22 September 2015
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO NEXT GENERATION PRODUCTS WITH TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS
· A conditional agreement to acquire 100 percent of the CHIC Group: the market leading e-cigarette business in Poland.
· A vapour technology-sharing term sheet with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
CHIC Group Agreement
British American Tobacco has signed a conditional agreement to acquire 100 percent of the CHIC Group. The CHIC Group has 800 points of sale in Poland, a dedicated e-liquids production facility, a modern research and development centre and leading Polish e-cigarette brands including VOLISH, P1, Provog, Cottien, LiQueen and Aromativ.
Commenting on the agreement, Managing Director of Next Generation Products (NGP) at British American Tobacco, Kingsley Wheaton said: "Acquiring the CHIC Group is strategically significant and makes commercial sense. It provides BAT with scale and market reach through Europe's largest eCigarette retailing network, as well as important manufacturing and R&D capabilities. It further demonstrates our commitment to the NGP category."
The proposed acquisition is subject to approval from the Polish anti-trust authority, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP).
Technology-sharing term sheet with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
British American Tobacco further announces today that it has signed a vapour products technology-sharing term sheet with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJRTC), a subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc. (RAI). The term sheet provides a framework for collaboration and mutual cross-licensing of the parties' vapour product technologies up to 31 December 2022.
The collaboration also includes joint R&D activities and cooperation on regulatory, scientific and manufacturing issues relating to vapour products.
Following further negotiations, both companies are expecting to conclude and sign a legally binding, definitive agreement by year-end 2015.
Wheaton concludes: "Today, we've announced two significant milestones to enhance our next generation product business globally, further enabling us to meet the demands of today's consumer."
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NOTES TO EDITORS
BAT is a global tobacco Group with brands sold in more than 200 markets. It employs more than 57,000 people worldwide and has over 200 brands in its portfolio, with its cigarettes chosen by one in eight of the world's one billion smokers. BAT has leadership in more than 60 markets around the world. The Group generated £5.4 billion adjusted profit from operations in 2014.
BAT is being advised on the acquisition of CHIC by Deloitte LLP, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP and WKB Wierciński, Kwieciński, Baehr Sp.k.
