Altadis (Alliance Tobacco Distributors) born from the merger of Spain's Tabacalera and France's Seita SA (F.STA) state tobacco monopolies..


October 14, 1999 - Tabacalera, established in the seventeenth century as the tobacco monopoly of the Spanish empire, and Seita, which was incorporated from the remains of the Bourbon kings' tobacco monopoly by Napoleon I in the nineteenth century, joined operations to protect themselves from takeover by such tobacco giants as Philip Morris and to bolster their ability to make acquisitions and expand their power in the world marketplace. Altadis will be the world’s fourth-largest tobacco group in terms of revenue and the largest producer of cigars, with a market share of close to 25% of world sales. Cesar Alierta Izuel, current chairman of Tabacalera, and Seita chairman Jean-Dominique Comolli will be named co-chairmen of the newly merged group. Comolli will be responsible for the cigarette division while Alierta will head the cigar division. Altadis aims to make global brands of its Fortuna cigarettes and Seita’s Gauloises. It also wants to buy other names as it seeks to move beyond its two domestic strongholds and better compete with international labels such as Philip Morris’s Marlboro. Also, in 1999 the company bought a controlling stake in the Cuban cigar monopoly CorporaciĆ³n Habanos and becomes the world leader in cigar production. References: Altadis S.A., The Altadis Group History and European News Bulletin 9939 - 18 October 1999.
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Swedish Match to Sell the Cigarette Business to Austria Tabak..


June 1, 1999 - Swedish Match to Sell the Cigarette Business to Austria Tabak.. STOCKHOLM, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The main products of Swedish Match's cigarette business are Blend, Right, and John Silver. Swedish Match had a 48 percent market share in Sweden in 1998. The sale of the cigarette business is in line with Swedish Match's redefined strategy to concentrate its main resources and future investments in smokeless products and cigars. (Swedish Match to Sell the Cigarette Business to Austria Tabak for MSEK 4,800, Business Wire, June 1, 1999)
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RJR Nabisco sells international tobacco business to Japan Tobacco..


May 12, 1999 - RJR Nabisco sells international tobacco business to Japan Tobacco.. RJR Nabisco (National Biscuit Company) Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RN) today announced that it had completed the sale of its international tobacco business to Japan Tobacco, Inc. for $8 billion, including the assumption of $200 million of net debt. As announced on March 9, 1999, under the terms of the sales agreement, Japan Tobacco will acquire all of the business and trademarks of R.J. Reynolds International, including the international rights to Camel, Winston and Salem. Japan Tobacco acquires RJR Nabisco's int'l tobacco unit Asian Economic News, March 15, 1999 and RJR NABISCO AGREES TO SELL INTERNATIONAL TOBACCO BUSINESS FOR $8 BILLION; BOARD APPROVES SPIN-OFF PLAN FOR DOMESTIC TOBACCO COMPANY 9 Mar 1999
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BAT joins forces with Rothmans..



January 12, 1999 - BAT joins forces with Rothmans.. British American Tobacco plc (BAT) and Rothmans International BV - the world’s second and fourth largest international cigarette makers respectively - announced plans to merge, in a deal currently valued at £5.28 billion (£8.67 billion). If approved by regulatory authorities, the merger would create a powerful new company, with a combined annual volume of over 900 billion cigarettes. The merger means the new company can claim over 16% of the estimated global market of around 5.5 trillion cigarettes, compared with Philip Morris’s 17% share. The merger provides access to markets in Africa and Asia, and opens the door to the UK market, where its share immediately went from almost nothing to 14%.
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