Company currently employs 165 Kentuckians

 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 8, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear joined local officials and leadership from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (USSTC), a subsidiary Altria Group Inc. and leading global moist smokeless tobacco manufacturer, to break ground on a new facility in Christian County, where it will create over 200 new Kentucky jobs once operational.

“Kentucky’s manufacturing industry remains a key catalyst for our continued economic momentum and thriving economy,” said Gov. Beshear. “Today’s groundbreaking event is an exciting next step for not only U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., but also for the community and families of Christian County. These 200 job opportunities will provide a substantial economic boost to the region, and I appreciate USSTC’s leaders for their belief in the commonwealth and our people. I look forward to the company’s continued success here in our New Kentucky Home.”

The project will involve the development of a modern, flexible and efficient manufacturing facility to expand USSTC’s current presence on Weyman’s Way, as well as new manufacturing machinery and equipment.

“This is more than a new building. It is a statement of confidence in the people of this region and in the future we build together,” said Michael Brace, president and CEO of USSTC. “When completed, this facility will strengthen our Hopkinsville campus with modern manufacturing capabilities, create more than 200 new Kentucky jobs and approximately double our Kentucky workforce.”

USSTC is a leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco. The company’s Copenhagen and Skoal are its leading premium brands, alongside Red Seal and Husky. USSTC is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and has manufacturing facilities in Hopkinsville, Kentucky; Nashville and Clarksville, Tennessee; and Richmond, Virginia. USSTC’s operations in Hopkinsville date to 1916.

USSTC is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Altria Group, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Altria’s subsidiaries include Philip Morris USA Inc., John Middleton Co., UST LLC, Helix Innovations LLC and its foreign affiliates and NJOY LLC. Altria acquired USSTC in January 2009.

Christian County Judge/Executive Jerry Gilliam spoke on the region’s history in agriculture: “Christian County found its early success through agriculture, and that success continues to be a cornerstone of our community today. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. has played an important role in that success and continues to be a key part of our agricultural economy. Christian County is home to one of the strongest dark-fired tobacco regions in the world, and USSTC’s continued investment allows us to take that agricultural strength one step further by vertically integrating it into a finished product right here in our community. We are incredibly appreciative of the opportunities USSTC continues to create for Christian County and this entire region. Today’s announcement is more than a groundbreaking – it is proof that we continue to believe in this community, our people and the strength of our agricultural economy. We are proud to celebrate this investment and excited about what it means for the future of Christian County.”

Hopkinsville Mayor James R. Knight mentioned the strong workforce in Christian County: “This expansion is a tremendous vote of confidence in Hopkinsville and in the people who make our community such a strong place to do business. A $250 million investment and 200 new, high-paying jobs will have an impact that reaches far beyond this site, creating new opportunities for families, strengthening our local economy and building on the momentum we are seeing throughout our community. We are proud that U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. has chosen to continue growing here, and we look forward to being a partner in their success for many years to come.”

Carter Hendricks, executive director of the South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council, thanked the company for its commitment to the region: “We are excited to join U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. leadership, Governor Andy Beshear, Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel, the Tennessee Valley Authority and our local and regional partners on this very special day as we join the company breaking ground on the new Baker expansion project at their Eagle One campus in Hopkinsville’s South Park, investing $250 million and creating 200 high paying jobs. We thank company leadership and all involved in this transformative investment in South Western Kentucky. We stand ready to support their continued growth with our low cost of doing business, outstanding quality of life and skilled workforce.”

Heidi Smith, vice president of economic development for the Tennessee Valley Authority, congratulated the company on the milestone: “TVA and Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative Corp. congratulate U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. on its groundbreaking in Christian County. We are proud to partner with South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to support companies creating jobs and investment in the region, and we celebrate USSTC’s continued success here in the Valley.”

USSTC’s investment and job creation furthers what has been the best six-year period for economic growth in state history. 

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,300 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $52 billion in announced investments, creating more than 70,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $31 billion more than the next highest total.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the battery capital of the United States: AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Ford Motor Co.’s $2 billion, 2,200-job commitment in Louisville, as well as its $2 billion, 2,100-job project at the Kentucky 1 plant in Hardin County; Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County; and Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County, among others.

The Governor announced Kentucky once again set an all-time record for products shipped globally, with $51.6 billion in exports in 2025, representing a 7.65% increase over 2024.

Unemployment rates fell in all 120 counties between December 2024 and December 2025.

The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.

In addition, Kentucky has secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.

Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2025 Governor’s Cup rankings. In June, Area Development magazine awarded the commonwealth a Silver Shovel designation in its 2025 Shovel Awards, which highlight states for attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities.

Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in May preliminarily approved an incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide tax incentives based on the company’s investment and annual job creation targets.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, USSTC can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, USSTC can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on USSTC, visit USSmokeless.com.

For more information on Altria, visit Altria.com.

A detailed community profile for Christian County can be viewed here.

Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at NewKentuckyHome.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn. 

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