Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH) is a Canadian manufacturer and distributor of tobacco products. It was formed by the merger of the Canadian units of Rothmans International and Benson & Hedges

Benson & Hedges

Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007. They are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and are manufactured in Lisnafillen, Ballymena, Northern Ireland for the UK and Irish markets.-History:Benson & Hedges...

, owned by Philip Morris

Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc. is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world's largest tobacco corporations...

. When British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...

 bought Rothmans in 1999, it spun off its 60% share of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges as a public company, Rothmans Inc. Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International is an international tobacco company, with products sold in over 160 countries. In 2007, it held a 15.6% share of the international cigarette market outside of the USA and reported revenues net of excise taxes of $22.8 billion and operating income of $8.9 billion.Until...

 bought Rothmans Inc. in 2008.

Brands

RBH owned or otherwise controls a wide variety of cigarette brands. Some of these are listed and expanded upon below.

• Craven A
  Craven A
  Craven "A" is a brand of cigarette which were made in Canada, Jamaica, Vietnam, and North Korea. The cigarettes exhibit the English-style flavor of a Virginia-tobacco dominant blend, with that plant's attendant nutty sweetness. The cigarette was named after the third Earl of Craven in 1860.Craven...
  
  : This brand is a part of the RBH "premium brand strategy", principally within the Canadian market. The brand has experienced "long-term declines in market share", in part due to the elimination of all sponsorship activities in Canada in October 2003. The brand has been closely associated with a number of entertainment events in Canada. Among these has been the "Just for Laughs" Canadian Comedy Tour in March of 1999.

• Davidoff
  Davidoff
  Davidoff is a Swiss luxury tobacco goods brand name, which is carried by a range of products including cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobaccos. Its cigarette brand is currently owned by Imperial Tobacco but the company is otherwise independently owned....
  
  : As of April 2007, RBH has started importing Davidoff cigarettes for the Canadian and Australian markets. The package does, however, state that they are still made in Germany, unlike some international cigarettes sold in Canada, which are made only in Canada. The pricing of this brand is high compared to most competitors. In Alberta, a single pack of 20 sells for $10.

• Benson and Hedges: The company's flagship brand offered in three formats: King Size (Black, Gold, Silver), 100's, and Superslims (Black, White, and Menthol).

• Rothmans: The company's other flagship brand.

• Belmont
  Belmont
  -Sport:* Belmont Stakes, a horse race* Belmont Bombers, a junior ice hockey team in Belmont, Ontario* Belmont Shore RFC, a rugby union team in Long Beach, California-Automobiles:* Belmont , an American electric car sold in 1916...
  
  : Another flagship brand, offered as King Size, Regulars, and Compact King Size (Belmont Edge (Micro in Quebec)).

• Number 7: A mid-tier brand.

• Mark Ten: A low mid-tier brand offered in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

• Canadian Classics: A discount/value brand. This brand is known as Quebec Classique in Quebec.

• Next
  Next (cigarette)
  Next is a brand of cigarettes made by Altria. The brand was created by Philip Morris International after tax increases of tobacco in Malaysia pushed Marlboro out of the market. Next is known to be a watered-down version of Marlboro with slight defects in the wrapping paper used although its...
  
  : A budget brand.

• Accord
  Accord
  -Peace agreements:*Arab-Israeli conflict** Camp David Accords in the Egypt-Israel conflict** Oslo Accords , part of a peace process of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...
  
  

Lawsuits

Rothmans has been involved in a number of law suits in Canada. In a key suit which commenced in 2006, Rothmans was criminally prosecuted for fraud and conspiracy for supporting the smuggling of cigarettes on the black market in the early 1990s. The allegation was that Rothmans encouraged smuggling in order to be able to convince Canadian governments to reduce cigarette taxes and thereby discourage that very smuggling. Rothmans pleaded guilty to the charges in 2008 and agreed to pay a fine of $100 million.