29 June 2011
Altadis USA, a unit of UK-based Imperial Tobacco Group, is adding 55 jobs in Fort Lauderdale by integrating the administrative functions of a related company, which are now handled in Kentucky.
Imperial Tobacco had also considered consolidating the functions of its Commonwealth Bands unit in an office in Tennessee.
Altadis USA said it worked with Florida, Broward County and Fort Lauderdale city officials to finalize the move. It received state and local incentives totaling $625,000 including a $330,000 Qualified Target Industries Tax Refund to help with the integration.
The company will invest $700,000 to expand facilities at 5900 North Andrews Ave. to accommodate more staff in Fort Lauderdale. It already employs 84 people at the Altadis USA headquarters there, executives said in a statement.
Altadis USA makes and distributes cigars including such brands as Backwoods, Phillies, Dutch Masters, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta.
Commonwealth Brands makes and sells cigarettes and other tobacco products including such brands as USA Gold, Sonoma and Davidoff Cigarettes.
Imperial Tobacco Group operates in more than 160 countries. Its main markets are the UK, Germany and Spain. It has 51 manufacturing plants and employs roughly 38,000 people, according to its Web site.
For more information on Altadis USA, visit www.altadisusa.com.
For more information on Imperial Tobacco Group, visit www.imperial-tobacco.com.