COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 312221

Cigarette Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

22companies1879–2002founding years22still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedR.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc.FoundedR.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc.
1879
FoundedGallaher Group PlcFoundedGallaher Group Plc
1896
FoundedImperial Tobacco Group PLCFoundedImperial Tobacco Group PLC
1901
FoundedSouza Cruz S.A.FoundedSouza Cruz S.A.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedBrown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation
1906
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAltadis S.A.FoundedAltadis S.A.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedDjarum PTFoundedDjarum PT
1951
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedLoews CorporationFoundedLoews Corporation
1969
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedVector Group Ltd.FoundedVector Group Ltd.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
FoundedKT&G Corporation
2002
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Compagnie Financière Richemont AG →
Active · Switzerland
Created as a holding company for the Rupert family's international interests, Compagnie Financière Richemont AG…
Compagnie Financière Richemont AG →
Active · Switzerland
Created as a holding company for the Rupert family's international interests, Compagnie Financière Richemont AG…
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1879
R.J.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1879
R.J.
Gallaher Group Plc →
Active · founded 1896 · United Kingdom
Gallaher Group Plc is the second largest tobacco company in the United Kingdom, with manufacturing operations…
Gallaher Group Plc →
Active · founded 1896 · United Kingdom
Gallaher Group Plc is the second largest tobacco company in the United Kingdom, with manufacturing operations…
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC →
Active · founded 1901 · United Kingdom
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is the United Kingdom's leading tobacco company, with extensive international operations:…
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC →
Active · founded 1901 · United Kingdom
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC is the United Kingdom's leading tobacco company, with extensive international operations:…
Souza Cruz S.A. →
Active · founded 1903 · Brazil
Souza Cruz S.A.
Souza Cruz S.A. →
Active · founded 1903 · Brazil
Souza Cruz S.A.
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation →
Active · founded 1906
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco plc, is the third largest manufacturer…
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation →
Active · founded 1906
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco plc, is the third largest manufacturer…
Altadis S.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · Spain
Altadis S.A., formed from the 1999 merger of the French and Spanish state tobacco monopolies SEITA and Tabacalera, is…
Altadis S.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · Spain
Altadis S.A., formed from the 1999 merger of the French and Spanish state tobacco monopolies SEITA and Tabacalera, is…
Djarum PT →
Active · founded 1951 · Indonesia
Djarum PT is one of Indonesia's top three producers of "kretek" cigarettes, the dominant form of tobacco in a country…
Djarum PT →
Active · founded 1951 · Indonesia
Djarum PT is one of Indonesia's top three producers of "kretek" cigarettes, the dominant form of tobacco in a country…
Loews Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
Loews Corporation is a holding company with diversified interests in insurance, tobacco, offshore drilling, hotels, and…
Loews Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
Loews Corporation is a holding company with diversified interests in insurance, tobacco, offshore drilling, hotels, and…
Vector Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1980
Known through 1999 as the Brooke Group Ltd., Vector Group Ltd.
Vector Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1980
Known through 1999 as the Brooke Group Ltd., Vector Group Ltd.
KT&G Corporation →
Active · founded 2002 · South Korea
KT&G Corporation is the new name for the former Korean government-controlled Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation.
KT&G Corporation →
Active · founded 2002 · South Korea
KT&G Corporation is the new name for the former Korean government-controlled Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation.
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