Philip Morris International Inc

(NYSE: PM)

Industry: Tobacco
On the web: http://www.pmintl.com
Employees: 75,600

Philip Morris International Inc. is a Virginia holding company incorporated in 1987. Prior to March 28, 2008, it was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altria Group, Inc. 'Altria'. On January 30, 2008, the Altria Board of Directors announced Altria's plans to spin off all of its interest in the Company to Altria's stockholders, which became effective on March 28, 2008. The Company's subsidiaries and affiliates and their licensees are engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States of America. The Company's products are sold in approximately 160 countries and, in many of these countries, they hold the number one or number two market share position. It has a range of premium, mid-price and low-price brands. The Company's portfolio comprises both international and local brands. The Company's portfolio of international and local brands is led by Marlboro. Marlboro is complemented in the premium price category by Merit, Parliament and Virginia Slims. The mid-price brands of the Company are L&M and Chesterfield. The brands in the profitable low-price segment of the Company include Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris and Red & White. We also own a number of important local brands, such as A Mild, Dji Sam Soe and A Hijau in Indonesia, Diana in Italy, Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in Russia, Morven Gold in Pakistan, Boston in Colombia, Belmont, Canadian Classics and Number 7 in Canada, Best and Classic in Serbia, f6 in Germany, Delicados in Mexico, Assos in Greece and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The four main types of distribution that we use across the globe are: Direct Sales and Distribution, Single independent distributors, Exclusive Zonified Distribution and Exclusive Zonified Distribution. The Company's products are advertised and promoted through various media and channels, including, where permitted by law, point of sale communications, brand events, access-controlled websites, print and direct communication to verified adult smokers. It competes predominantly with American type blended cigarettes, such as Marlboro and Chesterfield. It divides its markets into four geographic regions, which covers all the EU countries except for Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania, and also comprises Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, which are linked to the EU through trade agreements; The Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa 'EEMA' Region, which and covers the Balkans including Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania, the former Soviet Union excluding Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Mongolia, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa and its international duty free business; The Asia Region, which covers all other Asian countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands and The Latin America & Canada Region, which covers the South American continent, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. The competitors include three large international tobacco companies and several regional and local tobacco companies and, in some instances, government-owned tobacco enterprises, mainly in China, Egypt, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Algeria. It purchases tobacco leaf of various grades and styles throughout the world, mainly through independent tobacco dealers. The Company is subject to applicable multi-national, national and local environmental laws and regulations in the countries in which it does business.