British American Tobacco
We are part of British American Tobacco (BAT), the world’s second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets.
We are the result of the integration of two of the Group's Business Units, British American Tobacco Central America and British American Tobacco Caribbean Area, which joined with the purpose of maximising their competitive advantages and consolidating process quality and customer satisfaction.
At the beginning of the 1990’s, the business environment underwent deep changes in trends, globalisation and free trade characterised the world economy, the main economic blocks came into existence, trade barriers were eliminated and global brands strengthened their presence.
Aware of this trend, British American Tobacco companies in the region resolved that the best way to ensure competitiveness was by creating a management team to integrate strategies, structures, and operations in the Area.
The process began in 2001, with the creation of British American Tobacco Central America (BATCA), made up of Republic Tobacco Company (Costa Rica), Tabacalera Nicaragüense (Nicaragua), Tabacalera Hondureña (Honduras), Cigarrería Morazán (El Salvador), Tabacalera Nacional (Guatemala) and Tabacalera Istmeña (Panama). The Dominican Republic was later included as a new BAT branch.
The British American Tobacco Caribbean Area included West Indian Tobacco Limited, Carreras Limited, Demerara Tobacco Company Limited, Carisma Marketing Services Limited, which covered the markets of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Barbados, and a group of 21 islands, among these the French overseas territories.
In 2003, the Company implemented a new integration process, this time between BATCA and BAT Caribbean Area to create a new cluster, British American Tobacco Caribbean & Central America (BATCCA).