The chronicle of Eger Tobacco Factory
On the great ship
Wholesale entrepreneurs appeared on the market and were awarded trading rights for tobacco products. As a consequence of the introduction of a competitive market economy we now have to conduct our own product marketing and organizational tasks related to sales. Philip Morris laid the foundations for this organization - headquartered in Budapest - at the same time as the privatization of the Eger factory. From early 1992 there was continued development of the organizational frameworks in Győr, Pécs, Szeged, and Debrecen with the establishment of regional centres. More fresh young faces popped up, merchandisers and promoters appeared in every part of the country in cars painted in the well-known Marlboro colours in order to extend the chain of communication between manufacturer and consumer. There was a critical need to expand the marketing and sales network, and to get quick results from their activities. In January 1991 the market share of Eger Tobacco Factory brands was about 8% on the basis of the moving average of the previous 12 months, which represented 2.2 billion cigarettes, 25% of our annual capacity. Although at the signing of the privatization contract Philip Morris won the right to manufacture in a gradually decreasing volume and within a limited time period the Sopianae cigarette, this was only enough to win time for the factory to replace outgoing volumes with its own new products. This necessity pushed forward the introduction of the first new face for Helikon, and the hard box Marlboro and Toldi cigarettes. The change in our market position over the last five years is a remarkable achievement. At the evening event of “Phillip Morris Day” with “Chico” Lopes, Joe Cesarion and Dr. Kati Lékó, in 1994
