Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC

▪ British corporation

      one of the world's largest international tobacco companies and the leading British manufacturer of tobacco products, including Player and Embassy cigarettes, Wilson's snuff, several brands of cigars, rolling papers, and tubes. Imperial has also produced and distributed a number of other products, including beer, prepared foods, and packaging. Its products are available in more than 130 countries. Corporate headquarters are in London.

      The company was founded as the Imperial Tobacco Company in 1901 by a consortium of British tobacco manufacturers seeking strength through unity following an attempt by James Buchanan Duke of the American Tobacco Company to take over the British tobacco industry. Tobacco long dominated the company's product line, contributing 90 percent of its profits as recently as 1968. After that time, the company diversified, and the word “tobacco” was dropped from the corporate name in 1973 to reflect the changes. The company reregistered as a public limited company in 1981, the year that it assumed the name Imperial Group. From 1986 to 1996 Imperial Group was a subsidiary of Hanson Trust PLC, a diversified manufacturer. In 1996 Hanson broke up its businesses, at which time Imperial assumed the name Imperial Tobacco Group, PLC. In 2007 Imperial entered the U.S. market through its acquisition of Commonwealth Brands, Inc., one of the largest tobacco companies in the country.

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