Brown & Williamson Closures Cut 1,479 Jobs

ATLANTA -- Louisville, Ky.-based cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson's closures in Georgia will eliminate 1,410 jobs in Macon, Ga., and 69 in Suwanee, Ga., by the end of August, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

The cuts stem from R.J. Reynolds' acquisition of British American Tobacco's Brown & Williamson unit. The two tobacco giants announced their plans in October of last year to form Reynolds American Inc. R.J. Reynolds, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., acquired some of the assets of British American Tobacco, including a manufacturing facility in Macon.

The new $6.2 billion company, Reynolds American, is moving manufacturing operations to North Carolina. RJR began mailing prospectuses and ballots last week to shareholders so they can vote on a proposed buyout of B&W.
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