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Richmond’s Universal Corp. to acquire Pennsylvania flavoring company
Richmond-based agriculture products supplier Universal Corp. has entered into an agreement to acquire specialty ingredient, flavoring and food company Shank’s Extracts Inc., it announced Tuesday. Founded in 1899, Shank’s is a privately-held company specializing in vanilla extract products. The company, which has more than 200 workers, manufactures more than 2,400 extracts, distillates,[...]
Altria to sell winemaking division for $1.2B
Henrico County based Altria Group Inc. announced Friday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Ste. Michelle Wine Estates winemaking division for $1.2 billion to New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners Management LP in an all-cash deal. The deal is expected to close by the end of this year. The […]
State reaches $39.3M settlement with defunct Keysville tobacco company
Twenty-three years after the landmark Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached, defunct Keysville tobacco company S&M Brands Inc. has settled with Virginia for nearly $40 million, the attorney general’s office announced Wednesday. S&M Brands, the makers of Bailey cigarettes and other products, closed in 2019. It was started in 1995 by father and son Mac […]
FDA authorizes sale of Altria’s IQOS 3 device
The third generation of Altria Group Inc.‘s IQOS tobacco heating system device has been authorized for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Henrico County-based company announced Monday. After receiving an application from Philip Morris International, the FDA ruled that IQOS 3 can be sold to adults in the […]
Altria converts Juul nonvoting shares to voting shares
Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc. has converted its nonvoting shares of e-cigarette leader Juul Labs Inc. to voting shares, the company announced Thursday. However, Altria said it does not plan to take a more active role on the board until a federal complaint is resolved. Altria has owned 35% of Juul’s stock since late 2018, […]
Universal Corp. completes acquisition of dehydrated foods company
Richmond-based international tobacco leaf supply company Universal Corp. announced Thursday it has completed the acquisition of Momence, Illinois-based dehydrated vegetable, fruit and herb processing company Silva International for $170 million in cash. The acquisition was previously announced in early September. Silva will operate as part of Universal’s plant-based ingredients platform, w[...]
Altria’s tobacco heating system approved as ‘modified risk’ product
Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc.‘s IQOS tobacco heating system will be allowed to be marketed as a “modified risk” product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled Tuesday. IQOS is available in 53 countries, and more than 10 million people have purchased the system, which is marketed to adult smokers seeking to quit cigarettes. According […]
Juul Labs moving HQ from San Francisco to D.C.
E-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs Inc. is moving its company headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., a fact first reported Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal. Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc. holds a 35% stake in Juul, which is cutting about 900 jobs from its 3,000-person global workforce, including about 25% of its U.S. employees, […]
Colonial Williamsburg appoints new CEO
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has appointed Cliff Fleet, the former head of Philip Morris USA, as the organization’s ninth president and CEO. Fleet will start his new role on Jan. 1. Fleet, who served as president and CEO of the Henrico County-based cigarette manufacturer from 2013 to 2017, will succeed Mitchell Reiss, who led Colonial […]
