The full-scale war has changed the business of Philip Morris in Ukraine dramatically. The factory in the Kharkiv region – previously the export hub for more than 20 countries – had to suspend its operations. Some of the company’s regional offices and brand boutiques were ruined.
But, despite all the difficulties mentioned, Philip Morris had the top priority – to save and support its team. Philip Morris Ukraine has carried out the outstanding operation to evacuate its employees from the Kharkiv factory – together with their families and even pets. In total, about 1600 people were evacuated. All the employees, including factory workers, continue to receive salaries and financial support. The ones, who have been relocated abroad or within Ukraine, are getting reimbursement for housing and other assistance.
The Ukrainian team has not been left alone. For the whole period of the war, it has been consistently receiving great support from Philip Morris International’s head office and colleagues from all over the world. PMI teams from other offices collected over $550,000 of financial aid as part of the internal donation project. Colleagues from Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Switzerland have been constantly in touch. Also, PMI allocated $10 million to support international humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, including financing the purchase of 22 ambulances and an X-ray machine for a hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk.
The experience of its team allowed Philip Morris Ukraine to completely rebuild its work and restore the business. Within a week since the beginning of the full-scale war, PMU has resumed its operations with retailers and reopened the brand boutiques. Just very a few weeks later, Philip Morris has already established urgent imports of products from Europe. And in August PMU launched the manufacturing of cigarettes at the Imperial Tobacco factory in Kyiv.
This year Philip Morris International has undergone transformational changes. The Ukrainian market joined the European region. It means that the Ukrainian team will report and build the business together with the EU countries, Great Britain, Norway, and Switzerland. Philip Morris is one of the five major taxpayers in Ukraine. And since the beginning of the year, it has transferred more than UAH 20.5 billion to the budgets of various levels. In 2023, the company will continue to support its team and develop a business even in these turbulent times.
