According to a report by Russian media abnews on January 9, the St. Petersburg tobacco production company "British American Tobacco-St. Petersburg" (BAT-SPb) announced that it would change its name to "ITMS".
The factory, formerly owned by British American Tobacco, plans to withdraw from the Russian market this year.
In March this year, British American Tobacco (BAT) publicly announced that its business in Russia was facing difficulties and that it intended to sell its business. The Russian and Belarusian operations will be acquired by a consortium headed by the "BAT Russia" management team. After the transaction was completed, the company officially changed its name to "ITMS Group".
British American Tobacco has been operating in Russia since 1991 and established its own tobacco products production line in St. Petersburg three years later. The factory produces several well-known brands, including Kent, Vogue, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, "Java" and GLO tobacco heating systems. It is worth mentioning that as the foreign founder leaves Russia, these trademarks will fully belong to the Russian business.
This series of changes marks the structural adjustment of the tobacco industry. ITMS Group will continue to be committed to the Russian market and become an important player in this field.
