Strategic Management for Altria Group of Companies Essay Example
The Altria group consists of various companies, including Kraft Foods, Philip Morris International, Philip Morris USA, and Philip Morris Capital Corporation. Their main focus is the production of consumer products such as tobacco, packaged food, and beverages.
The group is based in New York and primarily operates in the US and Europe. It has a workforce of 175,000 individuals as of December 31, 2007. In the fiscal year ending December 2006, its revenues reached $101,407 million which represents a growth of 3% compared to 2005. This increase in revenue is attributed to the expansion of its international tobacco division, domestic tobacco division, and international food division.
In fiscal year 2006, the group's operating profit increased by 4.9% to $17,413 million compared to the previous year. The net profit also saw a growth of 15.2%, reaching $12,022 million (Altria, 2008). Addi
...tionally, in 2007, worldwide cigarette shipment volume rose by 18.6 billion units, totaling to 850 billion units for the remaining part of the year.
In November, amidst the acquisition of local trademarks in Mexico, shipments experienced a decrease of 0.7% or 5.6 billion units. This decline was influenced by inconsistent trade inventory circulation in Japan and Mexico, as well as low shipments in Germany and Poland. However, it was balanced out by strong gains in Korea, Egypt, Ukraine, Argentina, and Indonesia. The absence of acquisitions and delayed inventory circulation had caused shipments to remain stable in 2007 (Altria, 2008). Altria intends to divide their USA and Worldwide operations into two distinct companies.
Legal disputes are highly likely in the United States, but other parts of the world have a lower tendency to sue and hold companies less accountable. This difference
allows them to attract customers. When journeying through developing nations, the Marlboro brand is regarded as a symbol of luxury and prestige. I am confident that as these countries' economies improve, there will continue to be a demand for high-end American brands. This disparity will bring significant value.
By allowing KFT, Altria USA, and Altria Worldwide to focus on their respective markets and operate efficiently, the proposed strategy will not only decrease the risk of litigation but also increase overall earnings. This alignment resembles a safer investment in a bank, except with higher dividends compared to interest rates offered by banks (Money and Investing, 2007). In 2007, operating companies income rose by 5.5% to $8 billion due to factors such as higher pricing, favorable currency exchange of $471 million, productivity and cost savings. These gains were partially offset by the impact of the 2006 gain on the Dominican Republic transaction, increased marketing expenses, and premiums in Research and Development. Ultimately, operating companies income witnessed a growth of 12%.
According to Altria (2008), PMI's market share performance improved in many markets in the year 2007 when adjusted for the impact of the Dominican Republic transaction and other items. The improvement amounted to a 5% increase for the full year.
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