European company Swedish Match said it plans to lay off 54 workers at its Dothan, Alabama cigar manufacturing facility, which will officially close sometime in the next few months.
The company, which is owned by Phillip Morris International, said it will keep 20 employees on board to help handle local business needs.
Peter Luongo, managing director of cigars for PMI U.S., said the closure doesn't "diminish" the work done at the site over the years.
“The decision to close our manufacturing operations in Dothan reflects our focus on operating efficiently and sustainably across all aspects of our business and on accelerating the growth of our smoke-free business in America,” he told WDHN in a statement.
Swedish Match still has another U.S. manufacturing facility in Owensboro, Kentucky but that plant is focused on producing chewing tobacco, moist snuff and nicotine pouches.
