Bulgartabac Holding Group

Profile of Bulgartabac Holding Group

BULGARTABAC was created as an industrial and trade company in 1947. Taking into account the traditions in tobacco growing and the strategic position of the tobacco industry in Bulgaria's economy, BULGARTABAC is one of fastest developing organisations with an intensive foreign trade. The unique qualitative characteristics of Bulgarian tobacco, the high quality of the manufactured cigarettes, as well as the experience of the experts working at BULGARTABAC strengthens the company's position as pillar of Bulgarian economy.

During the years the organisational structure of BULGARTABAC has changed. As from 1993 BULGARTABAC is a Holding company, comprising 22 joint- stock companies with predominant state ownership. BULGARTABAC Holding Group's shares are among the best traded on the Bulgarian stock exchange. The headquarters of BULGARTABAC is in Sofia, and its subsidiaries are situated all over the country.

Today, BULGARTABAC HOLDING GROUP is a leader amongst the tobacco companies in Eastern Europe and one of the major manufactures of cigarettes in Europe. The Holding`s activity includes the full production cycle beginning with the selection of tobacco varieties, tobacco seeds production, purchasing, processing and trade of tobacco, cigarettes production and trade, research and development in the field of the tobacco industry.

Out of the joint-stock companies comprised in the structure of BULGARTABAC HOLDING GROUP, 11 subsidiaries purchase, process and trade only with tobacco. 8 of the subsidiaries have a combined activity-purchasing, tobacco processing and trade and cigarettes production and trade. One of the subsidiaries deals only in the manufacturing and trade of cigarettes. Another subsidiaries in the holding system has auxilieary functions - the making of filters, printed materials, spare parts and non-standard equipment for cigarette industry. The Tobacco Products Institute also is a part of the Holding with its research and development activity.

Due to the favourable agro-climatic conditions, the experience of the Bulgarian growers and the directions from Bulgartabac Holding`s experts high-grade Virginia and Burley tobaccos are grown in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Oriental tobaccos are world famous and highly appreciated by cigarette manufactures around the world. Among the most demanded varieties are: Djebel, Nevrokop, Kroumovgrad, Harmanli, Doupniza, Melnik, Topolovgrad, East Balkan, North Bulgaria, etc….

The major part of tobacco types, grown in Bulgaria, are purchased, processed and traded by the Holding's subsidiaries. The precise processing carried out by the experienced specialists of the Holding, guarantee to the partners of Bulgartabac the high quality of leaf tobacco they are looking for. Thanks of the efforts of Bulgartabac Holding Group's experts, the Company is the favoured exporter of tobacco to the companies all over the world- the USA, Germany, France, Russia, Egypt, Uzbekistan, etc….

Through the activity of its cigarette factories, Bulgartabac Holding has its place among the leaders of the European cigarette industry. The state of the art equipment, the high technologies applied and the effective control make it possible for Bulgartabac to manufacture cigarettes meeting the world standards and current trends in consumer's demand. Cigarettes of a wide range of blends are produced - American, European, Virginia, Oriental.

BULGARTABAC HOLDING GROUP owns more than 50 cigarette trademarks, the main being developed in families and distinguished by the blend type, and the levels of nicotine and tars in the smoke. BULGARTABAC is developing cigarette families according to the international standards and health regulations for the respective market the specific requirements of its long-standing foreign partners and taste preferences of the consumers. BULGARTABAC HOLDING offers to ots partners and customers cigarettes in the versions, "fill flavour", "medium", "lights", "super lights" as well the versions "menthol" and "cigarillos".

Following the new trends in the cigarette packages design, BULGARTABAC HOLDING has updated the design of its 85 mm soft pack and boxes, developing some of its cigarette trademarks in 100 -mm hard boxes, as well as in octagonal packages. The nicotine and tar levels in the Bulgarian cigarettes are marked on the packages from the beginning of 1999.

BULGARTABAC's cigarette brands are dominant on the domestic market. Export is one of the main targets. The company endeavours to consolidate its positions on its traditional markets and looks for opportunities to export in new countries. Bulgarian cigarettes are successfully marketed in Latin America, the Near East and other regions. BULGARTABAC is carrying out the extension of its cigarette exports trough the establishment of its own and joint ventures for cigarettes manufacturing on the territory of the consumers- mainly in East European countries. Presently, on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Romania 3 factories are operating, manufacturing BULGARTABAC's brands. For this purpose the company has provided capital, know-how and direct management.

Boiko Kichkov
Chief Executive Officer and Member of Board of Director"