General Tobacco will open Manufacturing Facility in Rockingham County

Creating 199 jobs and investing $50 million over the next three years.

June 24, 2007

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY NC NEWS -- Governor Mike Easley announced Friday, that General Tobacco will open a manufacturing facility in Rockingham County, creating 199 jobs and investing $50 million over the next three years. The investment was made possible in part by a $400,000 One North Carolina Fund grant between Rockingham County, the state and General Tobacco.

Speaking of the achievement, the Governor said, "General Tobacco's decision to open a facility in North Carolina shows that one of the state's traditional industries can still be successful in today's global economy," and "'North Carolina is committed to continuing to invest in education and workforce development to keep the state a destination for businesses looking to expand and grow."

State Representative Nelson Cole, Democrat-Rockingham County said: "I am proud of the cooperation between private business, state and local government that helped bring General Tobacco to Rockingham County, I will continue to work in the House of Representatives for policies that smooth the way for businesses to grow and succeed in our state."

General Tobacco's Executive Vice President J. Ronald Denman said: ''With the support provided by the state, Rockingham County and the city of Mayodan, North Carolina provides a fantastic opportunity for General Tobacco to begin manufacturing its nationally known brands  Bronco, GT One, Silver, 32°, and Vaquero Little Cigars in the U.S.A. North Carolina is historically known for producing some of the best tobacco products in the country and we look forward to bringing jobs and industry to an area of North Carolina that appears to be suited to General Tobacco's needs.''

General Tobacco, headquartered in Miami, Fla., makes cigarettes and tobacco products. General Tobacco was founded in 1997 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Vibo Corporation. While wages will vary by job function, the average weekly wage of the new jobs will be $750 plus benefits, which is higher than the Rockingham County average weekly wage of $555 not including benefits. The company will open a manufacturing facility in Mayodan in the former Unifi building.

General Tobacco is the largest company that had not been part of the original 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), but to further its commitment to the community voluntary started making payments in 2004. The Master Settlement Agreement was formed in 1998 with the Attorneys General of 46 states and five territories that changed how manufacturers and retailers market and promote tobacco.

General Tobacco premium brands are harvested and manufactured in Colombia with its partnering company Protabaco S.A. General Tobacco began distributing its own generic cigarette brands in May 2000. Due to the popularity of the value-priced product, General Tobacco grew to rank among the largest U.S. tobacco companies. The company reports approximately $400 million in annual sales per year.

Partners who helped make the opening of General Tobacco in Rockingham County possible included the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Rockingham County Partnership for Economic Development and Tourism, the Town of Mayodan, Rockingham Community College and Duke Energy.