The chronicle of Eger Tobacco Factory
The chosen company
remaining together would overpower any that proclaimed their independence. Even so there was rivalry, a state of affairs made even more striking by the earlier ‘rationalization’ of profiles completed towards the end of the Trust’s time. According to this, Pécs based its production on its own-developed Sopianae brand, Debrecen on Symphonia, Sátoraljaújhely on filterless cigarettes, Eger on the Fecske and Románc brands, plus Symphonia. Later the confusion and uncertainty only increased when the allocation of cigarette brands - legal ownership rights to brand names were lacking - took place administratively, practically at random, and with the stroke of a pen. Thus it happened that such important cigarettes as the Fecske and Symphonia brands were picked up by other factories despite the fact that the Eger factory had contributed a great deal to their original development. During the period of organizational independence, the state’s internal and external debts rapidly increased. Due to the then difficult economic position, the factory had once again to face up to the challenges of the future. Up to the year before the arrival of Philip Morris, until 1991, the factory recorded great successes as regards its technical development. Revenues flow-chart (year/Million HUF)
