U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC

Key Dates: 1822: George Weyman, inventor of Copenhagen snuff, opens his tobacco shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1870: Following their father's death, William and Benjamin Weyman officially adopt the name Weyman & Bro. 1905: Weyman & Bro. is acquired by the American Tobacco Company. 1911: Following the breakup of American Tobacco in 1907, Weyman-Bruton Company incorporates. 1921: Weyman-Bruton acquires the United States Tobacco Company. 1922: Weyman-Bruton becomes the United States Tobacco Company. 1934: U.S. Tobacco Company introduces Skoal, a wintergreen-flavored smokeless tobacco. 1965: W.H. Snyder & Sons, a Pennsylvania cigar company, becomes a subsidiary of UST. 1969: The company acquires Henry, Leonard & Thomas, Inc., manufacturers of Dr. Grabow Pre-Smoked pipes. 1970: U.S. Tobacco Company headquarters relocates from New York City to Greenwich, Connecticut. 1973: The company's sales top $100 million for the first time. 1974: The company enters the wine business by acquiring Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington State's largest winery. 1983: Columbia Crest winery is opened. 1987: UST Inc. is established as a holding company with its primary subsidiaries being U.S. Tobacco Company and International Wine & Spirits Ltd; its cigar-making subsidiary, House of Windsor, is sold; and UST is sued by Betty Ann Marsee for $147 million over the death of her 19-year-old son, which she attributes to his use of UST products. 1988: U.S. Tobacco Company begins its association with NASCAR by sponsoring the Skoal Bandit Grand National Race Car. 1992: UST sales surpass $1 billion. 2001: United States Tobacco Company changes its name to U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company to more closely align with the company's strategic vision and more accurately reflect its distinct position in the tobacco industry. 2009: With Altria Group’s acquisition of UST Inc., USSTC becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altria Group