Philip Morris USA
Encyclopedia
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group
, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims
, Benson and Hedges, Merit
, Parliament
, Alpine, Basic
, Cambridge
, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield
, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark
, L&M
, Players and Saratoga.
On January 27, 2003, Philip Morris Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. Even under this new name, Altria continues to own 100% of Philip Morris USA (abbreviated PM USA). Some view this name change as an effort by Altria to deemphasize its historical association with tobacco products.
Philip Morris USA Inc. home offices and facilities include headquarters, manufacturing, processing and support facilities in the Richmond, Virginia
area; sales offices crisscrossing the U.S.; and an office in The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
.
. The first cigarettes that Phillip Morris made were in 1854, and in 1902, Philip Morris & Co., Ltd. was incorporated
in New York City. The company made its first cigarettes in Richmond in 1929, using an existing factory the company purchased. In 1933, this factory was racially integrated
more than thirty years before the law required it. In 1938, the company offered preferred stock
to ordinary buyers.
In 1954, Philip Morris began advertising Marlboros specifically to men. The cigarettes had "new cork-tip filters housed in a flip-top box with a red roof design."
In 1970, Philip Morris made the first of several acquisitions with the purchase of Miller Brewing Company
. In 1985, Philip Morris Cos. became a holding company
and the parent of Philip Morris Inc. and bought General Foods
. The acquisition of Kraft Foods
came in 1988, after which Kraft and General Foods became Kraft General Foods.
In 2002, Miller Brewing and South African Breweries became SABMiller, the second-largest maker of beer
in the world, though Philip Morris kept an interest in the merged company. In 2003, Philip Morris Cos. changed its name to Altria Group Inc.
In the fall of 2003, Philip Morris USA moved its headquarters from New York City
to Richmond, Virginia
. Philip Morris USA split from Philip Morris International
in 2004. This has caused a drop in the needed cigarette production due to no need for export product. Philip Morris shut down its Concord, North Carolina
manufacturing facility in 2008 and moved all domestic production to Richmond.
Altria Group
Altria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...
, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims is a brand of cigarette manufactured by Altria Group . The brand was introduced in 1968 and marketed to young professional women using the slogan "You've come a long way, baby." Some media watch groups considered this campaign to be responsible for a rapid increase in smoking among...
, Benson and Hedges, Merit
Merit (cigarette)
Merit is a brand of cigarettes made by Altria. -Lawsuit:A lawsuit has been filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Philip Morris USA, the cigarettes' manufacturer, for concealing information about certain fire hazards of the brand...
, Parliament
Parliament (cigarette)
Parliament is a brand of cigarettes marketed by the company Philip Morris. The brand was introduced in 1931 and is distinctive for its recessed paper filters. In the 1940s and '50s, the brand was marketed for its unique filters, with advertisements reading, "Only the flavor touches your lips", and...
, Alpine, Basic
Basic (cigarette)
Basic is a brand of lower-cost cigarettes manufactured by Philip Morris, a division of Altria Group., Basic is the fourth most popular cigarette brand in the United States and the second most popular among white smokers age 26 and older.Basic comes in several different varieties:*Red - Soft:...
, Cambridge
Cambridge (cigarette)
Cambridge is a brand of cigarettes made by Philip Morris USA.-USA Varieties:*Cambridge 100's - Soft*Cambridge Gold Pack Kings - Soft*Cambridge Gold Pack 100's - Soft*Cambridge Menthol 100's - Soft...
, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield
Chesterfield (cigarette)
Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette made by Altria. It was one of the most recognized brands of the early 20th century, but sales have declined steadily over the years. It was named for Chesterfield County, Virginia. Chesterfield is still being made today; it is still popular in Europe, but has...
, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark
Lark (cigarette)
Lark is a brand of cigarettes introduced in 1963 by Liggett & Myers and notable for its charcoal filter and past advertising campaigns, among which was one featuring people on the street being asked to "Show us your Lark pack".-Brand history and ownership:...
, L&M
L&M
Created by the company Liggett & Myers in 1953, L&M is a brand of cigarettes produced by Altria Group, Inc. . "L&M" is one of the earliest, perhaps the earliest brand to have a filter that was not a one sided filter...
, Players and Saratoga.
On January 27, 2003, Philip Morris Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. Even under this new name, Altria continues to own 100% of Philip Morris USA (abbreviated PM USA). Some view this name change as an effort by Altria to deemphasize its historical association with tobacco products.
Philip Morris USA Inc. home offices and facilities include headquarters, manufacturing, processing and support facilities in the Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
area; sales offices crisscrossing the U.S.; and an office in The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
History
Philip Morris was born in Whitechapel in 1835, the son of a recent immigrant from Germany who had taken the name Bernard Morris. In 1847, the family opened a shop in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The first cigarettes that Phillip Morris made were in 1854, and in 1902, Philip Morris & Co., Ltd. was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in New York City. The company made its first cigarettes in Richmond in 1929, using an existing factory the company purchased. In 1933, this factory was racially integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
more than thirty years before the law required it. In 1938, the company offered preferred stock
Preferred stock
Preferred stock, also called preferred shares, preference shares, or simply preferreds, is a special equity security that has properties of both an equity and a debt instrument and is generally considered a hybrid instrument...
to ordinary buyers.
In 1954, Philip Morris began advertising Marlboros specifically to men. The cigarettes had "new cork-tip filters housed in a flip-top box with a red roof design."
In 1970, Philip Morris made the first of several acquisitions with the purchase of Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company
The Miller Brewing Company is an American beer brewing company owned by the United Kingdom-based SABMiller. Its regional headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the company has brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Eden, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas;...
. In 1985, Philip Morris Cos. became a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
and the parent of Philip Morris Inc. and bought General Foods
General Foods
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the USA by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The name General Foods was adopted in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions...
. The acquisition of Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
came in 1988, after which Kraft and General Foods became Kraft General Foods.
In 2002, Miller Brewing and South African Breweries became SABMiller, the second-largest maker of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
in the world, though Philip Morris kept an interest in the merged company. In 2003, Philip Morris Cos. changed its name to Altria Group Inc.
In the fall of 2003, Philip Morris USA moved its headquarters from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Philip Morris USA split from Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International is an international tobacco company, with products sold in over 160 countries. In 2007, it held a 15.6% share of the international cigarette market outside of the USA and reported revenues net of excise taxes of $22.8 billion and operating income of $8.9 billion.Until...
in 2004. This has caused a drop in the needed cigarette production due to no need for export product. Philip Morris shut down its Concord, North Carolina
Concord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
manufacturing facility in 2008 and moved all domestic production to Richmond.
See also
- Altria GroupAltria GroupAltria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...
- Philip Morris InternationalPhilip Morris InternationalPhilip Morris International is an international tobacco company, with products sold in over 160 countries. In 2007, it held a 15.6% share of the international cigarette market outside of the USA and reported revenues net of excise taxes of $22.8 billion and operating income of $8.9 billion.Until...
- Marlboro
- List of Marlboro brand varieties
- Tobacco company
- Master Settlement AgreementMaster Settlement AgreementThe Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was entered in November 1998, originally between the four largest US tobacco companies and the attorneys general of 46 states...
- Marlboro FridayMarlboro FridayMarlboro Friday refers to April 2, 1993, when Philip Morris announced a 20% price cut to their Marlboro cigarettes to fight back against generic competitors, which were increasingly eating into their market share....
- Johnny RoventiniJohnny RoventiniJohnny Roventini was an American dwarf actor of Italian-American heritage....
(spokesperson & "living trademark")