Few companies founded in 1902 are still going from strength to strength. Fewer still are leaders in more than 55 markets. And with one billion adult smokers around the world, we manufacture the cigarettes chosen by around one in eight of them. We take our business and our impact very seriously. We know the tobacco industry is a controversial one, and so it’s all the more important that we act responsibly, from the sourcing of tobacco leaf right through to how we market our products to adult consumers. Global to local Our business operates at a local, as well as global, level. We don’t own tobacco farms or directly employ farmers. More than 1,000 BAT leaf technicians worldwide support some 90,000 contracted farmers worldwide. We are a part of many local communities - both large and small - around the world, and in many countries we are the top employer and the company of choice for people employed at every stage of our supply chain. In 2015, we sold 663 billion cigarettes, made in 44 factories in 41 countries.