Philip Morris International (PMI) announced today that it has, through one of its affiliates, acquired Rocker Production, a privately owned manufacturer of the smokeless tobacco product, Swedish snus.

"I am extremely pleased with this acquisition, which provides an entry for PMI into the profitable and growing market for snus in Sweden," said Jos Arkes, area director Nordics, PMI. "The acquisition of Rocker will allow PMI to gain product development and manufacturing expertise in this important market segment, where we are not currently present."
Rocker, located in Arvika, Sweden, manufactures and sells the Rocker brand of snus and holds an estimated market share of 0.1 per cent of the Swedish snus market.
Snus accounts for 52.5 per cent of the total amount of tobacco sold in Sweden and is expected to have a yearly growth rate of 0.4 per cent based on current market trends. The acquisition is not expected to have a near term impact on PMI earnings.
Rocker Production was established in 2000 and is a privately owned snus manufacturer based in Arvika, Sweden. Rocker currently has one brand, Rocker, with a total market share estimated at 0.1 per cent. (ci)