Category: Golden Leaf Awards

And the Winners are …

Announcing the 2024 recipients of the Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter presented its 2024 Golden Leaf Awards Sept. 25 during a festive ceremony at the Agora Riviera Restaurant in Kavouri, near the site of this year’s Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in Athens. Sponsored exclusively by paper and packaging solution provider BMJ of Indonesia, the Golden Leaf Awards recognize excellence in the nicotine sector in the midst of our industry’s unprecedented transition.

Photos: Timothy Donahue
ARAC received a Golden Leaf Award for its outstanding service to the industry. Renowned for its expertise in social and behavioral sciences, the company specializes in data-driven research and analysis, providing customized solutions to manufacturers, public health advocates, regulatory agencies and industry consultants globally.
ARAC’s comprehensive services include surveys, interviews, focus groups, label development, usability studies and clinical behavioral studies, all aimed at advancing tobacco harm reduction.
The company has transformed from a consultancy to a fully staffed contract research firm. The expanded team brings unmatched expertise to every project, ensuring comprehensive and impactful results. ARAC’s internal team of psychologists, statisticians, behavioral scientists and business development specialists boast over a half-century of industry expertise.
The in-house survey methodologist and medical monitoring team enhances its standardization and facility training with on-site clinical assessments and proper sample distribution.
ARAC assists clients worldwide in product development and consumer research supporting innovation and next-generation products, with a focused expertise on the regulatory sciences for U.S. applications, including premarket tobacco product applications, modified-risk tobacco product applications and substantial equivalence procedures.

Greentank was recognized for its Quantum Vape, a state-of-the-art heating chip that replaces traditional cotton wick and ceramic heating elements. The technology outperforms other leading atomization products on key safety metrics, including harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) and metals. It also delivers superior flavor and a consistent consumer experience.
The Quantum Vape represents a breakthrough in inhalation science with the potential to catapult the industry beyond the current generation of atomization technology. Whereas most developments in recent years have amounted to tweaks of substrates and print materials, Greentank’s is the first in years to explore an entirely new foundation.
Among other benefits, the heating chip eliminates the risk of thermal cycling, therefore ensuring unprecedented levels of flavor consistency. Innovative assembly technologies ensure the heating chip emits no ceramic particle emissions and contains the lowest levels of HPHCs. While it’s not possible to claim complete absence, third-party testing and rigorous chemical analysis have found HPHCs to be at undetectable levels.
With its Quantum Vape, Greentank aims to lead the market toward a safer and better future.

Koerber took home the BMJ Most Committed to Quality Golden Leaf Award for its unwavering support of the nicotine business for nearly 80 years. Since its creation, the Hamburg-based company has consistently pushed the envelope with groundbreaking technologies, enabling the nicotine industry to produce ever more efficiently without compromising quality.
Koerber’s filter machines continue to set the global standard while its legendary Protos cigarette-making machines lead the market worldwide. Over the years, the company has added, organically and through acquisitions, many competences, including in physical measuring, foreign matter detection and smoke analysis, along with primary machinery, recon equipment and flavors.
As the nicotine business moves to its next chapter, Koerber is again at the forefront, developing equipment for the manufacture of cigarette alternatives such as tobacco-heating products.
In creating the technology to manufacture tomorrow’s products, the company leverages not only the expertise developed in the traditional tobacco business but also the pioneering mindset that has kept it at the cutting edge of nicotine technology for more than three quarters of a century.

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
The Kutsaga Tobacco Research Board was recognized for its efforts to promote sustainable growth. Eager to capture more value from its tobacco business, Zimbabwe aims to build a $5 billion industry by 2025 by expanding cultivation and moving up the value chain. With seed sales of more than 1 million grams as of Aug. 1, according to The Herald, the nation is poised to set new production records in the upcoming growing season.
To promote farmer viability and minimize the environmental impact of growth, Zimbabwe aims to increase production without laying claim to significantly more farmland. Kutsaga has contributed to those goals by developing seed varieties that are not only more productive but also more resilient, helping farmers cope with challenges such as pests and climate change.
In addition, the research board has been helping growers become more productive by reducing post-harvest losses. Zimbabwean tobacco production is dominated by smallholders who use wood as a fuel for tobacco growing. To address deforestation, Kutsaga has been developing sustainable wood sources and more efficient curing methods.

SindiTabaco received a Golden Leaf Award for its role in coordinating relief efforts after Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state in May suffered the worst floods in living memory. In all, the deluge impacted 1,929 rural properties in 75 municipalities. Candelaria was worst impacted, with 214 tobacco farmers suffering losses.
As one of the world’s leading tobacco-growing areas, Rio Grande do Sul plays a key role in global leaf supply. To help flood victims, SindiTabaco and its member companies donated basic food items, cleaning supplies, hygiene kits and furniture. They also provided personal loans for reconstruction and offered mental support from psychologists. In addition, tobacco companies and associations made available power generators and water tanks as well as boats and vehicles to rescue stranded people and animals.
The efforts helped many tobacco farmers and their dependents recover from disaster. According to a survey, 96 percent of the affected farmers intend to continue producing tobacco. SindiTabaco expects tobacco production from the impacted area to remain close to the projections estimated for the 2024–2025 growing season.
October 1, 2024
Announcing the 2022 Golden Leaf Awards

Photos: Chris Ferenzi Photography
Tobacco Reporter presents its 2022 Golden Leaf Awards.
It’s hard to exaggerate the extent of the changes that have taken place in the nicotine business since the Golden Leaf Awards were conceived more than 15 years ago. When the program debuted in 2006, the news headlines in Tobacco Reporter were mostly about consolidation, privatization and litigation—topics associated with a controversial legacy business playing defense in an increasingly hostile environment.
Fast-forward to 2022 and the landscape has changed completely. Many of our columns are now dedicated to tobacco harm reduction—a goal that has become feasible in the wake of the breathtaking innovations that have occurred in recent years (which are eloquently described in Tobacco Reporter’s April 2022 special innovation issue). The transformation has been so great that a reader from 2006 would likely struggle to recognize many of the devices evaluated in our new products section.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics also feature prominently in our news coverage today, reflecting a societal shift in attitudes. Corporations are not only more aware of their societal responsibilities but are also prepared to make a difference. The Golden Leaf Award’s exclusive sponsor, BMJ, for example, has developed impressive programs to reduce the amount of water and energy used in its papermaking process, to source its wood pulp sustainably and to meaningfully engage its employees (for more information, visit www.bmjpaperpack.com).
To better reflect these changing industry dynamics, the Golden Leaf Awards will place greater emphasis on innovation and ESG initiatives going forward. Starting this year, our judges will recognize initiatives designed to deliver a brighter future not only for the manufacturers and consumers directly involved but also for society at large.
In the 2022 edition of our awards program, we recognize three companies for various types of innovation and one company for its ESG initiatives. The winners accepted their trophies during a ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, Washington DC. We hope that you agree with our judges that the awarded products and programs hold significant potential to help deliver what one well-known multinational on the forefront of our industry’s transition describes as “a better tomorrow.”

ALD Group has earned a Golden Leaf Award for its Green Cig, an eco-friendly disposable vaping solution.
Driven by regulatory and competitive developments, disposable e-cigarettes have captured significant market share in recent years. In the United States alone, they now account for about a third of the vapor market, according to data from the market research firm IRI. But while disposable products offer convenience, they also raise environmental issues.
Alert to societal concerns about mounting waste, ALD Group has developed an e-cigarette with components that are easy to detach and recycle.
By using biodegradable plastic materials, including PLA and PBAT, for the Green Cig shell and eco-friendly paper-plastic materials for its packaging, ALD Group has managed to decrease the carbon footprint of its vaporizer by approximately 36 percent over that of similar products—without compromising on taste and flavor.
The degradation rate of the bioplastic component reaches up to 80 percent, according to ALD Group, while battery life is prolonged by sophisticated technology that prevents dry burning.
Recyclable parts of the Green Cig include its battery, pressure sensor, pogo pin and atomizer. To promote pod recycling, ALD Group has partnered with a third party to develop a program aimed at giving discarded pods a second life.

Pyxus Agriculture Malawi (PAM) has earned a Golden Leaf Award for its efforts to promote responsible fuel production in Malawi.
Deforestation is a challenge in many tobacco origins. In Malawi, the main contributors are agriculture and fuel production. About 7 percent of Malawi’s wood is used for curing tobacco or as a construction material for barns.
In recent years, Malawi has been transitioning from wood as a fuel source to charcoal, which is easier to obtain than electricity or gas in the region. Unfortunately, the systems currently used to produce charcoal are unregulated and threaten woodlands.
PAM is addressing this threat by utilizing existing business structures to produce charcoal responsibly. The company has 15 forest plantations across Malawi that supply firewood to tobacco farmers contracted by its Alliance One Tobacco Malawi subsidiary. After harvesting, there is often wood left that does not meet the criteria for tobacco curing. Now, PAM is using this wood to produce charcoal.
The company’s existing track-and-trace technology allows the fuel to be traced back to the source with assurance that any lumber used in the manufacturing process will be replenished within the plantation.
The project not only supports Malawi’s goal to transition from unsustainable wood fuel to sustainable wood fuel but also helps conserve indigenous woodlands. As of November 2021, the initiative was estimated to have saved at least 650 slow-growing indigenous trees. By 2024, PAM aims to be at a level of production that will save more than 12,100 trees per year.

FEELM has earned a Golden Leaf Award for its FEELM Max, the world’s first ceramic coil disposable pod solution.
Almost all disposable pods on the market contain traditional cotton coils, which can compromise flavor, generate a burnt taste and produce hazardous substances due to inaccurate temperature control.
Using FEELM’s updated ceramic coil technology, the FEELM Max offers improved flavor consistency, more puffs and reduced harshness through smaller aerosol particles.
Most importantly, the FEELM Max offers greater potential for harm reduction. The addition of a platinum group element to the ceramic coil’s metallic heating film improves the anti-corrosion performance and reduces the emission of heavy metals.
A 24 karat gold coating of conductive components enhances resistance to oxidation while a ceramic substrate resistant to temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius prevents burns and the creation of hazardous substances.
The introduction of the FEELM Max fits into the company’s mission to enhance the experience for vapers around the world. Founded in 2006, FEELM’s parent company, Smoore, has grown into the world’s leading atomization technology firm, with a 22.8 percent share of the global vaping device market in 2021, according to Frost & Sullivan.
The company operates 10 research centers, including seven in China and three in the United States, with an additional three under construction.

Innokin and Aquios Labs have earned a Golden Leaf Award for the Lota Pod, the first and only water-based vaping solution.
E-juice generally consists of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) along with flavor and nicotine. When heated, PG and VG produce vapor, which allows them to be inhaled. At 189 degrees and 292 degrees Celsius, respectively, the boiling points of PG and VG are relatively high, however.
Adding water to e-liquid brings down the boiling point and vape temperatures, thus reducing harmful substances in vapor. Water also minimizes dehydration and irritation and helps to deliver nicotine more efficiently while producing a more natural flavor.
Until now, the low viscosity level of water made it unsuitable for use in vaping devices at any meaningful level. Aquios Labs developed a technology that can support up to 30 percent water vaping but still needed proper hardware to support its new e-liquid.
Utilizing its extensive experience with vaping hardware, Innokin created new heating, wicking and airflow systems to unleash the potential of water-based e-liquid.
While the vaping industry has become accustomed to major hardware innovations every 12–18 months, e-liquids have been evolving at a gentler pace. Water-based vaping arguably represents one of the most significant breakthroughs since the introduction of nicotine salts in the vaping industry.
October 26, 2022
And the Winners Are…

Announcing the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter handed out its annual Golden Leaf Awards during a ceremony on Nov. 13 in the ballroom of the RAI exhibition center in Amsterdam. Winners accepted trophies for accomplishments in five categories— Most outstanding service to the industry, BMJ Most committed to quality, Most impressive public service initiative, Most exciting newcomer to the industry and Most promising product introduction.,
Celanese won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most outstanding service to the industry category for loyally serving its customers for more than one century. Founded in 1918 as a manufacturer of cellulose acetate lacquers as a less flammable fabric coating for aircraft fuselages, the company subsequently branched out into cellulose acetate yarn for textiles and other products. After the 1950s, Celanese upgraded its manufacturing assets to support the growing prevalence of acetate tow as the preferred material for cigarette filters. Celanese created three joint venture operations with the China National Tobacco Corp., which today provide more than two-thirds of the country’s domestic acetate volume while providing a significant annual dividend stream for the company. With the advent of next-generation products, Celanese has been developing new materials and technologies to support heat-not-burn products and other innovations. While helping its customers stay ahead of the competition, Celanese is also firmly committed to biodegradability and sustainability, always looking for ways to minimize the environmental impact of its products and processes.
Smok won a Golden Leaf Award in the BMJ Most committed to quality category. Since its creation in 2010, the Smok brand has displayed a relentless commitment to innovation. Combining world-class industrial design with cutting-edge technology, Smok has consistently provided vapers with high-quality and reliable e-cigarette products. The company’s pioneering spirit was clearly on display during the TABEXPO 2019 trade fair in Amsterdam where Smok presented groundbreaking products such as the Fetch Mini, RPM 40, Priv M17 and Priv N19. The Fetch Mini elicited admiration for its glossy and exquisite texture featuring high-end glass on both sides of its body. Smok’s RPM 40 attracted praise for its small size, powerful battery and new IQ-R chip, which has shortened the firing time to a blazing fast 0.001 seconds.
The Tobacco Board of India won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most impressive public service initiative category for its efforts to popularize sustainable tobacco production practices in flue-cured Virginia cultivation in India. The commercialization of agriculture has affected agricultural biodiversity significantly. Monoculture and indiscriminate use of chemicals have resulted in land degradation and depletions of soil nutrients, forcing farmers to clear trees in search of new lands for cultivation. Recognizing these challenges, the Tobacco Board of India has embarked on a massive campaign to address such issues—and with success. Where implemented, its track-and-trace mechanisms have contributed to significant declines in chemical plant protection agent residues, for example. Tobacco Board of India initiatives such as “green manuring” and good agricultural practices have helped improve yields and quality while natural farming techniques have enabled the production of sought-after organic and residue-free tobaccos.
Voom Labs has won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most exciting newcomer to the industry category. Founded in Spain in December 2018, the company has established a solid reputation as a supplier of e-cigarettes. It is one of the few vapor brands that combines research, design, development, production and marketing under one roof. With 15 years of international market expertise, foresight and in-depth understanding of the e-cigarette industry, the Voom Labs team is well positioned to make a positive impact on the vapor business. The company nurtures a culture of social responsibility and places great value on sustainability with the ultimate aim of improving the lives of consumers worldwide by offering them nicotine consumption tools that are less harmful than combustible cigarettes.
While it does not produce any brands of their own, Ruvian Technology has won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most exciting product introduction category. Ruvian Technology is a provider of next-generation products with safe, high-quality and innovative nicotine delivery technology. Ruvian Technology believes that with the right combination of pharmaceutical and tobacco technology, the company can bring their modern new hemp and CBD product ideas and designs to a fast-growing consumer market. Ruvian Technology is dedicated to providing a unique perspective to the future of how hemp and CBD consumers will find true satisfaction in a technology driven and competitive market.
The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ of Indonesia. BMJ is the world’s No. 1 partner for specialty paper and packaging materials in the cigarette industry. BMJ produces cigarette paper, plug wrap paper, base tipping paper and printed tipping paper with standard weights of 18 grams to 40 grams per square meter. As a printing packaging company, BMJ represents high-quality packaging utilizing both rotogravure and offset. For more information, visit www.bmjpaperpack.com.
December 1, 2019
And The Winners Are…

Announcing the 2018 Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter handed out its annual Golden Leaf Awards during a ceremony at the Guildhall in London during the 2018 Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum. Recipients accepted trophies for accomplishments in five categories: Most impressive public service initiative, Most promising product introduction, Most exciting newcomer to the industry, Most outstanding service to the industry and BMJ most committed to quality. The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ.
Universal Leaf Tobacco won a Golden Leaf Award in the “BMJ most committed to quality” category for its commitment to quality and excellence over the past century—the company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
As the world’s leading leaf tobacco supplier, Universal has long been a vital link in the global tobacco supply chain. In defining quality, the company’s perspective extends far beyond traditional considerations. For tobacco production to thrive, Universal believes that the supply chain must be preserved and improved through sound production and processing techniques, ethical business standards, and socially conscious programs.
That starts at the farm. Universal believes tobacco growers must be able to sustainably produce and profit fairly from their crops. The procedures and practices to accomplish this are unique to each origin, and the company’s local teams provide the necessary expertise.
At the other end of the supply, customers are increasingly demanding not only quality leaf but also compliant leaf. Compliant leaf requires the leaf supplier to confirm that tobacco is grown using good agricultural practices in a sustainable manner related not only to the environment but also to social concerns and grower profitability.
A critical component of Universal’s Good Agricultural Practices program is the Agricultural Labor Practices (ALP) program. ALP is designed to progressively address and eliminate concerns found in agriculture with child labor and other issues as well as to achieve fair working conditions on all farms from which the company contracts tobacco.
The company has invested significant resources in the programs and infrastructure needed to work with growers to produce compliant leaf and support its growers’ communities.
Alliance One International (AOI) received a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most impressive public service initiative” category for its efforts to alleviate water scarcity in Malawi.
A major producer of burley tobacco, Malawi is an important sourcing area for AOI. As a small country in southern Africa with a population of nearly 20 million, Malawi has only 1,700 cubic meters of fresh water per person available—a situation that is expected to worsen in the future due to rapid population growth and the effects of climate change.
Water scarcity is a factor in many problems, including food insecurity. Ninety percent of Malawi’s agriculture is currently rain-fed. Diversification into irrigation farming would allow farmers to grow crops in the dry season and secure additional harvests.
Alliance One Tobacco Malawi has been bringing water relief to its contracted farmers and the communities within its growing areas through village dams, boreholes and shallow wells, among other initiatives. These programs help farmers produce high-quality, well-irrigated crops as well as water for domestic use.
The projects have had a notable impact on AOI’s communities. The village dams, for example, have increased tobacco yields and financial returns by 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, due to high-quality seedlings and early plantings. They have also allowed farmers to diversify into market gardening, increasing household incomes and food security. Livestock, meanwhile, has gained access to clean drinking water closer to grazing areas.
AOI estimates that a total of more than 125,000 Malawians have been positively impacted by its water programs.
Coresta received a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most outstanding service to the industry” category. For more than 60 years, the organization has promoted international cooperation in scientific research relating to tobacco and its derived products.
Headquartered in Paris, Coresta is engaged in determining best practices in agronomy and phytopathology with focus on sustainability. It also develops recommended methods for the measurement of crop protection agent residues in crops, physical properties of products, and chemical components in tobacco and smoke. More recently, it has also been working on such methods for e-liquids and aerosol.
The organization has been at the forefront of science relating to new product categories, with a special focus on reduced-risk products.
Examples of tools developed by Coresta include the monitor for smoking laboratory accreditation, the definition of vaping machine parameters and the unified Coresta unit porosity measurement for cigarette papers.
Coresta’s working groups allow each contributing organization to benefit from others’ input. Such collaborative work saves time and costs, enabling the industry to conduct studies that would be too expensive or time-consuming to be carried out by individual organizations.
Importantly, Coresta presents an opportunity to educate young scientists not only in their area of expertise but also in adjacent fields—something that would be difficult achieve in their normal daily work.
Robust science is an important foundation for the tobacco and vapor industries. Coresta is helping the industry develop this science, which is a crucial tool for engagement with stakeholders, especially those involved in developing the regulatory framework.
Feelm received a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most exciting newcomer the industry” category. Owned by Shenzhen Smoore Technology, Feelm has developed an innovative heating system for vapor products. This revolutionary technology combines a metal film with a ceramic conductor, a breakthrough in materials and structural science that represents a new frontier in the area of vapor atomization.
The metal film design creates an extraordinary broad heating surface that can accurately and intelligently apply temperature. This ensures instant vapor production along with a reduction in harmful substances, according to Feelm.
A completely sealed assembly prevents e-liquid from leaking or dripping. The technology also ensures a richer taste and smoother throat hit than traditional technologies, making the vaping experience more similar to traditional smoking.
The Smoore Scientific Center comprises a research center, a research institute and a technology industrialization center. The organization employs more than 200 scientists who collaborate on the development and assessment of its atomization and heating platform. To date, it has secured more than 500 technology patents.
Smoore Technology has a large manufacturing base in China and works with large tobacco companies to produce Feelm pod systems for their devices.
Boikon received a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most promising product introduction” category for its Djura track-and-trace technology. Starting on May 20, 2019, manufacturers of cigarettes and roll-your-own products operating in the EU will be required to track and trace their products throughout the supply chain. The stipulation is part of the revised Tobacco Products Directive and aimed at reducing the prevalence of illicit trade.
Needless to say, this is an ambitious undertaking. According to the European Smoking Tobacco Association, tracking and tracing products in the EU will require monitoring the movements of around 29 billion packaging units per year. Requiring unprecedented data transfers and a robust IT system, the EU’s plan has sent manufacturers scrambling to reconfigure their factories.
Boikon of the Netherlands has developed an elegant solution that is efficient, secure and easy to install into existing production lines. Its Djura technology laser prints unique identifier codes on tobacco products and instantly registers them in the appropriate databases at a speed of up to 160 packs per minute.
According to Boikon, the system offers 99.98 percent coding efficiency and 100 percent reliability. Products with unreadable codes are rejected and codes can be reused immediately, which means the manufacturer gets to use all of its prepaid codes.
The technology’s finished-product coding is not only fraud resistant but also makes the system ready for the digital tax stamps contemplated by regulators.
With its reliability and flexibility, the Djura will help tobacco producers comply with the looming EU legislation.
March 27, 2018
And The Winners Are…

Announcing the 2017 Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter handed out its annual Golden Leaf Awards during a ceremony at the Barclay Hotel in New York City. Recipients accepted trophies for accomplishments in five categories—Most impressive public service initiative, Most promising product introduction, Most exciting newcomer to the industry; Most outstanding service to the industry and BMJ most committed to quality. The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ.
Wiberg Solutions received an award in the “Most exciting newcomer to the industry” category for its sting-free snus.
Snus is widely acknowledged to be significantly less harmful than smoking and thus presents considerable opportunity for tobacco harm reduction. However, the stinging sensation associated with snus acts as a deterrent to many would-be users.
Company owner Bengt Wiberg develop a patch that minimizes the sting but retains the flavor.
With the sting eliminated, Wiberg believes that many more smokers might be able to move down the risk continuum.
Wiberg’s solution not only serves the cause of harm reduction, but is also a commercially attractive proposition. Incorporating the membrane into snus pouches adds very little to the cost of production, but allows manufacturers to charge a premium for their sting-free brand varieties.
The invention has attracted considerable attention already, and could easily be considered the greatest snus innovation since the invention of the pouch.
JTI Leaf Malawi won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most impressive public service initiative” category for its grower support programs.
In 2009, JTI took control of a key part of it supply chain by vertically integrating its tobacco leaf business. The JTI Global Leaf function was created with a mission to source the best tobacco at the best cost to secure a reliable supply of high-quality leaf for the long term.
One of the countries that JTI sources from is Malawi, a major producer of burley.
Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries. Its farming communities are fragile and their commercial outlook can be uncertain as they face various social and economic challenges that threaten their sustainability.
To assist its farming communities, JTI has designed and funded the implementation of activities that focus on three pillars—education, water and sanitation, health and wellbeing.
During an editorial visit to Malawi earlier this year, Tobacco Reporter witnessed firsthand the difference such programs have made in the livelihoods of tobacco farmers and their families.
Children previously working in the fields are now going to school; families who previously had to walk great distances to fetch water now have access to clean water in their villages; and many students have benefited from JTI scholarships.
As of June 2016, the company had provided 121 scholarships, constructed 66 boreholes and refurbished seven schools, while its new schools reached a whopping 12,000 pupils—and the investments continue apace.
Sustainable tobacco production requires sustainable farming communities. JTI’s programs demonstrate the company’s commitment to both.
The Fawky Abdallah Co. won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most outstanding service to the industry” category.
Named after its founder, Dr. Fawky Abdallah, The Fawky Abdallah Co. has provided professional consulting services to the global cigarette industry for nearly half a century, covering topics such as leaf blending, harm reduction and electronic cigarettes.
Over the years, the firm has given a whopping 66 presentations and technical papers at national and international conferences in 17 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The Fawky Abdallah Co. has also published multiple books on tobacco quality, sensory testing and cigarette product development, among other topics.
Its work has been translated into Spanish, Chinese and Russian.
The award recognizes The Fawky Abdallah Co.’s consistent contributions to the industry. By sharing its profound insights around the world, the firm has helped make knowledge accessible to large and small players alike.
Cerulean won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most promising new product introduction” category for its SM450e smoking machine.
Throughout 2015, it became clear that FDA would be regulating e-cigarettes, yet many held out, hoping that this product would somehow be overlooked or that the grandfather date would be reset to 2016.
As a result, when the deeming regulations and the EU revised Tobacco Product Directive came into force, the industry was unprepared for the amount of testing required. Laboratories and manufacturers simply lacked the capacity to test every device and juice.
Examining the problem, Cerulean realized it already had two halves of the solution—a machine with the capability but without the capacity; and a machine with the capacity but without the capability.
Its eight-port vaping machine could hold unusual shapes, press buttons and had space for impingers close the vaping device—but it lacked the required throughput. It’s 20-port smoking machine had high throughput but was not optimized for e-cigarette testing.
By blending the desirable elements of each machine, Cerulean was able to offer the industry an instrument that could perform the required tests at the required pace.
In addition to mechanical and electrical design, the development required a critical software rewrite to meet the FDA and TPD requirements, along with Coresta vaping methods.
The company not only developed an elegant solution, it also did so quickly. The first machine shipped less than six months after the initial brainstorming session.
Purilum won a Golden Leaf Award in the “BMJ Most committed to quality” category.
A combination of the words purity and luminous, the name Purilum expresses the company’s commitment to make products that reach the highest standards.
Purilum’s chief flavorists have more than 60 years of combined experience, which allows them to create round, full flavors using only materials that have been deemed suitable for inclusion by an independent toxicologist.
Ingredients are evaluated for their safety for use in flavoring food products. In addition, the company evaluates each e-liquid ingredient using inhalation as the route of exposure.
Purilum was one of the first manufacturers in the U.S. to have fully automated filling capabilities. Its futuristic North Carolina facility produces cartomizers and bottled e-liquids in a pharmaceutical-level quality environment.
To protect against contaminants and other impurities, e-liquid mixing and batching takes place in individual clean rooms. Meticulous care is taken to prepare, test and safeguard Purilum’s e-liquids, ensuring an adherence to future industry standards.
Testing standards are based on U.S. Pharmacopeia requirements and in-house benchmarks that come from decades of experience in various flavor industries, including tobacco, food products and other fast-moving consumer goods.
March 27, 2017
And The Winners Are…

Announcing the winners of the 2016 Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter announced the winners of its 2016 Golden Leaf Awards during the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum gala dinner in Brussels. Recipients accepted trophies for their accomplishments in five categories—Most impressive public service initiative, Most promising product introduction, Most exciting newcomer to the industry; Most outstanding service to the industry and BMJ most committed to quality. The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ.

British American Tobacco won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most impressive public service initiative” category for its Science & Technology 2015 Report.
For a number of years, BAT has been raising awareness about tobacco science and its research in support of tobacco harm reduction. The company strives to be open and transparent about its research, exploring traditional methods of science communications, as well as new approaches.
The Science & Technology 2015 Report details BAT’s significant progress in the science of tobacco harm reduction over the past year. The report solidifies the company’s approach taken on reduced-risk substantiation of next-generation products, the priority of product stewardship across the risk spectrum, plant biotechnology, aerosol science and more.
The report’s format has evolved significantly, with the introduction of new research fields and communications platforms, such as an interactive PDF and a downloadable e-book.
By showcasing the science through his report, the company can continue an open dialogue with regulators, public health representatives, scientific peers and other interested parties.
In March, the American Chemical Society published excerpts of BAT’s report in its publication Chemical & Engineering News, distributing the information to approximately 160,000 chemists worldwide—a new audience.
This “supplement” represents a first for the tobacco industry, and the widest circulation of a tobacco-industry scientific report to date.

Mane has won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most promising new product introduction” category for its contributions to the development of new product segments such as crushable flavored capsules and cigarette side-stream aromatization.
For many years, Mane’s Tobacco Business Unit has been at the forefront of technical innovation in flavoring systems for tobacco and, more recently, electronic tobacco-related products.
Some of the evolved technologies have been key in establishing new segments, including emanates (beta-cyclodextrin complexes) and molecular encapsulation technology, for use in cigarette wrapper paper for side stream aromatization.
Most notably, the companies’ efforts have also contributed to the success of crushable capsules in cigarette filters that allow consumers to flavor the mainstream smoke according to their individual preferences. Initially considered an interesting niche product, such crushable filters have since become a major segment in many markets—and one that is still growing.
These new products cater perfectly to the general trend toward increasingly personalized products that has in recent years also become evident in the tobacco market. Over the past 20 years, Mane has invested heavily in product development, taking into account not only rapidly changing consumer preferences but also the increasingly strict regulatory climate.
The crushable flavored capsules are a perfect example of its commitment to deliver the quality, flavor and choice that modern consumers desire.

The Moon Group won a Golden Leaf Award in the “Most exciting newcomer to the industry” category.
Founded in 2010 and based in Shanghai, the Moon Group has established itself quickly as a global leader in roll-your-own tobacco papers.
Backed by expertise and resources of Hengfeng Paper, the Moon Group has an unparalleled supply chain, along with strong, independent R&D capabilities in the field of RYO papers. The Moon Group can provide RYO big rolls, bobbins—with or without glue and watermarks—and booklets of all kinds and sizes. The company can also provide OEM service.
The Moon Group recently set up its first factory, with advanced fully automatic production lines from Europe.
With a production capacity of 100 million booklets a year, the company is now the biggest manufacturer of RYO papers in China. While production capacity is important, the Moon Group’s primary focus is on quality and sustainability, as evidenced by its factories’ ISO 9001 and FSC A000525 certifications.
Committed to product quality and customer service, the Moon Group strives for win-win partnerships with its clients for the long term.
The Moon Group is also the exclusive distributor of Republic Technology’s OCB brand in China. The firm aims to offer an ever-greater selection of styles and qualities to its customers.

Coley Ryan Perique Tobacco has won a Golden Leaf Award in the “BMJ most outstanding service to the industry” category for Perique tobacco.
Perique is a unique type of tobacco that is grown exclusively on a small swath of land near New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
It is used as a “condiment tobacco” to make nearly 100 different brand-name pipe tobacco blends from around the world. Tobacco blenders prize perique for its ability to add a delectable nuance to their blends.
Perique’s existence has been in jeopardy more than once—first in the late 1990s and again in 2005, when the only remaining firm handling Perique was about to close its doors.
Recognizing the unique value of perique, Mark Ryan, president of Daughters & Ryan Tobacco in Kenly, North Carolina, USA, purchased the L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco Co. and a new era for Perique began.
To protect and build the product reputation, he established best practices from seed to finished product.
Every leaf handled is hand-stemmed and turned a minimum of three times. The tobacco is fermented anaerobically under high pressure in oak whiskey barrels for a minimum of 12 months before it is ready for sale.
Daughters & Ryan can rightly claim to have preserved the culture, history and tradition of Perique for tobacco lovers worldwide.

Nicopure Labs has won a Golden Leaf Award in the “BMJ Most committed to quality” category for its unwavering commitment to the safety and integrity of its products and manufacturing processes.
Since its creation in 2009, Nicopure Labs has invested significant efforts and resources in developing the purest, best-tasting and highest-quality e-liquids.
Headquartered in Florida, the company sources its ingredients exclusively from reputable U.S.-based suppliers.
To guarantee the integrity of its manufacturing process, Nicopure Labs blends its liquids in a state-of-the-art, ISO 7 cleanroom environment.
The company’s production processes are highly automated and closely supervised by closed-circuit monitoring equipment.
Recognizing that safety and integrity are ongoing commitments, the company has invested heavily in additional cleanroom capabilities. A new such facility, co-designed with a leader in pharmaceutical construction, is in the process of being completed.
Committed to consumer safety, Nicopure Labs uses only USP FEMA/GRAS flavorings. Its products are free of diacetyl and acetylpropionyl-free. All e-liquids are tested by a third party using advanced technologies such as high-performance liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
In addition, Nicopure Labs routinely tests incoming products and materials in-house.
Further demonstrating its commitment to professionalism, Nicopure Labs was the first U.S. e-liquid manufacturer to provide child-proof bottles with best-by dating and lot numbers, along with tamper-resistant seals—in advance of regulatory requirements, such as the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015.
March 27, 2016
2015 Golden Leaf Awards announced

Tobacco Reporter has announced the winners of the 2015 Golden Leaf Awards. During a ceremony at the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum in Bologna, Italy, the winners accepted awards for their accomplishments in five different categories. The Golden Leaf Awards are exclusively sponsored by BMJ.
SCM/TDC won a Golden Leaf Award in the ‘Most promising product introduction’ category for its Genesis e-cigarette machine.
Currently the vast majority of e-cigarette hardware is made manually in China, with mixed levels of quality.
As regulation takes effect, quality and safety requirements will become much stricter, and many of the handmade products will fall short of the new standards.
SCM/TDC has developed a machine—the Genesis—to automate parts of the production process and bring production quality up to the high level that is common in the tobacco industry.
The machine is built modularly so that it can accommodate future product design changes, which are likely, given the fast development of e-cigarette technology.
One of the most vital parts of the production process is testing the cartridge or disposable. The Genesis subjects every unit to a smoke test or resistance check. Quality control is carried out quickly and with great accuracy.
This way, only products of the highest quality will end up in the hands of customers, and e-cigarette manufacturers will be able to comply with the strictest regulatory requirements.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, SCM and TDC are members of the ITM Group.
U.S. Tobacco Cooperative received a Golden Leaf Award in the ‘Most outstanding service to the industry’ category for its contributions to the sustainability of U.S. flue-cured tobacco production.
Whereas the major leaf suppliers will return a dividend to their shareholders and investors, USTC reinvests most of its profits back with its contracted tobacco growers.
Since 2010, USTC has declared patronage dividends of $37.9 million to its grower members, including $19.8 million in cash.
Volume and pricing predictability are essential for growers’ viability and the sustainability of their flue-cured crop. As global and domestic demand fluctuates according to sales of manufacturers’ smoking products, USTC’s patronage dividend helps growers offset the impact of supply/demand cuts in contract volumes and is paramount in their ability to invest in growing high-quality, compliant flue-cured tobacco.
The patronage dividend is not a premium, bonus or subsidy and it does not increase the cost of the tobacco to the end user—it is purely the distribution of profits made by USTC from its sales and leaf and related products back to its grower members.
SPV received a Golden Leaf Award in the ‘Most exciting newcomer to the industry’ category.
Headquartered in Shanghai, China, the company was established in 2014 to provide the most consistent and reliable e-liquids, e-cigarettes and accessories, as well as snus, with world-class customer care service.
The company’s mission is to dramatically enhance customers’ experience with new tobacco products.
Backed by the expertise and resources of Huabao International Holdings, SPV has an unparalleled global supply chain, allowing it to secure the world’s best quality raw materials and processing them into finished goods and distributing them around the world.
SPV is also the first massively promoted e-cigarette brand in China. The company is looking to expand internationally and is currently looking for strategic partners in the EU and the U.S.
Alliance One Tobacco Malawi received a Golden Leaf Award in the ‘Most impressive public service initiative’ category for its reforestation program in Malawi.
In Malawi, tobacco provides jobs for 430,000 people and contributes 60 percent of the country’s foreign exchange.
But while Malawi’s “Green Gold” provides substantial economic benefits, the production of tobacco also consumes natural resources. Farmers use wood to cure tobacco and construct barns.
Eager to address the environmental impact of tobacco growing, AOI’s local affiliate, Alliance One Tobacco Malawi, has worked hard improve the success rate of its forestry program. In partnership with customers, it is now growing trees on commercial plantations. Beginning with the 2013-2014 crop season, Alliance One Tobacco Malawi started delivering firewood to contracted farmers, reducing pressure on unsustainable and indigenous wood.
Alliance One Tobacco Malawi’s holistic approach to wood resource management resulted in remarkable success in the 2014-2015 crop season. The company provided its customers with tobacco that is grown from 100 percent sustainable sources. It distributed 5,707,119 seedlings and planted almost 6 million trees across smallholder farms, commercial farms and government plantations.
Customers have been pleased with the progress of the program and Alliance One looks forward to continue partnering with them on various forestry projects.
Universal Leaf Tobacco Co. received a Golden Leaf Award in the “BMJ most committed to quality” category for its commitment to quality and excellence throughout the tobacco supply chain as demonstrated by various projects and initiatives .
As the world’s leading leaf tobacco supplier, Universal has long been a vital link in the global tobacco supply chain. For tobacco production to thrive, the company believes that the supply chain must be preserved and improved through sound production and processing techniques and conducting business according to ethical standards that protect and serve growers, employees, communities, the environment, customers and shareholders.
Those at the beginning of the chain—the tobacco growers—must be able to sustainably produce and profit fairly from their crops. At the other end of the supply chain, tobacco product manufacturers are increasingly demanding not only quality leaf, but quality compliant leaf.
Universal’s manages to simultaneously satisfy, in a competitive manner, these vastly different yet interdependent stakeholders , through its investments in cutting edge extension services, good agricultural practices, research, training and social responsibility initiatives.
September 18, 2015
And The Winners Are…

Tobacco Reporter announces its 2014 Golden Leaf Awards
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter presented its 2014 Golden Leaf Awards on Oct. 2 during a festive ceremony at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, USA. The event was part of the Global Tobacco Networking Forum, which brought together hundreds of industry representatives and other stakeholders from around the world. Five companies were recognized for their achievements in areas such as innovation, corporate social responsibility and commitment to quality. The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ of Indonesia.
Alliance One International (AOI) won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most outstanding service to the industry category for its Grower Management System (GMS), a standardized real-time global data-capture system.
The industry faces rapidly expanding reporting requirements, driven mainly by manufacturers and anticipated regulation. The source of much of this data is at the primary producer level.
AOI contracts more than 250,000 growers. Using mobile devices, GMS allows the company to instantly gather information about location, scale of operation, cultural practices employed, crop inputs, curing management and reforestation, among other parameters. In doing so, GMS underpins the industry’s focus on Good Agricultural Practices and Agricultural Labor Practices.
Having access to such information in real time reinforces sustainable and compliant tobacco production. Through back-office functions, GMS will link with grower accounting systems, product-integrity programs and support traceability in the packed product. A derived benefit has been improved allocation of management and field staff time.
GMS was developed in-house. Microsoft certified the GMS app to be included in the Windows Phone Store in October 2012.
It is anticipated that GMS will also lend greater visibility to debt recovery, a critical parameter of the integrated production system, as a leaf supplier bears the principal risk with direct financing of growers.
GMS in current form is tobacco-centric, but readily lends itself to a much broader application in agriculture at large.
The Tobacco Board of India won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most impressive public service initiative category for its implementation of an electronic auction system, which has made the marketing of flue-cured tobacco in India more transparent and accountable.
With production of about 800 million kg, India is the world’s second-largest producer of tobacco, exporting leaf to more than 100 countries. The Tobacco Board is responsible, among other things, for ensuring fair prices to tobacco growers and establishing auction platforms for the sale of Virginia tobacco.
For many years, tobacco was auctioned manually in India. Despite its obvious success, the auction system had certain shortcomings, including susceptibility to human errors, lack of traceability and scarcity of information for stakeholders.
The Tobacco Board realized these problems could be eliminated only through quality communication aids, electronic auctioning and effective information management.
The e-auction solution was developed on a high-performance and reliable platform to effectively manage the automation process. The system has not only simplified the administrative procedures, but also removed any ambiguity by ensuring that, once recorded, the winning bid cannot be tampered with.
Not only farmers have benefited from the new systems. The large amounts of data generated allow buyers to make quicker and better-informed decisions.
Tomra Sorting Solutions won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most promising new product introduction category for its Opus Tobacco Sorter, which helps tobacco processors address a negative side effect of the increasingly popular mechanical harvesting.
Rather than relying on manual labor, tobacco growers are increasingly using machines to harvest tobacco. Among other things, this allows them to clear larger fields, thus increasing efficiency and productivity.
But mechanical harvesting also has a downside. Machines are less effective at removing leaf from its stalk than humans are. This can present a problem for tobacco processors and cigarette manufacturers. Because stalks are woody, they behave complete differently than tobacco stems when processed.
If not removed, stem stalks can turn to slivers during cutting, which in turn can pierce cigarette paper. The result is efficiency losses, drops in yield and possibly lower product quality.
Presented with this problem, Tomra capitalized on its experience in multiple industries, combining technology already used for tobacco applications with solutions it had developed for the food industry.
Taking advantage of Tomra proprietary camera and laser technologies, the “tobacconized” Opus sorter detects and rejects both traditional nontobacco-related material and the woody stem stalks, allowing the customer to avoid production stoppages, reduce waste and minimize energy consumption.
Shishapresso was recognized with a Golden Leaf Award in the Most exciting newcomer to the industry category.
While the cigarette industry has witnessed many innovations over the years, including mechanized production, the introduction of filters and special papers, the shisha business has remained largely unchanged. Today’s shisha smokers consume their tobacco in essentially the same way they did centuries ago.
Shishapresso is determined to change that. The company has developed a solution that eliminates the mess and hassle involved with the preparation of a hookah. Involving only three easy steps and a hookah, Shishapresso’s capsule and specially designed shisha ceramic head ensure a consistent smoking experience.
The Shishapresso capsules are filled with the finest shisha tobacco molasses, made from quality European Virginia tobacco leaves that are infused with quality flavors. Each capsule contains exactly the right amount of tobacco, the right texture and a unique foil-hole pattern. Smokers can select from 20 different flavors.
Shishapresso capsules are available in the U.S. and will be launched globally.
White Cloud Electronic Cigarettes won a Golden Leaf Award in the BMJ Most committed to quality category. While most e-cigarette manufacturers rely on Chinese manufacturing, which is cheaper due to lower labor cost and less-stringent government regulations, White Cloud is committed to setting up fully automated, U.S.-based operations.
In a major step toward that goal, the company relocated production of its e-cigarette cartridges entirely to the United States in May. Prior to that, the company was already sourcing and manufacturing its White Cloud e-liquid in the U.S.
The move to automation was made possible by the development of the company’s new proprietary cartridge, Cleardraw 2, which allows for automated production rather than the traditional hand-filling techniques typically used by companies in China. Automated filling in the end market promotes not only greater quality control and better regulatory compliance, it also ensures fresh ingredients.
White Cloud’s development in quality and innovation comes on the heels of the recent U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) proposal for more stringent regulations within the e-cigarette industry. While the proposal was largely focused on marketing and age-restriction, it signaled a shift toward increased FDA control over e-cigarette production and manufacturing standards, which White Cloud believes makes automated production in the end market more important moving forward.
November 1, 2014
And the winners are…

Tobacco Reporter hands out its 2013 Golden Leaf Awards.
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter presented its 2013 Golden Leaf Awards on Nov. 7 during a festive ceremony in Simon’s Restaurant at the famous Groot Constantia Vineyard near Cape Town, South Africa. The event was part of the Global Tobacco Networking Forum, which brought together hundreds of industry representatives and other stakeholders from around the world. Six companies received trophies in five different categories—with British American Tobacco and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. tying in the Most exciting new product introduction category.
Cigarette paper manufacturer BMJ, the exclusive sponsor of the Golden Leaf Awards, took the opportunity to introduce its new CEO, Omar Rahmanadi, and officially launch its new corporate logo and slogan, Eureka Everyday. Wine flowed generously during the evening, and Fred Vandermarliere of J. Cortès Cigars lifted the spirits even higher with a humorous speech about the cigar trade. The ceremony concluded with a performance from Hot Water, a South African band that has become an international sensation with its exhilarating mixture of blues, kwela, maskandi, rock and sakkie sakkie music styles.
Following are the winners of the 2013 Golden Leaf Awards, by category:
Most impressive public service initiative
Alliance One Kenya won a Golden Leaf Award in this category for its work in reducing deforestation in Kenya. Kenya’s new constitution requires that forests should cover 10 percent of the country’s territory by 2030—the figure currently stands at 1.7 percent. Alliance One is playing its part by running an afforestation project with a target of 4 million trees per year. In addition, the company has been actively researching and developing alternatives to wood fuel for tobacco curing. Among other initiatives, it has invested in a briquetting plant.
Most promising new product introduction
British American Tobacco (BAT) and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. (RJR) tied in this category.
BAT won a Golden Leaf Award for its BAT Toxicants iPad application. The app, which describes the results of BAT’s first clinical study of reduced-toxicant prototype cigarettes, aims to raise awareness of tobacco science in general and the research carried out at BAT’s U.K. R&D center in particular. It fits in BAT’s objective to be transparent about its research. Given the detailed background in the app regarding how toxicants are formed in smoke, BAT believes the app could also serve as an educational tool.
R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. won a Golden Leaf Award for its Vuse digital vapor cigarette. Examining the e-cigarette category, RJR observed a high level of trial but a low rate of adoption, which the company attributed to poor product performance. RJR set out to develop an e-cigarette that would truly meet the needs and expectations of adult tobacco consumers. Equipped with a digital microprocessors and smart memory chip, the Vuse delivers the consistent and realistic smoking experience that has been lacking in other e-cigarettes, says RJR.
Most exciting newcomer to the industry
White Cloud Electronic Cigarettes won the Golden Leaf Award in the Most exciting newcomer to the industry category. Disappointed with the quality of existing e-cigarettes, the founders of White Cloud set out to develop a product using better design and technology, with quality control as the focal point. Since then, there have been five generations of batteries and four generations of cartridges. The company takes great pride in the quality of its products. Rather than focusing only on the initial sale, White Cloud seeks to build a strong, enduring relationship with its customers.
Most outstanding service to the industry
Andromeda Forwarding and Logistics won a Golden Leaf Award in the Most outstanding service to the industry category. Established in 1998 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the company has evolved from a traditional international freight forwarder to a global provider of integrated supply-chain solutions for a comprehensive range of industries. Andromeda’s solutions combine air freight, ocean freight and trucking operations worldwide. The company specializes in warehousing, handling, sampling, storage and fumigation requirements in Antwerp. Andromeda Forwarding also offers customs clearance and brokerage, warehousing and distribution, insurance, rail transportation and barge transportation services.
BMJ most committed to quality
Seke took home the BMJ Most committed to quality category for its efforts to reduce the cost of oriental tobacco production in Greece. In 2010, the company pioneered sand seedbeds, which require little irrigation and no cultivation. Taking advantage of existing curing structures, this approach reduced the cost of production by 30 percent. Seke also invested in mechanization, introducing modified machines for the efficient hoeing of tobacco. Mechanization reduced labor costs associated with hoeing by 90 percent. It also decreased the quantity of fertilizer used.
November 8, 2013
And the winners are…
Tobacco Reporter hands out its 2012 Golden Leaf Awards.
TR Staff Report
Tobacco Reporter handed out its 2012 Golden Leaf Awards on June 14 during the Global Tobacco Networking Forum. The ceremony took place on a conference ship plying the Belgian and Dutch coastal waters. Four companies received trophies in five different categories. Mane Flavors took home awards in two separate categories. The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ, a global supplier of cigarette papers headquartered in Indonesia.
Alliance One International received a Golden Leaf Award in the most impressive public service initiative category. The company was recognized for its support of U.S. tobacco growers. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and the retreat from the market of U.S. Tobacco Growers Direct (USGD), AOI helped stabilize the U.S. flue-cured market by taking over the USGD contracted tobacco.
The tobacco business unit of Mane, a global flavorings house headquartered in France, received a Golden Leaf Award in the most outstanding service to the industry and most committed to quality categories. For the past 15 years, Mane’s tobacco business unit has been a world leader in new flavor technology innovations for the global tobacco industry. The company has been at the forefront of major innovations such as filter-flavor technologies as well as side-stream smoke amelioration technologies.
Perten Instruments received a Golden Leaf Award in the most exciting newcomer to the industry category. The company has put itself firmly on the tobacco map with its new generation of on-line NIR instruments, among other equipment.
Heinen-Koehl received a Golden Leaf award in the most promising product introduction category for its Twister multipurpose unit. Capable of conditioning and expanding different types of tobacco product, the Twister eliminates the need for soaking silos, saving the customer time and money. The Twister also offers remarkable increases in filling power.
The 2012 ceremony marked the seventh edition of the Golden Leaf Awards. Established in 2006 to recognize outstanding accomplishments by the industry and its suppliers, the previous events took place in Bali, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, Bangalore and Prague.
To enter into the 2013 competition, please visit www.tobaccoreporter.com.

August 1, 2012