UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
Virginia tobacco merchant J.P. Taylor.
n 1918, t he Vi rg i n i a tobac c o merchant Jacquelin P. Taylor, along with five other tobacco merchants consolidated to form Universal Leaf Tobacco Company. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 25, 2018. “A centennial is an important milestone for any company,” said George Freeman, President, chairman, and chief executive officer of Universal. “It is a testament to the long-running and continued support and importance of our vital communities—investors, customers, growers and employees. For a century, Universal Corporation has been finding innovative solutions to serve our customers and meet their leaf tobacco needs. “We built a global presence, solidified long-term relationships with customers and suppliers, adapted to changing agricultural practices, embraced state of the art technology and emerged as the recognized industry leader,” Freeman continued. Today, Universal conducts business in over 30 countries on five continents, employs over 20,000 permanent and seasonal workers, and is the leading global leaf supplier.
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Building on the Past to Grow a Bright Future Universal has celebrated its centennial for 12 months. Now it is looking to its next 100 years. Staff report 16 TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2018
