Altria Group, Inc. · Richmond, VA United States ·(NYSE: MO)

The house the Marlboro Man built, Altria Group, is the largest cigarette company in the US. Altria operates its cigarette business through subsidiary Philip Morris USA, which sells Marlboro -- the world's best-selling cigarette brand since 1972. Altria controls about half of the US tobacco market. It manufactures cigarettes under the Parliament, Virginia Slims, and Basic cigarette brands. While still firmly hooked on cigarettes, Altria is transitioning from primarily a cigarette manufacturer to a purveyor of a variety of tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco products. To that end, it has made a number of strategic acquisitions, including smokeless tobacco maker UST in 2009.

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