Rothmans Racing logo
|
|
Public limited company | |
Industry | Tobacco |
Fate | Acquired |
Successor |
British American Tobacco (Rothmans, Benson & Hedges) |
Founded | London, United Kingdom (1890 ) |
Founder | Louis Rothman |
Defunct | 1999 |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Key people
|
Lord Swaythling, Chairman |
Rothmans International plc was a British tobacco manufacturer. Its brands included Rothmans, Players and Dunhill. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village in Buckinghamshire. It was listed on the and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by British American Tobacco in 1999.
Its business was strongest in Europe, and it specialised in premium brands.
The Company was founded by Louis Rothman in 1890 as a small kiosk on Fleet Street in London. In 1900 Rothman opened a small showroom in Pall Mall from where he launched his famous Pall Mall cigarette brand. His reputation was such that King Edward VII granted Rothmans a royal warrant in 1905. Rothmans was first listed on the in 1929.
In 1954 the Rembrandt Tobacco Company acquired a controlling interest in Rothmans. Rembrandt was expanding and in 1958 acquired Carreras who in turn took a 51% stake in Alfred Dunhill in 1967.
In the 1970s Rothmans became involved in sponsorship sponsoring the British Olympic team in 1972 and the inaugural Hong Kong Sevens in 1976. They also sponsored Rothmans Football Yearbook, an annual football reference book, from 1970 until 2002.