Greensboro Picked For New Tobacco Company Headquarters

The Imperial Tobacco Group has selected Greensboro as the headquarters location for a new company it is forming in anticipation of the Reynolds American/Lorillard merger.  The British tobacco maker announced the selection Wednesday.

Imperial is taking over Lorillard's facilities and its 2,900-person work force with the $24.7 billion merger.  According to the Triad Business Journal, the new company will combine Imperial's existing U.S. business with assets it will purchase as part of the merger deal, including Lorillard's Greensboro headquarters, manufacturing plant and several cigarette brands, as well as Reynold's Winston and Salem brands. The merger is expected to be finalized early next year.

Imperial's move to Greensboro was widely expected, even touted as a highlight of the complex merger deal, but never confirmed by the company itself until now.