JTI/Gallaher Charitable Support
Overview
Gallaher Group Plc was bought out by Japan Tobacco International. The Company's roots date back to 1857 when Tom Gallaher started a business making Irish roll tobacco in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Gallaher was ranked at number 48 in the Belfast Telegraph top 100 companies in 2012.
Cigarette brands manufactured at Lisnafillan include Benson & Hedges (the UK's top selling premium brand), Silk Cut (the leading low-tar brand) plus other brands such as Berkeley, Mayfair, Sovereign, Sobranie and Dorchester. Around half of the cigarettes produced are exported to Europe and further afield.
Gallaher pipe and hand rolling tobacco production is also centred at Lisnafillan, namely Condor (the leading UK pipe tobacco), Amber Leaf and Old Holborn (the UK's second largest hand rolling brand). The fifty-acre site also houses Gallaher's Research and Development Division, which employs around 90 people in a variety of scientific roles.
Gallaher Limited has been part of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) since April 2007. JTI is the international tobacco division of Japan Tobacco Inc., the third largest global tobacco company.With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, JTI has more than 25,000 employees operating in 120 countries.
JTI’s UK production is located at Lisnafillan (Ballymena), where custom- built factories operate around the clock, producing cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products for both the domestic and international markets. The 50-acre site in Lisnafillan employs around 860 people in production, engineering, human resources, finance and logistics. Significant investment has been made in the factories in Northern Ireland in recent years, which has facilitated the significant upgrading of its process-technology.
Charity Policy
Gallaher is committed to distributing funds to a wide range of charities without seeking reward or recognition. The company's main emphasis is on giving in the communities in which its employees and their families live and work. Funds for this are allocated through the Board. Historically, the Charities Committee has distributed funds and assessed requests against the categories of:
- Medical and Disability;
- Personal Development;
- Social Welfare;
- and Others.
The Charities Committee continues to provide direction throughout the business.
In support of this a fuller policy document incorporating a Code of Practice is communicated and provides direction throughout the business.
Within the UK, they also match donations made by employees under 'Give-as- you-earn' scheme, up to £100 per month or £1,200 per annum. Outside the UK, the operating divisions are responsible for selecting and supporting specific projects in their local communities.