Tobacco Road
Published on 20th June, 2008
15 billion cigarettes per year
Cigarette production in Alicante is about to come to the end of a 200 year long road. The Altadis tobacco factory, built only in 2002 at a cost of €40 million, will close at the end of 2009.
The closure comes as a result of restructuring by the British multinational Imperial Tobacco in the face of diminishing demand for tobacco in general and black tobacco in particular. Altadis produced
up to 15 billion cigarettes per year which were packed in possibly Spain's most famous brand – Ducados, the cigarettes that gave Spanish airports their distinctive aroma that signified you were
on holiday.
Surprisingly, the factory was only purchased by Imperial Tobacco in January this year for €16.2 billion, and production will now be transferred to another factory in Logroño. Younger staff from
Alicante will be offered jobs in other Spanish factories whilst those over 52 will be offered early retirement.
It's a shame that such a long tradition in Alicante is coming to an end but on the other hand the health and welfare of the majority of the country's population is more important.
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