Philip Morris Timeline

April 2007

1847
Philip Morris, a tobacconist and importer of cigars, opens a shop on Bond Street in London. He makes his first cigarette seven years later.

1902
Gustav Eckmeyer incorporates Philip Morris & Co. in New York. Eckmeyer had been sole agent for Philip Morris cigarettes in the United States since 1872. Ownership of the American company is evenly divided between the British parent company and its U.S. partners.

1919
A firm owned by American shareholders acquires the U.S. company. It is incorporated in Virginia as Philip Morris & Co.

1929
Philip Morris begins making its own cigarettes after buying a factory in Richmond.

1954
Philip Morris (Australia) becomes the company’s first major affiliate outside the U.S.

1967
Philip Morris reorganizes, creating three divisions: Philip Morris Domestic, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris Industrial. Philip Morris Domestic becomes Philip Morris USA the next year.

1970
Philip Morris completes acquisition of Miller Brewing Co. and announces plans to build the world’s largest cigarette manufacturing plant in South Richmond.

1985
The parent company, Philip Morris Cos. Inc., acquires General Foods.

1988
Philip Morris acquires Kraft and combines it with General Foods the next year, creating the country’s largest food company.

1998
The Master Settlement Agreement between major tobacco companies and attorneys general from 46 states is signed.

2000
Philip Morris acquires Nabisco Holdings and integrates it into Kraft Foods.

2001
Philip Morris conducts an initial public offering of Kraft Foods shares while retaining an 89 percent stake in the food company.

2002
Miller Brewing merges with South African Breweries to form SABMiller, with Philip Morris retaining a minority interest in the company.

2003
The parent company’s name is changed to Altria Group.

2004
Philip Morris USA announces plans to relocate its corporate offices from New York to the former Reynolds Metals headquarters in Henrico County and to invest $300 million in its South Richmond manufacturing center..

2005
Philip Morris USA announces plans to build a $350 research and technology facility in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in downtown Richmond.

2007
Altria spins off its Kraft subsidiary as a separate company in March.

Sources: Altria Group Inc., news reports