A stranger coming upon Tobaccoville, N.C., twelve miles north of Winston-Salem, might not be prepared for the sight. In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains stands a sleek, Bauhaus-style building. This is R.J. Reynolds' new $1 billion plant, which covers some 614 acres and 2 million sq. ft. of floor space. Still under construction, it will soon be the world's largest cigarette factory. The plant will have the capacity to roll out more than 5 billion packs a year.
"It's our vote of confidence in the tobacco industry," says Donald Nanney, a factory manager of R.J. Reynolds'. Only a few...