Middleton is focused on responsibly manufacturing and marketing its brands to adult smokers in a financially disciplined way. In 2009, the company's total retail share was 30.5 percent.
Large machine-made cigar category volume grew at an annual rate of approximately 3 percent in 2008 and slightly declined in 2009. It is the third largest category among tobacco products with an estimated manufacturers' profit pool of about $600 million in 2009.
Our cigar portfolio is led by
Black & Mild, the best-selling five-pack cigar package in the United States. In 2009,
Black & Mild increased 1.3 share points versus 2008 to 29.9 percent of the large machine-made cigar segment.
Middleton also manufactures pipe-tobacco, with brands that include
Prince Albert, Carter Hall and
Middleton's Cherry Blend.
Middleton is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Altria Group, Inc., a Virginia corporation whose common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MO). Middleton provides Altria with value over the long-term by focusing on Altria’s four goals to:
- Invest in Leadership
- Align with Society
- Satisfy Adult Consumers
- Create Substantial Value for Shareholders
Beginning in the first quarter of 2009, Altria's reporting segments are Cigarettes, manufactured by Philip Morris USA; Smokeless Products, manufactured by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company and PM USA; Cigars, manufactured by Middleton; Wine, produced by St. Michelle Wine Estates; and Financial Services, provided by Philip Morris Capital Corporation. Please view
Altria's quarterly earnings release for current financial information.
