Specialist in Oriental tobacco: cultivation contracts, processing and supply to cigarette manufacturers worldwide

Socotab Frana SA

Geneva (CH) · Kemalpaşa/Izmir (TR) · Bitola (MK) · Radinovo/Plovdiv (BG) · Katerini (GR) · Walnut Cove, NC (US)New on Amplifa

1923Founded in Antwerp

over 35'000Contract farmers

3Processing factories

4Growing countries (TR, MK, GR, BG)

1998Partnership with Universal Leaf (NYSE: UVV)

About Socotab

Socotab (Société Commerciale de Tabac) was founded in 1923 in Antwerp and specializes in Oriental tobacco. The company purchases, processes and sells all classic Oriental tobacco varieties and supplies the world's leading cigarette manufacturers. The raw material comes from more than 35'000 contract farmers in Turkey, North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria. The process includes seedbed preparation, transplanting, cultivation, hand harvesting, stringing with stringing machines, natural curing in sunlight drying frames, baling and packing into cartons. In its own factories, quality inspections are carried out in in-house laboratories, customer recipes (blending) are created and the tobacco is processed and packed. The commercial, operational and financial head office of the group is Socotab Frana SA in Geneva; in 1998 the company entered into a partnership with Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc. (NYSE: UVV).

Site: Geneva
Processes: Cultivation of Oriental tobacco (seedbed, transplanting, cultivation, harvest), Curing (drying with natural sunlight in drying frames), Baling (bale pressing and packing into cartons), Tobacco processing and recipe creation (blending) in own factories, Quality inspections in in-house laboratories, Stringing (threading of leaves with stringing machines), Cultivation contracts and agricultural advisory by agronomists and field technicians, Quality inspection and in-house laboratories
Materials: Oriental tobacco (various classic Oriental varieties), Oriental tobacco
Founded: 1923
Industries: Tobacco industry, Cigarette manufacturers

01
Cultivation contracts with farmers and agronomic advisory
02
Seedbed, transplanting, cultivation and hand harvesting
03
Stringing (threading) with stringing machines
04
Natural curing in sunlight drying frames
05
Baling and packing into cartons
06
Quality inspections in in-house laboratories
07
Blending according to customer recipes
08
Processing and packing in own factories
09
Storage in own warehousing facilities
10
Shipment to customers

Raw Materials & Processes

ORI

Oriental tobacco

All classic Oriental tobacco varieties are grown under natural conditions and dried exclusively with natural sunlight.

Locations

Geneva

Headquarters of Socotab Frana SA – commercial, operational and financial center

Kemalpaşa/Izmir

Processing factory (Socotab Yaprak Tütün) for tobaccos grown in Turkey

Stringing machines

Bitola (Dragozhani)

Processing factory (Socotab DOOEL Bitola) for tobaccos grown in North Macedonia

Stringing machines

Radinovo/Plovdiv

Processing factory (Socotab EOOD) for tobaccos grown in the EU (Bulgaria and Greece)

Stringing machines

Katerini

Branch office (Socotab EOOD Greek Branch)

Walnut Cove, NC

Site (Socotab – Durham Corp.)

Products

**Oriental tobacco leaves**Curing · Tobacco industry

**Dried tobacco bundles**Natural curing · Tobacco industry

**Bale pressing**Baling · Tobacco industry

Inside the production

Industries

Tobacco industryCigarette manufacturers

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Cultivation of Oriental tobacco (seedbed, transplanting, cultivation, harvest)Agriculture/Agro	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco
Curing (drying with natural sunlight in drying frames)Heat treatment	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco
Baling (bale pressing and packing into cartons)Forming	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco
Tobacco processing and recipe creation (blending) in own factoriesProcessing	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco
Quality inspections in in-house laboratoriesTesting	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco
Stringing (threading of leaves with stringing machines)Processing	–	–	–	–	Oriental tobacco

1 Anlagen & Maschinen

Machine	Manufacturer / model	Quantity	Working area	Year built	Site
Stringing machines	–	–	–	–	Fields (Turkey, North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria)

Additional services

Cultivation contracts and agricultural advisory by agronomists and field techniciansQuality inspection and in-house laboratoriesProcessing and packing of Oriental tobacco according to customer recipesStorage in own warehousing facilitiesShipping/logistics to customers

Reference customers

world's leading cigarette manufacturers

History

1923
Founded as Société Commerciale de Tabac in Antwerp, Belgium; export of Russian Sukhumi tobaccos to France and the USA
1998
Partnership with Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc. (NYSE: UVV), Richmond, VA, USA