# ITG Brands

> ITG Brands is Imperial Brands' U.S. operating company and the third-largest tobacco business in the country. Formed in 2015 from a major portfolio acquisition, it manufactures and markets cigarette names including Winston, Kool, Salem and Maverick, cigar brands including Backwoods and Dutch Masters, and newer oral-nicotine products led by Zone and Black Buffalo. Its model pairs a nationwide retail and sales infrastructure with focused brand investment, using the cash and reach of established combustibles to build a position in non-combustible nicotine - all within one of America's most regulated consumer markets.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Greensboro, United States
- **Team size:** Approximately 4,000-5,000 employees across the U.S. according to company pages; third-party data supplied with the brief estimates 2,600.
- **Products:** Cigarettes, Mass-market cigars and wraps, Zone nicotine pouches, Black Buffalo oral products, blu vapor products
- **Notable:** Established in 2015 as a substantially larger U.S. competitor after acquiring Winston, Kool, Salem, Maverick, blu and related assets in a $7.1 billion transaction., Ranks as the third-largest tobacco company in the United States., Backwoods is described by the company as the No. 1 natural-leaf cigar in the U.S.

## Products & services

- **Cigarettes** — A portfolio spanning premium and discount segments, including Winston, Kool, Salem, Maverick, USA Gold, Crowns, Sonoma, Montclair, Rave, Fortuna and Malibu.
- **Mass-market cigars and wraps** — Brands include Backwoods, Dutch Masters, Dutch, Phillies, Hav-A-Tampa and Antonio y Cleopatra, with natural-leaf, machine-rolled and value formats.
- **Zone nicotine pouches** — Tobacco-free, smoke-free soft pouches sold in 6mg and 9mg strengths across seven listed flavors.
- **Black Buffalo oral products** — Long-cut and pouch products designed to emulate moist smokeless-tobacco taste and ritual without tobacco leaf or stem; acquired by Imperial Brands in 2026.
- **blu vapor products** — The blu e-vapor brand is part of the broader portfolio, though U.S. products are subject to FDA premarket authorization decisions.

## Achievements

- Established in 2015 as a substantially larger U.S. competitor after acquiring Winston, Kool, Salem, Maverick, blu and related assets in a $7.1 billion transaction.
- Ranks as the third-largest tobacco company in the United States.
- Backwoods is described by the company as the No. 1 natural-leaf cigar in the U.S.
- All U.S. facilities achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status in 2024, three months ahead of schedule, diverting more than 1,000 tons annually according to the company.
- Celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2025 with employee and community-giving events across the U.S. and Caribbean.
- Expanded into modern oral nicotine with Zone and then acquired Black Buffalo in 2026 for $150 million upfront plus performance-based deferred consideration.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Imperial Brands acquired Black Buffalo for $150 million upfront plus deferred performance-based consideration, adding long-cut and pouch oral products to ITG's U.S. portfolio.
- **2026-05** — ITG Brands announced CEO Kim Reed will retire after seven years; Imperial Brands Chief Consumer Officer Paola Pocci is scheduled to take over on October 1, 2026.
- **2025-08** — The FDA issued a marketing denial order for blu Disposable Classic Tobacco 2.4%, saying the application lacked sufficient public-health evidence.
- **2025-06** — The company marked its 10th anniversary with employee events and charitable giving.
- **2024-03** — ITG Brands moved its corporate office to 628 Green Valley Road in Greensboro, retaining its base in the city.
- **2024-02** — The company reported that all U.S. facilities had achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status.

## Links

- Website: https://www.itgbrands.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/itg-brands
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDVAZMPKlQg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/itg-brands
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14