British American Tobacco offers to buy Reynolds American Tobacco. (Greensboro: live, rating)

[gsoboi78]

Winston-Salem based Reynolds America had just acquired Greensboro based Lorillard Tobacco Company and now London based British American wants to buy Reynolds American. The merger would create the world's largest tobacco company but would also mean the loss of a major corporate headquarters in the Triad. The Triad would still have the third largest tobacco in the nation, ITG brands, maker of Salem and Winston cigarettes based in Greensboro. Greensboro's Lorillard was the maker of the nation's top selling menthol brand Newport, which was added to Reynolds American Portfolio after the merger.

British American Tobacco offers to buy Winston-Salem-based Reynolds American for $47B | myfox8.com

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Big news. It's been in the air for about 12 years now, ever since BAT sold B&W to Reynolds. Of course, my first worry is that they'll cut manpower in the area, but BAT has said that it won't. British American Tobacco moves to buy all of Reynolds American in $47B deal - Local Business - WS Journal

BAT hasn't been operating in the US since they sold B&W in 2004, so if this happens, it looks like Reynolds would continue to serve as the US hq?

[gsoboi78]

Originally Posted by UnderTheLiveOaks

Big news. It's been in the air for about 12 years now, ever since BAT sold B&W to Reynolds. Of course, my first worry is that they'll cut manpower in the area, but BAT has said that it won't. British American Tobacco moves to buy all of Reynolds American in $47B deal - Local Business - WS Journal

BAT hasn't been operating in the US since they sold B&W in 2004, so if this happens, it looks like Reynolds would continue to serve as the US hq?

Looks like Reynolds would become a subsidiary under BAT which would be based in Winston-Salem.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by gsoboi78

Looks like Reynolds would become a subsidiary under BAT which would be based in Winston-Salem.

Right. And since BAT doesn't have any other US operations, that would limit the extent to which they'd eliminate biz functions in Winston.