Imperial Brands Tobacco Company

Imperial Brands is a consumer centric global organization and the fourth largest international tobacco company

1636- The first tobacco company

In Spain, Tabacarera was founded under the name Estanco del Tabaco en Espa ñ a, making it the oldest tobacco company in the world.

1786- WD and HO Wills began operating in Bristol

This company, which eventually became a founding member of the Empire brand, was born on Castle Street in Bristol, further enhancing the city's reputation as a vibrant manufacturing hub.

1834- Charlie the Four

The company formed by Charles Lambert and Charles Butler later became Landron&Brown (L&B). They showcased their products at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, and then their sons - Charles and Charles - took over the company in the late 19th century.

1877- Another traditional brand is born

John Player purchased a tobacco factory that would become one of the three production centers in the city by the beginning of this century. His name was given to the famous John Player Special brand, which still exists today under the name JPS.

1886- Keeping up with the Times

Lacroix replaced the thin paper used in the production of rolls with rice paper and added "Riz" to its La Croix name, creating the Rizla brand.

In 1901, the Empire became Duke's challenger enterprise

When an American company led by James Duke attempted to acquire British Tobacco Company to dominate the British market, the previously split Wells Corporation, Pryor Corporation, and Lambert and Butler Corporation came together to form the Imperial Tobacco Company.

1910- Reemtsma was born

Bernhard Reemtsma acquired shares in Dixi, a German company that later became Reemtsma multinational corporation. Through automation, production surged from 575000 cigarettes per month in 1916 to 4 million cigarettes per month two years later.

1910- Contact with France

On the French border, the Gauloises brand was born. The company later joined the tobacco monopoly company SEITA and merged with its Spanish counterpart Tabacarera in 1999 to become Altadis.

1954- Sports and Slogans

The Winston brand was launched by RJ Reynolds in the United States and is known for its historical connection to sports and the grammatically questionable slogan 'Winston tastes as good as a cigarette should'.

1981- European Challenge

Reemtsma launches West cigarettes in Germany, directly challenging the growing dominance of high-quality cigarette brands in the United States. In the same year, Tabacarera launched Nobel, immediately establishing a unique market position in Spain with a similar challenger spirit.

1996- Independence Day

Imperial Tobacco Group plc, as part of Hansen Group, has been listed as an independent company on the London Stock Exchange for ten years. At present, Imperial College London remains a company primarily focused on the UK.

1999- Landing in Australia

After the merger of two competitors, Imperial was invited to enter the Australian market in September 1999 and acquired brands such as Horizon and Champion.

2002- A transformative transaction

Imperial Tobacco Company has made a transformative acquisition of Reemtsma, adding international cigarette brands West and Davidoff to its product portfolio and gaining significant presence in the German and Eastern European markets.

2003- Nasal Smoke Rebels

Adam Gillberg and Jonas Engwall, friends, created Skruf to provide an alternative to existing snuff brands in the Swedish market and released their first product.

2004- Evolution of Steam

Chinese inventor Han Li has released his first electronic cigarette - Ruyan. Mr. Hong will continue to share his company's steam assets and expertise with Imperial, and support the continued development of his Blu brand.

2005- Another Step Forward in Harm Reduction

Skruf is a Swedish snus manufacturer that has been acquired by Imperial, marking its first foray into the field of oral nicotine delivery, ultimately including the sale of tobacco free oral nicotine products under the Skruf and Zone X brands.

2007- Imperial enters the US market for the first time

Empire took its first step into the US market by acquiring Commonwealth Brands, whose brands include USA Gold and Sonoma cigarettes, as well as multiple fine cut brands including Bali Shag.

2008- Atadis further strengthens Imperial College London

Altadis was formed by the merger of French national champion SEITA and Spanish counterpart Tabacarera, and was acquired by Imperial Company a few years later. This transaction combines the fourth and fifth largest international tobacco companies and incorporates brands such as Gauloise, Nobel, and Fortuna into our stability.

2015- ITG and the United States

Empire acquired other cigarette brands in the United States, such as Winston and Kool, cigar brands including Backwoods and Dutch Masters, as well as international rights to the blu vapour brand. These assets are merged with the existing investment portfolio of Commonwealth Brands, a subsidiary of Empire Brands, to create a stronger American challenger ITG Brands.

2016- New Name

The renaming of Empire Tobacco to Empire Brand reflects the company's expansion into alternative traditional tobacco products with lower potential harm.

2021- Feeling the Pulse

As part of our commitment to a healthier future, our heated tobacco equipment Pulze has been launched in Europe through pilot projects in the Czech Republic and Greece. Its performance exceeded expectations, and by mid-2023, it has been promoted to five other markets.

2022 and 2023- More New Products

The new innovative collaboration approach has brought a qualitative leap to product development and release. Blu 2.0 is our first product to readjust our innovation channels and has been promoted nationwide in markets such as France, the UK, and Spain. We have also launched a brand new Pulze 2.0 and added multiple new flavors to the Zone X modern oral product portfolio.

By 2024, our next generation products will be launched in over 20 European markets and the United States.