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Imperial Tobacco NZ

  1. Official Name & Company Number: Imperial Tobacco New Zealand Limited (NZ Company No. 968024).

  1. NZ Business Number (NZBN): 9429037542344.

  1. Incorporation Date: 12 July 1999 (originally registered as Imperial New Zealand Limited, name changed to Imperial Tobacco NZ on 25 Aug 1999).

  1. Current Status: Registered company (as of 2025).

  1. Industry Classification: F360620 – Tobacco product wholesaling (importing, manufacturing and distributing tobacco products).

  1. Registered Office: Russell McVeagh law firm, Level 24, 157 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.

  1. Address for Service: Russell McVeagh, Level 24, 157 Lambton Quay, Wellington (same as registered office).

  1. Physical Address (Operations): 124–130 Richmond Street, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, Wellington – the site of its cigarette factory until 2020 (now used for distribution).

  1. Contact Details: Telephone +64 (04) 587 1500 ; email imperial@nz.imptob.com.

  1. Ownership & Parent Company: Wholly owned by Imperial Tobacco Limited (UK), which is a subsidiary of the global tobacco conglomerate Imperial Brands PLC (UK). All 7,236,026 issued shares are held by Imperial Tobacco Ltd (Bristol, UK).

  1. Corporate Structure: Imperial Tobacco NZ is the New Zealand trading arm of Imperial Brands. It previously operated the country’s last cigarette manufacturing plant (Petone, Wellington) and now focuses on sales and distribution. A related entity, Petone Vapes Limited (registered 2023), appears to handle vaping products.

  1. Key Directors (Current): Andrew Dennis Ngan Young (appointed 10 Feb 2021) – identified as Imperial’s NZ country manager (key principal) ; Bradley John Topp (appointed 4 Nov 2021) ; Yu-Jie Tseng (appointed 1 Dec 2021). These individuals are likely senior executives or representatives of Imperial Brands in NZ.

  1. Senior Management: Kirsten Daggar-Nickson – Head of Corporate and Legal Affairs, Imperial Brands NZ (spokesperson who announced the Petone closure). Imperial’s country manager role has at times been filled by directors (e.g. former Sales & Marketing Director Tony Mears in 2010).

  1. Former Directors/Executives: Imperial’s NZ board and management have included several expatriates and career tobacco executives. Notable are Tony Mears (NZ Sales & Marketing Director, admitted to backing a lobby group in 2010), Wayne R. Merrett (Managing Director circa 2009–2011), Karen Geddes – Factory Manager (oversaw Petone operations 2017-2021), and Brendan Walker (long-serving NZ manager) – reflecting frequent rotation of Imperial’s personnel. No former New Zealand Ministers or MPs are known to have been employed by Imperial Tobacco NZ (contrast: rival Philip Morris hired a former Deputy PM’s Chief of Staff).

  1. Company Addresses History: The company’s administrative offices have long been based in Wellington’s corporate district (hosted at law firms for regulatory and legal support), while its manufacturing was in Petone (an industrial suburb). The Petone factory site had been producing cigarettes for around a century under various owners, and Imperial took it over in 1999 as part of its market entry.

  1. Manufacturing Operations: Petone Factory: Imperial Tobacco NZ operated New Zealand’s last cigarette factory in Petone, inherited from earlier tobacco companies. In January 2020 the company announced a proposal to close this factory due to declining demand, overcapacity, and ageing infrastructure. The closure was confirmed in February 2020, with 122 jobs lost. Production was shifted to Imperial’s modern overseas plants. The Petone site had been an important employer (workers with decades of service) and its shutdown “pumped millions” out of the local economy according to the union E tū.

  1. Workforce: Prior to closure, Imperial NZ had ~120–140 employees (mostly factory and some corporate staff). After 2020, its on-the-ground workforce is much smaller (distribution, sales and corporate roles). Redundant factory workers received union-negotiated payouts. The company has not publicly disclosed current NZ staff numbers post-closure (Data Not Found).

  1. Market Share: Imperial Tobacco is the second-largest tobacco company in New Zealand. As of 2017 it held roughly 23% of the NZ cigarette market (and about 31% of the roll-your-own tobacco market). (Market leader BAT had ~65% and Philip Morris ~12% in cigarettes.) Imperial’s NZ sales volume has been declining over the last decade in line with falling smoking rates.

  1. Brands and Products: Imperial Tobacco NZ’s cigarette portfolio includes Peter Stuyvesant, West, Horizon, Camel, and JPS (John Player Special), among others. In the roll-your-own (RYO) category it sells Drum tobacco, Pocket Edition and Horizon RYO lines. It also distributes blu e-cigarettes (marketed as “myBlu”) and heated tobacco products as “next-generation” alternatives. (Imperial launched myBlu e-cigarettes in NZ in 2019 as a “healthier alternative” for smokers, according to its corporate affairs head.)

  1. Financial Performance: Imperial Tobacco NZ remains highly profitable despite shrinking smoking rates, largely due to high prices. For example, in FY2017 it reported a net profit of NZ$39.9 million on revenue of $562.7 million. Profit jumped ~31% that year, attributed to cheaper raw materials and lower wage costs offsetting excise tax increases. Annual tobacco excise taxes paid by Imperial NZ have more than doubled in a decade – e.g. NZ$402.8 million in duty in 2017 (up from $173m in 2007). (Such taxes far exceed the company’s own profit, illustrating the tax-driven cost of its products). Recent financial statements (2020–2023) are not publicly available (Data Not Found), but the parent company reports continued profitability in Oceania markets.

  1. Tax and Subsidies: Imperial Tobacco NZ is a major contributor of excise tax but has also faced criticism for seeking public funds. The decision to designate the Petone factory as essential in 2020 was called “outrageous” by health advocates, given smoking’s risks during a respiratory pandemic. Imperial did not volunteer to return any wage subsidy, in contrast to some other firms (no public record of repayment).

  1. Litigation and Legal Issues: Imperial Tobacco NZ has not been publicly implicated in major court cases in NZ apart from industry-wide regulatory challenges. (Notably, in 2017 rival Philip Morris sued BAT NZ for anti-competitive practices, in which Imperial’s market share and industry arrangements were scrutinised. Imperial itself was not a party to that suit.) Globally, Imperial Brands has faced legal actions (e.g. over pricing collusion in Europe), but no specific local lawsuits against Imperial NZ have been reported in the last decade (Data Not Found). However, the company has implicitly threatened litigation over legislation (e.g. warning of intellectual property lawsuits if NZ adopted plain packaging).

  1. Regulatory Compliance: Imperial NZ is subject to NZ’s Smokefree Environments laws. It was required to remove branding under plain packaging regulations (implemented 2018), a policy it opposed. The company files annual tobacco returns to the Ministry of Health (e.g. ingredient disclosures). It has generally complied with new regulations once enacted, while often delaying compliance until last possible dates (e.g. adopting plain packs at the final 2018 deadline). No known violations or prosecutions under health laws have been publicised (Data Not Found).

  1. Lobbying & Government Relations: Imperial Tobacco NZ does not appear on any public lobbying register – New Zealand has no mandatory lobbyist register. The company’s lobbying is typically conducted through industry groups, law firms, and PR consultants rather than direct in-house lobbyists. For instance, Imperial has been a member of the NZ Association of Convenience Stores (NZACS), an industry body that lobbies against tobacco restrictions. Past government affiliations: No Imperial NZ director or executive is a former Minister or MP, and no direct secondment into government roles is known. Imperial has relied on professional lobby firms and “below-the-radar” influence (see Controversies below) rather than hiring ex-politicians outright.

  1. Political Contributions: No recorded donations from Imperial Tobacco NZ to NZ political parties or candidates in the last decade (above the public disclosure threshold). New Zealand law does not forbid tobacco industry donations, but major parties generally avoid them due to political risk. If Imperial made any political contributions, they were below reporting limits or funneled via third parties (Data Not Found). The company’s influence is exerted more through lobbying and third-party groups than direct political funding.

  1. Controversies: Imperial Tobacco NZ has been embroiled in significant controversies over its lobbying tactics and public accountability:

    • Astroturf Lobbying (2010): It secretly backed the establishment of the Association of Community Retailers (ACR) – a supposed “grassroots” small retailers group – to oppose tobacco tax hikes and display bans. Imperial’s NZ executive admitted to a Parliamentary committee that the company provided PR support and resources to ACR via a consultant (Omeka PR). This revelation came after ACR had denied any tobacco industry backing, exposing a covert lobbying campaign.

    • “Dirty Politics” PR Scandal: Imperial (along with other tobacco and sugar interests) was linked to a years-long covert smear campaign against public health advocates. An investigation found an industry-aligned lobbyist (a former BAT staffer) had anonymously defamed health experts who supported stricter tobacco laws. These attacks, detailed in 2014’s Dirty Politics revelations, were funded by tobacco companies via PR firms – although specific funding streams were not officially disclosed. Imperial has not publicly acknowledged involvement, but it benefited from the resulting climate of doubt around tobacco control proposals.

    • Essential Service Outrage (2020): During the COVID-19 Level-4 lockdown, Imperial’s Petone factory was deemed an “essential business” (since it supplies supermarkets) and allowed to operate. Health groups (Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, et al.) lambasted this decision as undermining public health messaging. The government defended it as a supply-chain necessity, but the optics of prioritising cigarette production during a pandemic drew criticism of undue industry influence.

    • Opaque Lobbying & Front Groups: Imperial has been accused of operating through front groups like ACR and NZACS to fight policies (plain packaging, retail restrictions) without disclosing its hand. The NZ Labour Party in 2024 cited “tobacco lobbyists” influence, particularly over coalition party NZ First, in watering down smokefree policies. While not named, Imperial is one of the big three companies whose lobbying is often done in the shadows, taking advantage of NZ’s lack of transparency requirements.

  1. Public Health Criticism: Imperial Tobacco is routinely criticized by health organisations in NZ. Groups such as ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) and Health Coalition Aotearoa have accused tobacco companies of “interference” in policy and failing to act transparently. The company is seen as working to delay or derail NZ’s Smokefree 2025 goals – for example, by arguing against measures like plain packaging (claiming it infringed trademarks and would increase illicit trade). Imperial’s marketing of vaping products as a solution is viewed skeptically by health experts, who point out the company’s core business remains selling cigarettes.

  1. COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Usage: (If applicable) – [Data Not Found]. (See item 21 above. Imperial’s use of the wage subsidy is not fully transparent; no official breakdown was published. It’s notable that despite taking taxpayer support, the company proceeded with mass layoffs in the same year (2020).)

  1. Transparency and Disclosures: Imperial Tobacco NZ provides minimal voluntary disclosure. It does not publish reports on its political engagement or corporate social responsibility in NZ (unlike some industries). Meetings with officials are not proactively disclosed by the company – any known interactions have come via OIA requests or third-party reports. The Integrity Institute notes a general lack of transparency around lobbying, with industry funding of allied groups often hidden. Imperial’s registered office being a top law firm (Russell McVeagh) suggests much of its government engagement may occur through legal representations and confidential submissions rather than open lobbying. Overall, there are significant gaps in public information about Imperial Tobacco’s influence activities (a primary reason it features in this unofficial register).

Sources:

[1] Imperial Tobacco New Zealand Ltd – Company Profile, CompaniesNZ / NZ Companies Office data, https://www.companiesnz.com/company/968024/imperial-tobacco-new-zealand-limited

[2] Imperial Tobacco NZ – Ownership and Shares, CompaniesNZ, https://www.companiesnz.com/company/968024/imperial-tobacco-new-zealand-limited (Shareholding details)

[3] Imperial Tobacco New Zealand – Address & Contact, Packaging Council of NZ, https://www.packaging.org.nz (Member listing for Imperial Tobacco NZ)

[4] Tobacco giant admits it backs new lobby group, NZ Herald (NZPA), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tobacco-giant-admits-it-backs-new-lobby-group/GBPHSTTNYAB5OJB5BKRWMJ7REI/

[5] Retailers deny tobacco industry backing, Otago Daily Times (NZPA), https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/retailers-deny-tobacco-industry-backing

[6] Imperial Tobacco plans Petone factory closure, 122 jobs at risk, NZ Herald, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/imperial-tobacco-plans-petone-factory-closure-122-jobs-at-risk/ZW57BKN3V3GHPLNDTJKKLRRNE4/

[7] 122 jobs to be lost when Imperial Tobacco closes its Petone factory, E tū Union media via Wellington.Scoop, http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=125789

[8] Imperial Tobacco lights up profit result, NZ Herald (BusinessDesk), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/imperial-tobacco-lights-up-profit-result/5LH25OIUY4FQK23W4LK45PSDYM/

[9] Legal stoush flares up in $2.5b tobacco industry, NZ Herald (BusinessDesk), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/legal-stoush-flares-up-in-25b-tobacco-industry/VTIXI7O5HF5APG3NGHBJE6O5KE/

[10] Govt in thrall to tobacco lobbyists – Labour Press Release, Labour Party (labour.org.nz), https://www.labour.org.nz/govt_in_thrall_to_tobacco_lobbyists

[11] Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021 – New Zealand, Global Tobacco Index / STOP, https://globaltobaccoindex.org (Report PDF)

[12] Tobacco industry interference with endgame policies (NZ section), Tobacco Tactics (University of Bath), https://www.tobaccotactics.org/article/tobacco-industry-interference-with-endgame-policies/

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz

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