The chronicle of Eger Tobacco Factory
The chosen company
taring building was completed. The total cost of the building was in excess of HUF 55 million. The second significant investment was the purchase of the 110,000 m2 Berva warehousing site, on which the company built a 4,000 m2 storage depot. If we were to draw a picture of production developments in the five years prior to privatization, then it would be appropriate to look at the technological structure, that is preparation, manufacture, packaging, and filter production. Looking first at the preparation stage, the main and stem lines needed to be separated. Let’s take a look at the significance of the most advanced - representing a western level of development - pedicel processing line. As the pedicel passed down the production line it was dampened, pressed, and cut into strips. The cut material now with a high moisture content was passed into a drum and blown with hot air, the aim of which was to turn the water lying between the cell walls into steam, in the process bursting open the cell structure. Thus the stem volume was increased and less tobacco was required to achieve the same rolled size, and this meant reduced costs. By the end of 1991 an appropriate level preparation process had been established, one which was brought up to European levels with the installation of a modern humidity controller and tobacco cutting machine. As for manufacturing, packaging and filter production, here the story was different. The technical levels in these respects still left a lot to be desired. Cigarette manufacturing machinery at the end of 1991 was as follows:
