Shisha alliance formed

Alliance One International said yesterday that its German subsidiary, Alliance One Rotag, and France Tabac Union de Sociétés Coopératives Agricoles had ‘entered into an agreement for the sourcing, processing and marketing of high-quality flue-cured Virginia shisha-style tobacco’.
‘Together, the two organizations will provide customers with the high-quality flue-cured Virginia shisha-style tobacco that the European region is recognized for producing,’ AOI said in a note posted on its website.
‘Alliance One Rotag intends to continue sourcing high-quality German and Polish flue-cured Virginia tobaccos, which will be processed with the French-origin tobaccos sourced from France Tabac in its processing facility located in Sarlat, France.’
“Our new agreement with Alliance One Rotag is a great opportunity to expand the footprint of European shisha-style tobacco,” said Remy Losser, chairman of the Board of France Tabac.
“Alliance One’s global presence and experience in agronomy, processing and marketing will bring tremendous added value to the French tobacco industry, and we are excited for the future of the market.”
Meanwhile, Scott Burmeister, Alliance One’s regional director for Europe, said French, German and Polish flue-cured Virginia tobaccos were recognized worldwide for their quality and unique natures, and that the agreement would position the company to meet the needs of a growing shisha market, while continuing to serve the needs of its traditional customers. “Our agreement with France Tabac will enable us to deliver enhanced value for shisha and traditional customers as we combine France Tabac’s experience and capabilities in producing high-quality French shisha-style tobaccos with Alliance One’s international footprint.”