In 1992, Reemtsma's management decided to invest in the Slovak tobacco industry following a thorough analysis. By selling this industry the Slovak Republic not only acquired DM 165 million but also the ranks of firms belonging to the largest tax-payers in the Slovak Republic thereby extended. The importance of Reemtsma - one of the biggest foreign investors in Slovakia - was also emphasized by a recent meeting of Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda during his official visit to Germany with over 150 influential representatives of business circles of Hamburg and north Germany on its premises.

Slovak International Tabak (S.I.T.), a.s., has been transforming itself into a modern company by German know-how since 1992. Reemtsma's investment (1992 to 1998) totaling 2.24 billion Sk has not contributed only to the modernisation of production lines, equipment, buildings, making the distribution network more effective, but also to the introduction of new cigarette brands. Under its development program, Reemtsma invested over the period between 1993 and 1997 in the modernisation of the plant at Spišská Belá, a partial reconstruction of the Smolník plant more than 1.2 billion Sk, and a new building for S.I.T.'s HQ was constructed in Bratislava.

Thus the Spišská Belá plant has ranked among the most modern production plants in Central Europe in this sector. Similarly, labour productivity has doubled in five years and some 440 employees take home an average monthly earning of as much as 12,500 Sk.

S.I.T. traditional product range includes Mars, Dalila, Zora, Inka , Delta, Fénix and Čárda cigarettes complete with the international brands West, R1, Astor or the licensed brands Milde Sorte and Gauloises. The company's last novelty ou Slovak market is the most luxurious cigarette in the world - Davidoff imported to Slovakia from Germany. S.I.T. at the same time operates a plant producing cigars and pipe tobaccos at Smolník providing jobs for 200 people or so. Both plants are making a significant contribution toward employment in the Kežmarok and Gelnica districts.

Despite that S.I.T. is facing a tough competition from the Czech firm Tabák, a.s., whose majority owner is the U.S. concern Philip Morris, it manages to retain a stable position on the Slovak market. Moreover, the company is exporting a significant portion of its production just to the Czech Republic, where it holds a 13 % share of the market with tobacco products. Sales Volume from the year 1998 amounted to 5 959 bio sticks which comprised of slovak sales 3 802 bio sticks and czech sales 2 157 bio sticks.

Joint-stock company Slovak International Tabak has entered in a relatively brief time of its existence the minds of our public. This is also owing to sponsorship and humanitarian activities of the firm. Just like Slovakia's top hockey league bears the name of West Extraliga, the soccer competition is in turn titled Mars Superliga. However S.I.T. sponsorship activities are also directed to such sports as snowboarding, skateboarding, inline skating, and bungee jumping. The brand West is the main sponsor for Slovakia's regular championships in beach volleyball as well.

Sponsorship activities are also targeted toward the area of culture. Thalian fanciers are certainly aware of the West Theatre in Bratislava. Classic music is a domain of the brand Davidoff.

A S.I.T. payroll of almost 1,000 is part of the 12,000-strong international firm Reemtsma. Our tobacco makers have taken up through their results being achieved a respectable position when compared with such countries as Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany and Belgium, where Reemtsma has production plants too.

Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken Hamburg

The firm was founded in 1910 in Erfurt by brothers Philippe and Bernhard Reemtsma. Hamburg has been the seat of the firm since 1923. Currently, 75.1 % of stocks are owned by Tchibo Holding AG. Actuallz is Reemtsma the most rapidlz growing tobacco companz in the World. It has representations in more than 40 countries worldwide, selling over 120 billion of cigarettes annually. It belongs to the oligopoly of the six largest tobacco producers comprising the Chinese National Tobacco Corporation, Philip Morris, British American Tobacco/Rothmans, R.J. Reynolds and the Japanese Tobacco Industry. The chairman of Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken Hamburg's Board of Directors is Thierry Paternot.