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| Zia Ahmed Karim, a director of manufacturing for Philip Morris Korea, introduces the Yangsan plant to journalists at a press meeting held in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 23. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea |
By Kim Jae-heun
Phillip Morris Korea (PMK) has begun full-scale production of Terea, an exclusive tobacco stick for the company's new heat-not-burn (hnb) IQOS Iluma devices, at its plant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, the company said Thursday.
The tobacco firm's Yangsan plant produces and supplies all the Terea products sold not only in Korea but also overseas. There are 10 types of Terea tobacco sticks including two of the regular product line, four of the fresh line and another four of the special line.
Unlike PMK's previous Heets tobacco stick products, the tip of a Terea stick is sealed so it leaves no residue in the device after smoking. Thus, users don't need to go through the inconvenience of cleaning the e-cigarette device every time they use it with Terea.
The combination of the IQOS Iluma device and Terea tobacco sticks has been receiving favorable feedback from consumers here.
The IQOS Iluma device heats tobacco sticks without burning them from the inside, reducing the emissions of harmful substances by nearly 95 percent on average compared to a normal cigarette ― the same reduction level of the previous IQOS model.
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| Philip Morris Korea's new Terea tobacco sticks are on a conveyor belt at a production facility in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 23. Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea |
PMK is also making every effort to produce high-quality products through a strict quality management system. The Yangsan plant's production process complies with standardized global process standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), such as quality management system certification (ISO-9001), environmental management system certification (ISO-14001) and safety and health management system certification (ISO-45001).
There is a quality control team at the Yangsan plant too, to check whether the products produced there meet strict domestic and international quality standards. The team has obtained an internationally accredited testing agency certification from the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme.
"All the workers at Philip Morris' Yangsan plant in Korea are proud of the fact that they are producing high-quality non-combustible tobacco products such as Terea, which contributes to the realization of the company's vision of a 'future without cigarette smoke' and the development of the national economy. We will continue to ensure quality control of our products and seek eco-friendly management in the future through providing better alternatives to adult smokers," Philip Morris Korea Director of Manufacturing Zia Ahmed Karim said.
The Yangsan plant marks its 20th anniversary this year. Currently, about 600 people are employed at the production facility, and PMK has invested more than 300 billion won ($225.83 million) since 2017 in building production facilities for non-combustible products such as Heets.
