Imperial Tobacco

Imperial Tobacco PLC is the largest cigarette manufacturer in the UK, second largest in Germany and fourth worldwide, following its purchase of Reemtsma Zigarettenfabriken, adding brands such as Davidoff, Peter Stuyvesant and West to its line-up.

Imperial Tobacco was created in 1901 from a merger of a number of British tobacco and cigarette companies who were being threatened by competition from the United States. The original merger was between W.D. & H.O. Wills of Bristol and Stephen Mitchel & Son of Glasgow. Later mergers swallowed Lambert & Butler, Wm Clarke & Son, John Player & Sons, Franklyn Davey company, Edwards Ringer, J & F Bell and F & J Smith.

The company's first chairman was William Henry Wills of the Wills company.

Cigarette brands:

• Davidoff - its leading premium brand
• Embassy
• Excellence
• John Player Special (JPS)
• Lambert & Butler
• Peter Stuyvesant
• Prima - a cheap Eastern European brand
• R1 - a very low tar & nicotine brand
• Richmond
• Route 66
• Superkings
• West - its leading brand

Other products:

• Drum (Van Nelle)- world's #1 roll-your-own tobacco brand
• Rizla - world's #1 rolling paper brand

External links:

• Official website (http://www.imperial-tobacco.com/)
• European Network for Smoking Prevention brand overview (http://www.ensp.org/tobaccoindustry.htm)

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