Altadis is a Spanish-French multinational purveyor and manufacturer of cigarettes, tobacco and cigars. It was formed via a 1999 merger between Tabacalera, the former Spanish tobacco monopoly and , the former French tobacco monopoly. Through its international holdings, including ownership of the former Consolidated Cigar Holdings and half ownership of the Cuban state tobacco monopoly, Habanos S.A., Altadis was the largest producer of mass market and premium cigars in the world, as well as the fourth largest producer of tobacco products.
The company was acquired by the British tobacco giant Imperial Tobacco (now Imperial Brands) in 2008, becoming a subsidiary of it.
Company history
French and Spanish state monopolies
In 1926, France concentrated its tobacco industry into a single state-run monopoly called SEIT ()."Altadis S.A.," FundingUniverse.com/ Retrieved February 19, 2011. The production of matches () was added to the state monopoly's purview in 1935 and the company was renamed SEITA ().
Following the end of World War II, Spain similarly established a state-owned tobacco monopoly called , commonly known as Tabacalera.
Throughout the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, national markets were gradually opened up to the importation of foreign tobacco brands and the national tobacco monopolies of both France and Spain were weakened and gradually privatized, with SEITA employees losing status as civil servants in 1962 and the company losing both its monopoly of tobacco cultivation and tobacco sales by 1971.
Acquisitions
purchased Consolidated Cigar Holdings Inc. of Fort Lauderdale in the United States. Consolidated Cigar was a large purveyor of cigars such as the Dominican made editions of Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo.
In August 2000, Consolidated Cigar and Havatampa, owned by Tabacalera, merged to form Altadis USA.
In September 2000 Altadis purchased a 50% interest in the Cuban state tobacco monopoly, Habanos SA.
In 2003, Altadis acquired the internet seller 800-JR Cigar, Inc., one of the largest cigar retailers in the United States.
2008 sale On 18 July 2007, the board of Altadis backed a €16.2 billion offer for the company by Imperial Tobacco (now Imperial Brands).Ben Bland and Ben Harrington, "Imperial Secures Altadis with £11 Billion Bid," The Daily Telegraph, 18 July 2007. The acquisition was cleared by the Spanish stock market regulator on 7 November 2007, paving the way for the creation of the world's fourth largest tobacco company.Age "Spain's Stock Market Commission Okays Imperial Bid for Altadis," Agence France Press, 7 November 2007. The acquisition was completed on 25 February 2008 with the delisting of Altadis from the Bolsa de Madrid. AFX News, 22 February 2008.
Sales Western Europe's third largest cigarette manufacturer, Altadis produced and sold blond, regular and dark cigarettes. Its major markets included the United States, Spain and France.
In 2004, Altadis Group economic sales rose 3.9% to euro 3.518 million with a staff of 27,500 people.
Appointments In January 2019, Altadis announced new heads of sales and consumer marketing, in the face of Paul Waller and Brad Winstead.
Cigarettes Blond tobacco
Anfa Balkan Star (BS) Brooklyn Colt Ducados Fine Fortuna Fox Gauloises Blondes Iris Marquise News Nobel Popularne Prima Royale Smart Spike ZK (Golden Ring)
Black tobacco Gitanes Habanos Casa Sports BN Ducados
Cigars Premium
Don Diego Flor de Copan H. Upmann José Piedra Longchamp Montecristo Pleiades Por Larrañaga Quintero Romeo y Julieta Santa Damiana VegaFina Siglo Limited Reserve
Trinidad
Popular
Antonio y Cleopatra Ducados Cigarros Dutch Masters Dux Entrefinos El Producto Farias Fleur de Savane Guantanamera Havanitos Henry Clay Niñas Phillies Picaduros Tampa Nugget
Other Rolling tobacco Amsterdamer Kennings Gauloises Picadura Ideales Picadura Selecta Picadura Fina Horizon
Logistic
Logista Régie des Tabacs Rouge Papier Nordipa LPM Promodern
See also Smoking in France
Notes
References
External links