At-A-Glance - Altria

Altria Group owns three premier tobacco companies in the United States.

Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company and John Middleton have leading positions in the cigarette, smokeless tobacco and large machine-made cigar categories. Altria also has a substantial position in the alcohol business with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and an economic interest in SABMiller plc.

Our companies share common histories of creating products with exceptional craftsmanship and strong brands while achieving great successes. In fact,

• Today, Philip Morris USA has approximately half of the U.S. cigarette market share, led by Marlboro – one of America’s most iconic brands – and Basic, L&M, Parliament and Virginia Slims.
• U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company is the world’s leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco, and in the U.S. Copenhagen and Skoal are the two leading premium smokeless tobacco brands.
• John Middleton's Black & Mild brand is one of the best-selling large machine-made cigars in the U.S.
• Ste. Michelle Wine Estates' broad portfolio of wines receive consistent acclaim and high ratings from wine connoisseurs around the world, including Wine Spectator’s "2009 Wine of the Year."

While enjoying great success, our companies have faced formidable challenges. They have addressed these challenges with a drive to improve and evolve. As attitudes toward tobacco have changed, our companies have changed the way they do business.

Our companies are working to align their business practices with society's expectations by:

• communicating the health effects of tobacco;
• marketing their products responsibly;
• helping to prevent underage tobacco use; and
• helping ensure the sustainability of agriculture supply chains.

They do this while maintaining financial strength and focusing on strategies for long-term growth. By adhering to Altria’s Mission & Values, our companies are discovering more ways to succeed responsibly.

The success of our companies’ brands is directly connected to the talent and expertise of our employees. We invest in our approximately 9,000 hourly and salaried employees to develop the leadership capabilities and skills needed to tackle the challenges of working for a tobacco or wine business. And, we proudly support them as they contribute their time, energy and talents to improve the communities where we all live and work.