Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Foreign tobacco firm want to work with Mighty Corp, local firms

The British American Tobacco (BAT) has signified its willingness to partnering with another cigarette manufacturing company to cement a strong foothold in the country’s lucrative tobacco industry.
Robert Eugenio, BAT Philippines head of corporate and regulatory affairs, said yesterday that the Lucky Strike cigarette-maker is open to any “beneficial” opportunity in the Philippines.
Since BAT’s return to the Philippine market in 2012, the company’s market share grew at a snail’s pace despite a money-losing marketing strategy of selling imported cigarette packets below the economical price.
BAT, which unveiled a $200- million investment plan for the Philippines in 2012, currently has a weak distribution network in the country, and been incurring an additional cost for the importation of its Malaysia-made Lucky Strike and Pall Mall brands.
“In the process of running a business, we would look at whether partnering with another company would make sense than putting up our own manufacturing facility,” Eugenio said. “In the past, we partnered with La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory, but it was terminated when we left in 2009.”
Meanwhile, industry sources said that BAT has already approached the Wongchuking family of Mighty Corp earlier this year to ask if the latter is open to any partnership.
“I’m not aware and involved in such a transaction,” Eugenio said when asked if BAT is in talks with the Bulacan-based cigarette company.
Sources said BAT wants a partnership with Mighty following its success in snatching up a substantial market share of local market leader PMFTC, a joint venture of LT Group’s Fortune Tobacco Company and Switzerland-based Philip Morris International (PMI).
Since the new excise tax regime took effect in 2013, PMFTC fought tooth and nail to protect its market position against Mighty, which has been very aggressive in offering cheaper alternatives to Lucio Tan and PMI’s premium cigarette brands.
The country’s second largest tobacco company, Mighty, known for the P1-a-stick cigarette, managed to raise its market share from a mere 3 percent in 2012 to nearly 35 percent last year.
However, Mighty’s success is hounded by accusations of tax dodging and smuggling.

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