Altria Company Description
The house the Marlboro Man built, Altria Group is the largest cigarette company in the US. Altria operates its cigarette business through subsidiary Philip Morris USA, which sells Marlboro -- the world's best-selling cigarette brand since 1972. Altria controls about half of the US tobacco market. It manufactures cigarettes under the Parliament, Virginia Slims, and Basic cigarette brands. The company owns about 29% of brewer SABMiller, as well. Altria spun off its Kraft Foods business to shareholders in March 2007, as well as its international tobacco arm, Philip Morris International, in March 2008. Altria bought US cigar maker John Middleton in 2007 and in 2008 agreed to acquire smokeless tobacco maker UST.
View the Comprehensive Company Description for Altria
The Company Description provides a historical perspective of Altria's organization from inception to current status.
Produced by Hoover's in-house editorial team, the Company Description tracks ownership transitions, company progress via mergers and acquisitions, major growth milestones, and strategic initiatives, to provide a holistic view of Altria's evolution in the marketplace.
