industry resources that we have that they can take advantage of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denious was asked why having Philip Morris International in Connecticut is a cause for celebration, especially given the company\u2019s legacy in addicting and killing millions of people as a central part of its business model.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>They\u2019re bringing 200<\/span> high-paying jobs to our state,\u201d he replied. <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>If you take the time to hear the PMI<\/span> story, you\u2019ll hear that this is a company that\u2019s in the process of moving away from smoking tobacco and traditional cigarettes and trying to find better alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

PMI<\/span>\u2019s corporate namesake, Philip Morris, and other Big Tobacco companies spent decades lying to the public about the risks of smoking<\/a>\u2014namely, that it causes cancer and death<\/a>. In recent years, Philip Morris International has promised to move away from traditional cigarettes<\/a> and towards non-smoking, heated tobacco devices like IQOS<\/span><\/a>. While the manufacturer is prohibited from marketing<\/a> its addictive nicotine-laden products to young people, watchdogs and reporters sometimes catch them doing just that<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Philip Morris International sells cigarettes and other tobacco products abroad<\/a>. It does not directly market or sell its products in the U.S. Marlboro and other Philip Morris-brand cigarette sales in this country are handled by Philip Morris USA<\/span>, a subsidiary of Altria Group, which spun off Philip Morris International in 2008<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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Denious, state development Commissioner David Lehman, and gubernatorial spokesperson Max Reiss. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the presser, gubernatorial spokesperson Max Reiss and Lehman stressed that the state did not use any tax breaks or other financial incentives to lure the tobacco company to Connecticut. Rather, the company moved because of Connecticut\u2019s good schools, skilled workforce, quality healthcare, and <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>welcoming\u201d business environment, they said.<\/p>\n

Reiss also noted how Lamont pushed (unsuccessfully<\/a>) this year for the state legislature to ban flavored e\u2011cigarettes.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>They knew the policy ecosystem they were entering,\u201d Reiss said about PMI<\/span>\u2019s planned move to Stamford.<\/p>\n

Click here <\/a>for a recent deep dive by Hearst reporter Paul Schott on the cognitive dissonance of statewide politicians vocally disapproving of cigarette smoking, and then welcoming Philip Morris International\u2019s corporate relocation with open arms.<\/p>\n

Big Tobacco Executive: <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>Smoke-Free\u201d Future<\/h5>\n
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PMI Americas Region President Deepak Mishra at DISTRICT on Thursday. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Also at Thursday\u2019s DISTRICT<\/span> celebration was Deepak Mishra.<\/p>\n

In July, Mishra became the president of PMI<\/span>\u2019s Americas Region. That is, the part of the Big Tobacco company that sells cigarettes and other tobacco products to Canada and Latin America.<\/p>\n

As waiters carried around trays of wine and cheese, Mishra said again and again that his company is focusing on a smoke-free future\u2009\u2014\u2009and is developing the <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>heated tobacco\u201d products to help make that happen.<\/p>\n

Those <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>heat not burn\u201d products, like IQOS<\/span>, warm tobacco and send nicotine into the inhaler\u2019s lungs<\/a>. The company has pumped the device as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. Top federal health and safety regulators have disagreed.<\/a><\/p>\n

Mishra said that his company doesn\u2019t actually sell IQOS<\/span> in the United States. Rather, they have licensed the product to Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris USA<\/span>), which in turn sells it in this country.<\/p>\n

He said that his company has spent \u201c$8<\/span> billion over the last few years\u201d on developing smoke-free technologies. He said 30<\/span> percent of its revenue last year came from international sales of such smoke-free products.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We have the goal of making smoke-free products 50<\/span> percent of our revenue by 2025<\/span>,\u201d he said. He said that <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>15<\/span> to 20<\/span> million\u201d people around the world have quit cigarette smoking thanks to tobacco-stick products like IQOS<\/span>.<\/p>\n

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AdvanceCT\u2019s DISTRICT office space. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And why exactly did his company decide to relocate to Connecticut?<\/p>\n

Because of the state\u2019s <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>focus on the life sciences,\u201d Mishra said. Because of its <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>open-mindedness.\u201d And its proximity to New York.<\/p>\n

Mishra was asked why anyone should believe anything he had to say about Philip Morris International wanting a <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>smoke-free future.\u201d After all, Big Tobacco spent decades deceiving the public about its research, its business goals, and the incredible harm caused by its marquee addictive products.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We declared our smoke-free vision a number of years ago,\u201d Mishra said. <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>We have grown that [part of the business] consistently.\u201d The proof is in the numbers, he said.<\/p>\n

Is he a smoker? He used to be, Mishra said. Until five years ago. He said the tobacco-heating device helped him quit.<\/p>\n

Connectors &<\/span> Packaging, Too<\/h5>\n
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AdvanceCT Board Co-Chair Jeff Sonnenfeld and Amphenol CEO Adam Norwitt. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Big Tobacco wasn\u2019t the only business success story that AdvanceCT leaders emphasized Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Denious said that his group currently has over 40<\/span> different projects in the pipeline, with plenty of businesses eager to move to or double down on the Nutmeg State.<\/p>\n

The Wallingford-based electronic connector manufacturer Amphenol is one such company.<\/p>\n

Sonnenfeld and Amphenol President and CEO<\/span> Adam Norwitt said that the company employs upwards of 80<\/span>,000<\/span> people around the world, including hundreds in Connecticut. Its cables are used in everything from fighter jet cockpits to broadband. Last year the company reported over $8<\/span>.5<\/span> billion in revenue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The one problem with Amphenol as a company is that they never boast about their successes, Sonnenfeld said with a laugh as Norwitt blushed. Norwitt said his company doesn\u2019t even have a marketing director.<\/p>\n

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AdvanceCT\u2019s Ted Fisher and Patricia McLaughlin. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ted Fisher\u2009\u2014\u2009AdvanceCT\u2019s director for business development, advanced manufacturing\u2009\u2014\u2009said that Connecticut notched another business win recently by convincing the packaging company Rankpak to build a new facility in Shelton.<\/a><\/p>\n

He said that Ranpak makes environmentally friendly, flexible packaging products and <\/span>\u200b\u201c<\/span>box systems,\u201d mainly for Amazon. He said AdvanceCT helped Ranpak find the site in Shelton where they now plan on building a new 80<\/span>,000<\/span> square-foot manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Generally, Connecticut is ripe for advanced manufacturing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lamont at DISTRICT presser: \u201cI like winning.\u201d Connecticut is \u200b\u201cbeginning to win\u201d by attracting large, innovative, good-paying employers, Gov. Ned Lamont rejoiced in New Haven Thursday. Lamont\u2019s team\u2019s Example A: The global tobacco giant Philip Morris International. State leaders and business boosters touted that example during a press conference Thursday at the DISTRICT innovation and tech hub at 470 James St. Lamont, state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner David Lehman, and AdvanceCT President and CEO Peter Denious hosted the presser not primarily to focus on the Marlboro maker\u2019s recent decision to relocate its corporate headquarters from Manhattan to Stamford. Rather, Thursday\u2019s… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}