Philip Morris to Open New Facility to Research Smoking Dangers [04/06-4]

Excerpts from: Philip Morris to Research Smoking Dangers

By LARRY O'DELL Associated Press [04/06/05]


Philip Morris USA announced plans Tuesday to build a $300 million research and development center in Richmond that will focus on reducing the hazards of smoking.

Virginia offered the cigarette maker $15 million in incentives to beat out North Carolina for the project, which will be built in the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park in downtown Richmond and create about 500 jobs.

At the biotech park, 51 companies and research institutes already employ more than 1,350 scientists, researchers, technicians and engineers. The site is almost squarely between Philip Morris USA corporate headquarters and the company's huge cigarette factory, which produces about 30 million packs of Marlboros and other brands daily.

The city is donating the land for the building. The company also will get a 40 percent reduction in real estate taxes for two years and $3 million in federal highway money for associated road projects. The center is expected to open in 2007.

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