By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Workforce expansion doubled: Reynolds American now plans to grow related jobs from 1,000 to 2,000 by 2030, doubling its prior hiring target.
- Pouch-driven growth: The expansion is tied to rising adult demand for Velo synthetic nicotine pouches and to broader investment in the smokeless portfolio.
- U.S. manufacturing focus: Hiring is focused in North Carolina, supporting increased domestic production capacity for modern oral products.
Reynolds American Inc. plans to significantly expand its North Carolina workforce as demand for its Velo-branded synthetic nicotine pouches surges, with manufacturing and related roles expected to grow from about 1,000 to 2,000 jobs by 2030 — effectively doubling its previously announced expansion.
Workforce growth will support sustained production increases tied to consumer interest in nicotine pouches, a category rapidly gaining market traction in the broader U.S. tobacco and nicotine landscape as alternative nicotine products attract adult consumers seeking non-combustible options.
Most recently, Reynolds, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), said it will add 200 new manufacturing positions at its Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, North Carolina, directly tied to expanded output of its Velo Plus nicotine pouch line and other smokeless products.
These roles build on the 800 jobs added between 2024 and 2025, bringing total recent additions to over 1,000 jobs.
Company leadership has not publicly detailed the full scope of the 2,000-job projection through 2030, but ongoing hiring reflects a broader strategic investment in smokeless nicotine categories.
Reynolds previously invested approximately $200 million in U.S. manufacturing facilities, including equipment upgrades to expand production capacity for modern oral products.
Reynolds’ Tobaccoville facility, spanning 2 million square feet, is BAT Group’s largest manufacturing center globally and can produce a variety of nicotine products.
