Donskoy Tabak, the largest Russian independent cigarette maker, produced 15.8 billion cigarettes in 2005; 1.4 billion cigarettes were exported, 40 per cent up from the previous year.

The company’s share of the Russian market comprises of 3.6 per cent. By the end of last year, Don Tabak completed a Euro 40 million project for moving the facility to a new location in the industrial area of Rostov-on-Don and brought the plant’s production capacity to 60 billion per year. This year, the company plans to launch a number of new cigarette brands in addition to the existing 38-brand portfolio and to develop its distribution network and regional subsidiaries. (vt)