A 5-billion-forint, 14,200-square-meter logistics center is being built in Pécs’s southern industrial zone to support BAT’s manufacturing operations. While the investment is not expected to directly create hundreds of new jobs, its strategic significance could be much greater: it will support the export capacity of the Pécs plants and the previously announced 60-billion-forint factory expansion.
On October 21, the cornerstone was laid for the logistics center that CTP Hungary is developing to support BAT’s manufacturing operations in Hungary, in collaboration with Raben Group Hungary. According to plans, the facility—capable of storing 30,000 pallets—is expected to be completed by the second half of 2027.
The value of the investment is estimated at approximately five billion forints. The building will also be the first facility to be completed at CTPark Pécs, meaning it is not merely a warehouse for a single company: the project also serves as the inaugural investment in a new industrial and logistics development area. According to CTP, the center is being built under a “build-to-suit” arrangement, meaning the facility is being tailored specifically to the technological and logistical needs of its future user.
After the factory expansion, logistics will follow
The significance of this development lies primarily in the fact that it is closely linked to BAT’s previously launched factory investment in Pécs. Two years ago, the company announced a development project worth approximately 60 billion forints to build a 7,500-square-meter plant for the production of nicotine pouches.
According to BAT, the new manufacturing facility is one of the group’s largest plants of its kind, and its products will be distributed to nearly fifty countries. Based on information from HIPA in 2024, the plant expansion is expected to create 450 new jobs. The new logistics center will be responsible for supporting the storage, handling, and distribution of the products manufactured here.
Pécs is already one of BAT’s most important bases in Hungary. The company operates three production facilities in the city and employs nearly 1,200 people. The new center should therefore not be viewed as a standalone warehouse independent of local manufacturing, but rather as the next step in the logistics chain for production in Pécs.
The investment is also in line with BAT’s international strategy. According to the company’s plans, it aims to increase the number of adult consumers using smoke-free nicotine products from 35 million to 50 million by 2030, and by 2035, it hopes to generate half of its revenue from this product line. These are the company’s own business goals, not independent market forecasts; however, they explain why the manufacturing and logistics capacity in Pécs is being given a prominent role.
Thirty thousand pallets, heat pumps, and solar panels
The 14,200-square-meter building will feature 30,000 pallet spaces. According to the technical specifications released to the public, the property will be equipped with a heat pump system, and a solar panel system with a rated output of 200 kilowatts will be installed on the roof.
According to information from CTP, approximately 80 Hungarian workers are employed at the construction site, and about thirty Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises are involved in the project. However, these are primarily orders and jobs tied to the construction period and do not correspond to the logistics center’s future permanent workforce.
Pécs is no stranger to Raben: in 2021, the logistics company opened a local hub exceeding 10,000 square meters, which also provides excise and customs warehousing services. The new investment can therefore build on an existing logistics presence in Pécs.
The number of direct jobs is not the most important indicator
The investors’ joint announcement does not specify exactly how many people will work at the new warehouse. Earlier reports in the local press mentioned 15 to 20 direct logistics jobs, but this has not been confirmed in the latest announcements.
This is an important distinction. A largely automated, state-of-the-art warehouse generally does not require as many employees as a manufacturing plant. The economic significance of the Pécs project therefore lies not primarily in the number of jobs created at the warehouse, but in supporting the city’s manufacturing sector, ensuring export operations, and maintaining the stability of existing jobs.
However, the project leaves several questions unanswered. The final number of employees at the center, the degree of automation, and the proportion of long-term orders that local suppliers will receive during operations are not yet known.
It is already clear that the project goes beyond the construction of a warehouse. For CTP, it represents an entry into the industrial real estate market in Pécs; for Raben, it is another local logistics assignment; and for BAT, it is a prerequisite for delivering products manufactured in the city to international markets in large quantities and in a predictable manner.
Main sources: CTP Hungary’s official project announcement; CTPark Pécs presentation; Tobacco Magazine, October 21, 2026; Store Insider; Szabad Pécs; HIPA investment brochure.
